Charity in memory of Red Arrows Pilot changes lives 10 years on
It's been a decade since Rutland's Jon Egging died following a crash during the Bournemouth Air Show
Last updated 8th Apr 2021
It's been a decade since Rutland Red Arrows Pilot Jon Egging died following a crash during the Bournemouth Air Show.
In his memory, his wife Emma, set up the Jon Egging Trust.
It's a charity which has now supported over 30,000 young people.
But she's now set a target of raising £100,000.
It's so they can reach out to 1 million youngsters by 2031.
Emma said Jon used his Red Arrows suit whenever he could to inspire others.
"But he never had the chance to take that idea and turn it into an initiative, and that’s what I did.
"Jon is there at the heart, because as a person Jon was absolutely passionate about the skills of building teamwork, building leadership, having good communication.
"He knew that with those skills and with those ambitions you can go on to achieve big things.
"He came from a very normal background, but he was lucky enough to have a few people in his life that believed in him at vital points when he could have also stepped off the path that he was on.
"They helped him see what he could do."
Emma's kicking off fundraising with an ultramarathon later this month.
Emma’s 10 Events:
- Grantham Canal 33-mile ultramarathon
- 5km - beating personal PB of 22 mins
- Tadpole Round – fell run and open water swim
- JET 10 virtual relay
- Cave rescue with Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association
- Triathlon
- Orienteering and wild camping challenge
- Great North Run
- JET Ride – 100-mile cycle
- Virtual London Marathon
She said, due to the pandemic, support is needed more than ever.
“At JET, we work with young people who are at risk of falling out of fulltime education because of the life challenges they face.
"Our ethos is all about building confidence to overcome adversity and get back on track. "Our ethos is all about building confidence to overcome adversity and get back on track.
"That’s exactly what I’m doing too; taking on events which will be a huge personal challenge to me, and overcoming fears – which include open water swimming – to show that anything is possible with support and determination.
"I really hope my events will shine a light on the work we do, and encourage people to sign up for our virtual relay.
"We need to raise funds to springboard our ambition for the next ten years, and the young people we support need us more than ever in light of the added challenge and complexity that Covid-19 has heaped on their lives.”