Celebrate Success!

(By Richard Holway 9.00pm 31st March 09)
Today was the last day of my two year stint as Chairman of the Prince’s Trust Technology Leadership Group and I spent it in the company of Prince Charles, Alesha Dixon, Rob Brydon, Michael Sheen and others at the Odeon Leicester Square for the Prince’s Trust Celebrate Success Awards. Actually the REAL STARS were all the fantastic young people who the Trust has helped. Their stories were both uplifting and gut-wrenching. Gina Moffatt was serving six years in Holloway when the Trust literally picked her up at the prison gates and helped her to form her flower business. Or Louise Firinne (who won the Capgemini Enterprise Award) who had been seriously abused when young, was homeless before being helped by the Trust to form Simply Rouge – a wedding stationery business. Or Ben Armstrong who was bullied at school and fared little better at home – until he attended one of the Trust’s XL programmes and now has enough GCSEs to go to Sixth Form College. I could go on…

It has been a fantastic two years for me. My involvement with the Group since its inception in 2002 has personally been hugely rewarding and enjoyable.

I’d like to think it has been successful too.. In the last year we have raised over £2 million for the Trust; up around 60 per cent on the previous year. Indeed, that means we have raised £3.5 million in my two years as Chairman and £7.5 million (or over £9 million if pledges are included) since the Group started.

In the current downturn, The Trust and the disadvantaged young people it helps, need our support even more than ever and I’d like to think we have made a major contribution to The Trust’s work.

In the past two years we have been particularly successful in growing our relationship with our supporters as evidenced by the number that have progressed from Member to Patron. Also, we have really raised the bar getting tech entrepreneurs to give individually to The Trust.

I’d like to think that we have built a ‘must join’ network too. Our events are now really well attended; particularly by CEOs and the very top executives in the sector. The Gala Dinner at Windsor Castle, attended by HRH Prince of Wales was, I think, the high spot in the whole history of the TLG.

I am also particularly pleased that BT have, for the fifth year, agreed to sponsor my ‘State of the ICT Nation’ presentation and the TLG’s ICT Leaders dinner atop BT Tower to be held this year on 21st September 2009. Please put the date in your diaries.

I’d like to think we have had great fun too! Who ever said fundraising had to be boring?

Finally, a BIG thank you to everyone who made this happen. A real team effort with the committee, our members and the good people from The Trust, in particular Jamie Webb who heads the TLG, working hand-in-hand.

Adam Hale from Russell Reynolds takes over as the Chair on 1st April 09 - with Fiona Timothy of COA Solutions as his Vice Chair. They will make a great team carrying the Trust to even greater heights.