Jon Egging Trust (JET) graduate, Nathan Holland, 26, from Norfolk, has ‘paid it forward’ to the next generation of JET students, presenting a £6,000 cheque from his employers, Taylor Woodrow (via the VINCI UK Foundation), to the youth charity that supported him as a schoolboy. The cheque presentation took place at RAF Marham, a station which Nathan visited many times as a JET student, and which today hosted a JET session for current Year 8 pupils from Nathan’s former school in Downham Market.
The significant donation, which was applied for and coordinated by Nathan, will be used to help integrate cutting edge technology into future JET sessions, including iPads, MetaQuest VR headsets, and robotics coding equipment.
Nathan was enrolled onto JET’s Blue Skies programme in 2013 when his teachers at Downham Market Academy identified him as a high potential student who was struggling to engage at school. After three years on Blue Skies, Nathan went on to become Head Boy at the academy, before beginning an apprenticeship with VINCI UK’s civil engineering division, Taylor Woodrow, where he now works full time as a Quantity Surveyor.
Nathan says: “The Jon Egging Trust was a catalyst in helping me find my potential, and the skills I gained from working with them allowed me to flourish and realise that I could achieve so much more. The impact it has had on my life has left a debt I will forever pay back.”
JET CEO, Dr Alex Brown, who accepted the cheque from Nathan alongside RAF Marham Station Commander, Gp Capt Leonie Boyd, celebrated this significant milestone for the charity: “As a charity that was only founded in 2012, it feels so special to now see our oldest graduates, like Nathan, thriving in the workplace and building impressive careers.
“Our programmes focus on young people who are struggling at school, and we support them to build the skills and aspirations they need to thrive into employment. This is the first time we have received a significant donation from a former student and it feels like such a big milestone. We can’t thank Nathan and the VINCI UK Foundation enough for this substantial funding boost, which will help integrate technology into the Blue Skies experience for thousands of JET students across the UK. We are also indebted to RAF Marham, and indeed RAF bases and personnel across the UK, who continue to work alongside us to inspire and upskill new generations of JET students each year.”
ENDS