A bursary scheme to fund students to attend an independent boarding school has been initiated by luxury travel concierge company Winged Boots.
The firm’s co-founders, Daniel and David Ox, were former recipients of a similar bursary that allowed them to obtain an education at Brentwood School in Essex.
The brothers are using their success at Winged Boots, part of Ocean Holidays, to pay forward the support they once received themselves as well as sending their own children to the school.
As part of a new corporate partnership, a student from Marshalls Park Academy in Romford will be the first to receive a full bursary and enrol at Brentwood School in September.
The initiative enables local businesses to directly fund a bursary for high-achieving students.
The 1622 Club, named after the year the Brentwood School statues were signed, aims to transform young lives by providing access to an education based solely on individual merit, regardless of socio-economic background.
David Ox said: “Attending Brentwood School changed mine and my brother’s lives for the better. It instilled in me the confidence and self-belief that allowed me to build my entrepreneurial career and ultimately start Winged Boots.
“Coming from a single-parent household, I wouldn’t have been able to attend Brentwood School without the support of a bursary.
“Now, being able to pave the way for others who are starting out in a similar position is something that has immense personal significance to me.
“It’ s an honour and privilege to give back to the school that shaped me into the man I am today, and I look forward to other local businesses joining the 1622 corporate partnership in the near future.”
Brentwood School development director Samuel Mason said: “Bursaries are transformative in so many ways. Not only do they broaden horizons for the recipients, as seen in David and Daniel’ s case, but they also facilitate a socially diverse school environment which has undeniable wider benefits for all pupils.
“We’re extremely grateful to Winged Boots for kickstarting the 1622 Corporate Partnership. We’re proud that 10% of our senior pupils have been awarded bursaries, and we look forward to our partnership equipping even more students with the skills and experience they need to thrive.
“David and Daniel’ s success story demonstrates the incredible value bursaries can have, and we’re excited at the prospect of other local businesses joining the scheme too.”