Young people to take to the skies in exciting new project

August 19, 2020

Young people in south Essex are set to take to the skies in a glider as part of an exciting summer activity aimed at increasing engagement in the aviation and aerospace industries.

Soaring to Success is a collaboration between local authorities across south Essex, SAVS, local schools and the Air League, a sector leading aviation and aerospace charity, which will see young people, aged between 14 – 18, fly in a glider. The project, led locally by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, was introduced to provide opportunities for young people to learn about the aerospace and aviation industries, with the possibility of earning a five or twelve-hour flying scholarship with the Air League.

Cllr Anne Jones, cabinet member for children and learning at Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, said: “I am very excited to see this project take flight. Providing activities such as this will enable our young people to experience things they may never have considered, and also opens the door for further opportunities in the aviation industry, which plays a vital role in our local economy.

“This is just the start of this exciting project, with further workshops, gliding lessons and competitions to come over the next 10 months, so keep an eye out for further information as and when we promote it.

“The excellent partnership work that has led us to this emphasises of a collective ambition in south Essex to provide fun and engaging activities for our young people.”

Nick West, chief executive of the Air League, said: “The aviation and aerospace industries play a vital role in the UK’s long-term economic success and young people are essential to this. The Southend-on-Sea Borough Council team are leading the way in connecting young people to this amazing opportunity and we are delighted to help inspire future aviation and aerospace professionals.”

The project is supported by the Department for Transport (DfT) as part of the Reach for the Sky programme, which aims to encourage people from all backgrounds into aviation careers.

To register an interest, please contact economicd@southend.gov.uk