Empowering youngsters through JET

At Ascent, training and young people are at the heart of our business – and we are proud that empowering young people is also a priority in the charitable work that members of our teams undertake.

For instance, our team at RAF Shawbury work in partnership with the RAF and Airbus to help deliver STEM activities to local youngsters. And Ascent is also a proud supporter of the Jon Egging Trust (JET), an organisation that offers long-term support to vulnerable young people who are struggling to engage at school and may have lost focus, confidence and self-belief.

“Many of the young people we support face barriers to learning, which can range from significant life challenges, to lacking in confidence or missing out on good role models.

“Mainstream education isn’t always tailored to addressing the underlying issues that create obstacles to their learning,” the Trust states.

Since its first Blue Skies programme in Lincolnshire, JET has worked in partnership with the RAF and is now affiliated with 56 military and corporate partners across the UK – including Ascent!

Practical help from Ascent

Ascent offers the Trust access to our staff and facilities at RAFC Cranwell and RAF Valley, to host a variety of Blue Skies events, along with help for JET students, including CV writing and confidence building activities.

In May, members of our team attended a very successful clay pigeon shoot, which raised more than £28,000 for JET, helping the charity realise its expansion ambitions in Oxfordshire and Hampshire.

And on 24 September, Ascent is the main sponsor for the charity’s flagship fundraising event, JETRide 2023. This popular annual cycling sportive, starts and finishes at RAFC Cranwell and travels 60 or 100 miles through the villages of Lincolnshire, along the RAF Heritage Trail.

As in previous years, Ascent will be fielding a cycling team for the event, and with around 200 riders expected to take part, we are looking forward to being part of an enthusiastic crowd!

Want to take part in the JETRide? Click here for details.