Registered Charity No: 1104518
Pete Woolaghan - Chairman The Foundation was conceived to encourage West Cumbrian students to attend university to study an engineering related degree.
Whilst the success of the University Award meets the initial concept of the Foundation, the trustees felt that we should also be providing encouragement to younger students to ensure that they get onto the ‘correct track’ to study engineering. So, in 2005 we also launched an award for Year 11 students (the ‘A Level Award’) to ensure that they enter into sixth form studying the correct ‘A’ Levels to subsequently enter onto a university engineering degree course.
In 2007, we introduced the Annual Science & Engineering Shows. Each September we invite 4,000 young students along to these interactive curriculum-linked sessions. The shows have been a huge success engaging the students in science and we hope that we have inspired many future engineers and scientists.
I hope that you find the website informative but it really can’t convey the energy and enthusiasm that I and my fellow trustees experience when we are involved with the students through the initiatives we run. The quality of young people we come across in West Cumbria never ceases to amaze me. I would like to think that in our small way we can make them feel like West Cumbria is somewhere they may want to come back to once they complete their formal education.
It just remains for me to say a genuine ‘thank you’ to those people and bodies that have
supported our work since inception. Without this
support the work we do would be much more difficult and in some cases impossible.
Peter Woolaghan
Chairman – The REACT Foundation
Background
The REACT Foundation was registered with the charity commission in May 2004 and initially set up with a £5,000 donation from REACT Engineering Limited. Since then, further donations by REACT Engineering Limited and a substantial grant of £30,000 have been received from the West Cumbria Development Fund. REACT Engineering Limited has maintained its commitment to donate to the Foundation each year providing the company is profitable.
The trustees continue to seek further donations to support their work.
The Trustees
The current trustees of the Foundation are listed below:
| Trevor Craig has a PhD in Civil Engineering and a Diploma in Industrial Management. Trevor, a Chartered Engineer has over 20 years experience in the nuclear Industry, 10 years working on nuclear submarine design for Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering Ltd and as a project manager for UKAEA. Trevor has worked for REACT Engineering since 1994 as one of the founding directors. |
| Steve Knight has over 20 years engineering experience in the Nuclear Industry supplemented by 8 years working in the construction industry for Laing Construction. Steve has worked for REACT Engineering since 1994 as one of the founding directors. |
| John Knox of Westcroft Consulting Ltd. is an engineering graduate of Cambridge University. John spent 23 years in mechanical engineering and the manufacturing industry before setting up his own consultancy company in 1990, working all over the UK, but in recent years mainly working with West Cumbrian businesses supplying the nuclear industry |
| Ian Lupton (ex Director of Engineering at St Benedicts School). After having taught for 35 years, he is still involved in the young Apprentice program linked with St Benedicts and Lakes College and a member of the West Cumbria IMechE committee. He is enthusiastic in the promotion of engineering locally in West Cumbria. He has been involved with the Smallpiece Residential Courses, Grow Your Future Workforce projects, Engineering Scholarships and has several links with both primary and secondary schools. |
| Rosie Mathisen, Energy Sector Development Manager at Britain's Energy Coast West Cumbria. She has lived in West Cumbria for over 25 years, with over 15 of those years spent working in economic development and regeneration in the county. This included the directorship of Cumbria's European Funding Programme as well as setting up Cumbria's Brussels office in 2003. She has spend the last few years working to maximise and co-ordinate the opportunities arising out of changes in the nuclear industry. |
| Mike Priestley, Area Manager for Connexions Cumbria in West Cumbria since its inception in 2001 and previously managing careers guidance services in the area. Mike has more than 25 years experience in careers and youth support and has overseen a significant reduction in NEET rates amongst young people in the patch. He is currently a member of the 14-19 Partnership Board, 16-19 Commissioning Group, a trustee for the Harbour Youth Project and a member of the Management Board for the West Cumbria Learning Centre (Pupil Referral Unit). |
Pete Woolaghan, a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the IMechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers) with over 20 years experience in the Nuclear Industry. Pete has worked for REACT Engineering since 1994 as one of the founding directors. He previously worked for UKAEA undertaking engineering consultancy work and before that in the automotive industry for Jaguar Cars.
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