Professor Brian Cox and the Red Arrows send JET’s Fifth Anniversary Dinner to the Stars

To celebrate our work and help raise vital funds for our Blue Skies and Inspirational Outreach programmes, we held our fifth anniversary dinner on the 3rd February 2017 at the National Space Centre in Leicester.

The dinner was hosted by our patrons, Professor Brian Cox OBE FRS and Air Marshal Stuart Atha CB DSO MABSC RAF, and was attended by the Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier KCB CBE DFC ADC MA RAF and the Red Arrows. During the evening not only were the guests addressed by both patrons and our CEO, Dr Emma Egging, but also by three Blue Skies students who described their experiences and the difference JET has made to their lives.

Professor Brian Cox with Blue Skies students and CEO Dr Emma Egging

Professor Brian Cox and the Red Arrows

JET is supported by more than 500 military volunteers alongside 15 corporate partners to deliver its programmes in six regions across the UK. Over the last five years we have worked intensively with 327 young people on our Blue Skies youth engagement programme and an additional 8,885 young people through our Inspirational Outreach packages.

Dr Emma Egging said: “None of our work improving the life chances of young people would be possible without the help of our dedicated staff, partners, funders, volunteers and advocates. Their continued support is more vital than ever as we continue to grow and work towards our target of working in 9 regions and helping 10,000 young people a year by 2020. I am enormously grateful to them for their support past and present and extremely excited about what more we can achieve through working together in the future. I am proud of the young people who have graduated through our programmes during the past five years, and of the difference to so many young people’s lives that has been, and continues to be made in Jon’s name.”

Professor Brian Cox, JET patron said: “It is immensely rewarding and inspiring to be a patron of JET. There are young people in Britain today who for a multitude of reasons, have a difficult time and with that comes low self-esteem and low aspirations for the future. These are youngsters with immense untapped potential. That’s where JET comes into its own – it gives them that vital sense of possibility and purpose; affirms their self-worth, and from there they grow in confidence and self-belief. Everyone deserves the chance to be the best they can be; it’s quite wonderful to see how these youngsters respond when given that chance.”

Air Marshal Stuart Atha, also a patron of the Trust said: “Through investment in training and education both the Royal Air Force and JET unlock potential in young men and women, like Jon Egging, that is often hidden and untapped. I am delighted and grateful that so many of the Royal Air Force, including our Chief of The Air Force, Sir Stephen Hillier, from across so many stations have given so much of their time in the past year. In the next year we can take JET to even greater heights by raising awareness and funds in order that many more young men and women are inspired to raise their horizons and their game.”