A poem to mark the ten-year anniversary of the accident in which Jon’s life was tragically lost following a display at the 2011 Bournemouth Air Festival is released today.
Jon Egging Trust (JET) students from across the UK collaborated in writing the poignant poem, ‘My Future Dreams’, to reflect the impact that the charity’s confidence-building programmes have had on them. The poem will be presented as a plaque to Bournemouth Mayor, Cllr David Kelsey, during an evening ceremony on 20th August.
Ending with the words: “I’m now above the clouds and the light is shining on me / Flying high to a bright future, / Feeling free to climb to my destination”, the plaque will be installed as a permanent addition to the Jon Egging Memorial at East Cliff in Bournemouth.
JET CEO, Dr Emma Egging, who set up the charity in her husband’s name, said that the poem was a fitting way to mark the anniversary and reflect on the positive impact that the charity has had on the 30,000 young people it has supported since 2011.
“In June 2011, Jon wrote in his diary: ‘With support where and when necessary, we are all equally capable of being the best versions of ourselves.’ It’s something we talked about a lot,” says Emma.
“The last ten years have been an incredible journey turning this vision into a reality. I am so proud of what we have created in the Jon Egging Trust, empowering young people who are struggling to engage at school to believe in themselves and develop core competencies which are crucial to their success, such as teamwork, communication and resilience.
“Whilst this 10th anniversary year is about acknowledging the difference we have made over the last decade, this is only the beginning. We have big ambitions for the decade ahead which will see us expand our offer to support young people after they leave school, and reach out to a million youngsters by 2031, as well as continuing to develop our free, online ‘JET Inspired’ resources for schools across the UK.
“We can only achieve these ambitions with ongoing financial support. By donating to JET – no matter how big or small your pledge – you are enabling us to continue to give young people a chance of a brighter future. In the spirit of Jon’s diary entry, which laid the foundations for our charity, we know that when young people believe in themselves, there are no limits, and that is exactly the sentiment reflected in the poem we have released today.”
To donate, please visit joneggingtrust.org.uk/donate
My Future Dreams
The sun always shines in the darkness of day,
JETs fly by with roaring thunder,
Helped by a team working together.
Having a blast, no two sessions the same.
So much fun but lots to gain.
Jon Egging has inspired us all to keep going,
To take strides each day,
Helping us to see the way to our future.
Built with determination and strength,
My future dreams are full of courage and enthusiasm.
Step by step my confidence grows
And my fear is swept away.
Learning big skills, knowledge and thrills,
Into our future we fly.
I’m now above the clouds and the light is shining on me
Flying high to a bright future,
Feeling free to climb to my destination.
Words written by Jon Egging Trust students from Twynham School, Dorset; West Moors Middle School, Dorset; Marshland School, Norfolk; St George’s Academy, Lincolnshire; Ysgol Llanfawr, Anglesey; Priory Witham, Lincolnshire and Holyhead High School, Anglesey.