Aspire Trust

The Aspire Trust Ltd. is a registered charity based in Wallasey, Merseyside. It specializes in the field of arts education and was established in 2002 as a vehicle to generate additional income for the Aspire mini Education Action Zone (EAZ), an educational initiative formed by the Wirral Local Education Authority (LEA). The Trust is also a company limited by guarantee and operates as a social enterprise.^[1]

In 2009, it was shortlisted for the Liverpool John Moores University Knowledge Business of the Year award as part of the Liverpool Daily Post Business Awards.^[2]

It was also profiled by the Children's Workforce Development Council's Joining the Pieces program to showcase its work with the wider children's workforce.^[3]

In 2011, its Board of Directors also established a trading company, Aspire Creative Enterprises (ACE), which was designed to carry out trading activities that the Trust was not designed to undertake.

In the 2012 New Years Honours List, its Director, Dr. Nick Owen, was awarded an MBE for services to arts based business.^[4]

A brief history: governance

The Aspire Trust Ltd was incorporated in May 2002 as both a registered charity (registration number 1100166) and company limited by guarantee (company number 4441399). Its charitable purpose was to promote the educational standards of children and young people for the benefit of the community, in particular to:

• generate an environment of challenge and creative support for primary and secondary schools in Wallasey, Merseyside
• raise standards in education to enable the successful implementation of relevant national and local educational development strategies;
• work with primary and secondary schools on projects aimed at improving attainment and achievement in all areas of school life and education within the wider community;
• improve attitudes to learning amongst pupils and the wider community
• improve attendance at school and
• increase attainment and key skills in literacy numeracy and ICT amongst pupils.

Its first Board of Directors consisted of Head teachers from Wallasey schools: Don Williamson, Head of Liscard Primary School; Ann Ellison, Head of Somerville Primary School; Tom Howarth, Head of Poulton Primary School; Gerard Lahive, Head of Riverside Primary School and Steve Peach, Head of Oldershaw School who became the Trust's first Chair. Nick Owen, director of the Aspire EAZ, was appointed the Trust's secretary.

A brief history: programme

The Trust's activities in its first three years concentrated on supporting the aims of the EAZ. This was achieved through:

• managing Breakfast Clubs and After School Clubs at Egremont Primary School and Mount Primary School
• developing a lifelong learning project entitled "Never Too Late to Learn" which was co-funded by the New Wallasey Single Regeneration Budget and Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts

Since 2005, it has developed a range of arts education services:

• research (including arts based education research)^[5]
• learning (including schools based scurriculum projects^[6]

• productions including conferences^[7]

References