2025
2025 has been, so far, an exceptional year. We have supported more young people this year than in any year previously. And we’re growing in terms of our reach, our beneficiaries and our impact.
A Very Busy Mock Examination Season
January, 2025
We always run our mock examination series for private candidates in January and this year was no exception. Our company calendar opened with a bang as exam candidates poured through our doors and sat an array of papers to acquire predicted grades. We are very proud of our examination services and the difference it makes to young people who are working hard to forge their pathways to the future.
Heritage On The Museum Map
February, 2025
Our team visited The Story Heritage Museum in County Durham and throughly enjoyed perusing the items on display. We were most delighted to see that our beautiful venue, The Enter Centre (Formerly known as Ferryhill Baptist Church) could be located on a map of the local area in the museum.
Our venue was originally built in 1907 by Bolchow and Vaughan. Our company has been located in the premises since 2012. We are extremely proud to know that thanks to our company efforts the building has been preserved for future generations and is still being used for community purposes.
It is wonderful to think that parts of it were originally built to house children for a local Sunday School education and today it is still used to benefit local children and the local community in education, culture, heritage and creative activities. In recent years it has been our privilege to host royalty, and stars from stage and screen.
Amazing to think that our work brings an array of people from all walks of life to a little town in County Durham! As can be seen at The Story Heritage museum, putting a little town called Ferryhill on the map!
Lets Keep Going!
May, 2025
Our team are passionate about supporting learners and because of this our academic team continued to work throughout the May Bank Holidays to ensure all learners could be supported. Most academic establishments close during these national holidays, but not us!
This year some exams were scheduled during the bank holidays and even on a Bank Holiday Monday! However, our academic team didn’t flinch and they accepted the challenge to keep going with their usual aplomb, energy and commitment.
As a result many candidates who would have been unable to sit a particular examination were able to do so.
Our team really do always go above and beyond to help people build their future pathway. It was clear it was appreciated by many learners.
The Enter Centre Offers Largest Range In The North
May – June, 2025
We have been informed by inspectors that our exam centre now offers the largest range of exams for private candidates in the whole of the North of England. This is a huge achievement and one of which we are very proud.
In the past year, we have supported over 500 exam candidates who may have no other means to realise their education and qualification dreams and aspirations. This is growing across a wide array of examination subjects.
Due to our unique offer this year we are delighted not only to support local people, but also to have facilitated examinations for candidates from across the whole of the UK and Australia, Hong Kong, Scotland, Austria, Germany and the list goes on!
Our summer exam series starts in late April and runs until the end of June over a thirteen week period. That’s a lot of early starts and late finishes (including weekends). However, we love it and it makes a huge difference to so many people.
We are particularly proud of the support we offer to candidates who have learning challenges across a wide spectrum and are neurodivergent. We are often their only chance of achieving the success they need to move on with their ambitions.
“Hello Jade and all the wonderful team! My grandson is absolutely buzzing with his exam results (as are all the family). This has well and truly put him on the right path for his future and he can’t wait to start his Electrical Engineering course in September. Without this, his future looked uncertain. So, just wanted to send a massive thank you to you all for everything you did for my grandson. Without you, I just don’t know what we would have done.”
That's A Wrap For The Summer 2025 Exam Series
June, 2025
That brings us to an end for the Summer 2025 exam series. We would like to extend a huge thank you to our wonderful academic team who have worked incredibly hard to support all learners this year. A huge congratulations to all learners who have shown such dedication and commitment to their studies this year. It has been an absolute pleasure to support you all. Our team have been completely overwhelmed by your thank you cards and gifts. It has been a joy to support you all. We are all keeping our fingers crossed for you on results day!
“Thank you so much for all of your help, support and kindness. We have all felt so cared for during the exams. You took the fear and anxiety of doing a new hard thing away. You have set the lasting memory for how she feels about exams and that will make all the difference in the years to come. Coming to The Enter Centre feels like getting a warm hug from a friend.”
“Thank you so much for all the help and support you have offered mover the past two years. You should be so proud of what you offer. You have a wonderful building which has been made beyond welcoming for candidates. Anyone who comes here can be assured they will encounter nothing but care, professionalism and kindness.”
“Thank you for everything. You are a very special group of humans who make an enormous difference in young people’s lives.”
Royal Opera House VIP Tour
July, 2025
Members of our creative team thoroughly enjoyed the VIP tour of The Royal Opera House it brought back memories for one of our directors, Andrea who used to teach White Lodge members of the Royal Ballet. Wonderful to get a glimpse of the National Ballet of Japan rehearsing on stage for their production of Giselle running until Sunday 31st July 2025.
During our tour of The Royal Opera House, London we were privileged to be able to walk across The Bridge of Aspiration (see image below) which connects The Royal Ballet School to the Royal Opera House.
It is a wonderful feat of engineering. Its twists and turns are designed to capture the movement of a dancer. Very few get to see it and walk across it, so our team felt extremely privileged to do so.
