NEW TRUSTEES APPOINTED AS JET MARKS 10 YEARS OF HELPING NATION’S YOUNG PEOPLE
January 2021 – We are delighted to announce the appointment of three new members to Jon Egging Trust’s Board of Trustees as we embark on our tenth year of operations and seek to help more young people – at significant risk of dropping out of education – to get back on track and realise their potential.
The appointment of David Montenegro, Commanding Officer of the Red Arrows, Samantha Porteous, a former CEO, and the appointment of a new Chair of Trustees, Richard Peberdy, a partner at KPMG, signals that we are looking ahead to a year that will see the launch of our new digital learning resource ‘JET Inspired.’
The resource includes a series of films and educational tools tool kits that have been developed in partnership with the RAF Aerobatic Team, The Red Arrows and licenced by the Ministry of Defence to help young people to reengage with education and learn key emotional skill sets that will empower them to achieve without limits.
JET CEO Dr Emma Egging
Emma commented:
“We are delighted to welcome three new Trustees as we embark on our next decade of work. Covid-19 has touched the lives of every young person in the UK and their learning and mental health has been affected, in some cases severely. There has never been a more urgent need for Jon Egging Trust’s unique learning programmes which help to rebuild confidence, motivation and self-belief in youngsters who are at risk of dropping out of education. The experience and expertise of our new Trustees will ensure that we are able to achieve our goal of reaching out to support as many young people across the UK as possible, both during this crisis and into the future.”
David Montenegro (Monty), Trustee
After completing his degree at the University of Manchester, Monty joined the RAF in 1999. His career thus far has included the roles of fighter pilot, qualified flying instructor and a display pilot. Operationally, his primary role in Air Defence and Quick Reaction Alert has seen him secure the skies over the UK and Falkland Islands. As a liaison officer with the United States Marine Corps, Monty has also served in Afghanistan, working with coalition partners and the Afghanistan National Defence Force. Monty met Jon Egging whilst flying at RAF Valley and subsequently served two tours with the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, The Red Arrows. He was selected as Red 1, leading the Team for three-years and representing the RAF and Great Britain by displaying in 23 countries around the world. He was the first Team Leader to stage The Red Arrows across Europe, the Middle East and Asia for a series of displays in China. After a tour in the Typhoon Force Headquarters, Monty was selected to represent the RAF at the Australian War College, Canberra, spending a year studying for an MA in Defence and Strategic Studies. He has now returned to the UK with his family and is presently the Officer Commanding The Red Arrows.
Monty commented:
“Becoming a Trustee for the Jon Egging Trust is a tremendous honour – having the privilege of being a flying instructor with Jon and spending a season as team pilots together on the Red Arrows means that Jon’s incredible legacy is very close to my heart. Many years ago, he spoke to me about his burgeoning ideas to establish ever more creative and meaningful ways to help young people. JET is the wonderful realisation of his intent. Emma and her team have created a phenomenal organisation in the previous 10 years, and I am very excited to be part of the JET journey during the next decade and beyond.”
Richard Peberdy, Chair of Trustees
Richard is a partner at global professional services firm KPMG and has spent the last 25 years advising clients on their corporate development journeys. Richard became a supporter of the Jon Egging Trust after seeing the fabulous results of its work at an event back in 2016. He saw how the charity promotes an appetite for learning, a curiosity that leads to new adventures and the enjoyment of successful team working.
Richard commented:
“Becoming the Chair of the Trustees of an inspirational organisation such as Jon Egging Trust is a privilege for me and I’m excited about the years ahead, as we will develop our offering and reach out to an even larger audience across the country. The people that I have worked within JET are dedicated and impressive and we all gain energy and ideas from one another.”
Samantha Porteous, Trustee
Having held senior roles in the corporate world for over 30 years within large corporations, private equity-backed and smaller, privately-owned businesses, Sam is an experienced NED, CEO and mentor. Sam is currently a Non-Executive Director of a number of consumer-led businesses, as well as working as an executive coach and mentor, helping CEOs and Founders to be the best they can be.
Sam commented:
“The Jon Egging Trust is a charity I feel a close affinity with, as I often meet people who don’t have the confidence to reach their full potential or have had mental health issues. This, my belief in the transformational impact of the charity’s programmes and, of course, meeting Emma, has led me to the Jon Egging Trust. The journey that the charity has been on and its leadership team is very inspiring. By bringing both my business and people skills to my trustees’ role, I hope to help the Jon Egging Trust to continue to flourish over the next few years.”
Want to find out more about our programmes and how we can support schools and teachers? Please drop us an email info@joneggingtrust.org.uk
