Ever wondered what it’s like to be in charge of billions of pounds? Ever wanted to find out how the government decides to spend money on schools, hospitals and police? Ever thought you could do a better job than the Chancellor?
The Citizenship Foundation supported by Norwich Union are running a competition for 14 – 18 year olds (Key Stage 4 and Post 16 students) which will put students in the driving seat of Public Spending – by being the Chancellor!
Well why not give it a go? If you or your students are aged 14 - 18 and based in the UK, they can have the Chance to be Chancellor by entering our fantastic competition and win some great prizes!
Chance to be Chancellor's competition materials and student entry forms are launched after the pre-Budget report which is published every Autumn, so as to recreate that years Budget for our aspiring Chancellors.
Complete the Online Registration Form at the bottom of this page to register your interest in the competition. You will then receive the Paying for It eNewsletter, which will keep you up to date with the competition and provide guides, budget related news items and and resources to help you prepare students for the competition, and address the economic and financial elements to the Citizenship Curriculum, in the run up to the pre-Budget report and the launch of the competition materials.
"This is a great initiative. It gives young people across the country a chance to consider the big choices we have to make for this country and then take the decisions that will influence the lives of every one of us. I hope people enjoy the chance to be Chancellor. It's one of the best jobs in Britain." Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer
How it works
Now young people have the chance to decide how government money should be spent and why, and to write a speech based on their decision!
As the Chancellor, you have to choose between different ways we can spend our money in areas such as Environment, Health and Education – but remember, you can’t pick them all! If you go for building more schools, it will mean you can’t fund something else like free public transport for the under 16’s. It’s tough being the Chancellor!
Once you have made your choices, you have to write a speech of between 500 - 1000 words which would tell the country what you will be spending money on and why. You have to convince the voters that you have made the right decisions!
The Prizes
By entering the competition, there is the opportunity to win some great prizes!
The Winner
The winning entry will receive a choice of either a 8GB iPod Touch, which plays music, videos and photos as well as being able to surf the internet, or a Nintendo Wii Console Sports Pack, which includes the fantastic set of Wii Sports games.
The winner also receives a £250 Chance to be Chancellor 'charity gift voucher' prize, kindly donated by Charity Vouchers. The charity gift voucher allows the winner to donate £250 to the charity of their choice.
Click onto The Times 'Chance to be Chancellor' section to read last years winning entry from Tanim Zaman.
The Runners Up
There will be 9 runners up prizes of Pure One Digital Radios, as well as £50 Chance to be Chancellor charity gift vouchers to donate to the their charity of their choice.
Everyone who enters will get a certificate for their Record of Achievement!
How to Enter
The information in the "Chancellor's Choices" pack will be made available for download from this page at the time of the pre-Budget report in Autumn. The pack will give you all the different ways in which you as the Chancellor can spend money on behalf of the government – use it to help you make your decision.
Complete the Online Registration Form below now to register your interest in the competition.
Our 'Budget, Public Spending & Government' educational resource is available for download to aid learning on the competition.
Entry Forms and Resources