Frameless
July, 2025
In July 2025 members of our creative team attended the Frameless Immersive Exhibition in London. They had the privilege of working creatively with poet Benna who is a spoken word artist and storyteller from South London, known for his insightful and analytical approach to performance and writing.
Our team thoroughly enjoyed working with the creative team from Frameless.
Mj The Musical
July, 2025
This week some of our creative team are in London. Yesterday during a break in their schedule they popped to see MJ the Musical at the Prince Edward Theatre.
We must say it seems particularly fitting for our team to be visiting this wonderful theatre especially given that we had the honour of hosting the Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Edward) at Enter CIC in September.
MJ the Musical is a great production and if you ever get the chance to see it on the West End you may also catch Enter CIC Alumni Matt Mills in a leading role.
The Enter Centre In Tune With Local Artists
February, 2025
Our company is known for creativity, but not only do we produce high quality theatre productions, but we also work hard to ensure that creativity runs through every vein of our company including our premises.
With this in mind, we are consistently sourcing, purchasing and introducing new works of arts and creative pieces to decorate our venue.
In February our team enjoyed scouting a number of art houses and unusual premises to source new items for our centre. This month we purchased a beautiful guitar table which has been admired by so many people.
“Your centre is so artistic and my son loves coming here not only for the creative projects, but the environment feeds his artistic soul.”
Alumni West End Musical Wins At The Olivier Awards
April, 2025
We are always very proud of our alumni who now grace stage and screens all over the world. This month we are proud to highlight Matt Mills who is one of our hardworking young ambassadors for performers.
Many of you will have observed Matt’s talent over the years and had the pleasure of enjoying his performances and classes whilst he was initially trained and mentored by Andrea at Enter CIC.
Matt is currently playing the supporting lead of Berry Gordy/Nick in MJ the Musical at the Prince Edward Theatre in London’s West End. At the end of April he will stepping into a leading role.
It was lovely to see Matt at the Olivier Awards last night. He is one of our patrons and a valued member of the Enter CIC family. Matt is a wonderful ambassador and role model for young performers following their dreams all the way to reality.
Staff Training
April, 2025
Staff training is always high on our company list and our team are always updating their skills. This month we have been delivering and attending a whole host of training sessions including invigilator, safeguarding, online, and first aid training to name but a few.
There’s never a dull moment, but it’s all part of retaining our high company and individual standards.
A Royal Honour For Enter Director
May, 2025
On the 20th May 2025 Enter CIC was represented at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party by one of our directors, Dave and his lovely wife Marie. Dave has been a wonderful supportive company director for the past fifteen years and has been heavily involved in many of our company community initiatives.
A proud and well deserved moment for them both. They were delighted to be nominated and had the most wonderful day in the presence of the Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales and many other members of the Royal family.
GCSE Art Moderator Blown Away By Our Talented Students
June, 2025
We are one of the only exam centres in the UK who facilitate the GCSE Art curriculum and exam for private candidates. All candidates are taught by our very talented internal staff which given the fact that we are a creative hub and production house means they get to work on some wonderful and unique projects.
Our lovely GCSE Art students work so very hard and produce amazing work. This month we had a visit from our GCSE Art Moderator who was blown away by the high standard of work produced.
Enter CIC - Fifteenth Birthday
June, 2025
June 2025 sees Enter CIC celebrating fifteen years of excellent and impactful service to the local and wider communities.
15 Years ago, Andrea and Paul had a vision to make a difference in a small ex-coal mining town. So much has happened since that day. Enter’s productions, both live and digital, have gone world-wide, its extensive range of young people are making waves as mentors, creatives and inspirational leaders in their own right.
Enter CIC has worked with inspirational people, celebrities and change-makers of international renown and continues to engage thousands of people annually (locally, across the UK and globally) in creative, academic and community initiatives. Here’s to another 15 years of giving people the power, the confidence and the means to making their lives better.
John Thompson
Nathan Sharp
Maggie Leadbetter
Cameron Gough
Tom Whalley
Jack Cornish
Graduation With First Class Honours Degree
July, 2025
Everyone at Enter CIC would like to extend huge congratulations to ex-student Gracie who has just been awarded a First Class BA (Hons) Degree in English Literature and Theatre from Lancaster University. Well done Gracie we are all very proud of you.
The Miners' Gala
July, 2025
Although we couldn’t attend the Miners’ Gala this year due to company performance commitments, we were delighted to see that the sun shone brightly to illuminate the heritage of the event.
This occasion prompted us to look back at the performance we have competed over the years dedicated to commemorating County Durham’s mining heritage. It’s amazing to think that The Wind Road Boys which commenced it’s life as an educational project having its premier at Sunderland Empire in 2012 is still touring to this day.
A couple of photographs below from past performances. Also we thought that the following words were particularly fitting for this weekend: “a society must create lots of sunshine for its miners as they need the sun the most! And to be remembered, to be respected, is a good sunshine.”
Like what we did during 2025?
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