The Rumford Club’s 70th Anniversary legacy – Class of Your Own

At the AGM on 16 November 2016 the members of the Rumford Club voted enthusiastically to sponsor a school under the Class of Your Own (COYO) initiative. The 70th legacy of the Club is to plant an educational ‘acorn’ which will inspire and enable more young people to enter the fascinating and rewarding careers that the built environment offers.

The Club has pledged £4,000 of its reserves towards the £12,000 needed to set up a GCSE course in the built environment in a secondary school. The balance of £8,000 will be raised by member and organisation funding. Within 24 hours pledges of £1,200 had already been received! These included Cathie Simpson, Zafer Ure, John Field, Robert Higgs, Ellen Salazar and David Wood.

2EA Consulting Ltd. is one of the first companies to make such a pledge. Sebastian Gray, one of its directors, says: “There is a real lack, both in the present and in the future, of skilled people coming up in the industry to fill the gaps. I’d like to see this donation as a driver for other organisations to step up and contribute.”

Once the Club has the necessary funding, a sub-committee will be set up. This committee will begin the search for a suitable secondary school in London willing to work with the Club and the COYO organisers to set up the GCSE course. 

The unique aspect of this initiative is that Club members will have the opportunity to share knowledge with the secondary school students to enable them to relate more directly to the subject and to benefit from wide range of experience and enthusiasm which members will bring to the table.

Mike Hammond, Club chair, says: “Our ‘acorn’ will grow as this educational opportunity will continue after the initial two-year set-up, and will forge a long-lasting link with the school and hopefully with the students themselves as they progress with their careers in the built environment. This will be our lasting legacy.”

Find out more about Class of Your Own.