Laing

Over the past 20 years, The Prince’s Seeing is Believing programme has inspired and engaged more than 7,500 top business leaders to take action on key social responsibility issues.

Since 1990, on behalf of HRH The Prince of Wales, Business in the Community has visited over 880 community projects and schools in the heart of the UK’s most deprived communities. Through programmes of visits, especially designed for business leaders, The Prince’s Seeing is Believing paves the way for informed long-term business engagement on the most pressing social and environmental issues.

This year, The Prince of Wales’ “What Works in Schools” series of visits focused on helping business gain first-hand experience of the various educational initiatives which are having a positive and significant impact on education. The overall aim was to raise young person’s aspirations to enter the world of work and equip them with the right skills and attitudes to thrive when they get there.

John Laing is participating in Business in the Community’s Education campaign. This year saw our Executive Director, Chris Waples and Health, Safety, Quality and Environment Director David Micciche take part in two ‘What Works in Schools’ Seeing is Believing visits to various educational establishments led by business leaders Paul Drechsler of Wates and Richard Reid of KPMG. Our Chief Executive Adrian Ewer, also participated in an inspiring visit looking at Work Inspiration, a campaign launched by Sir Stuart Rose of Marks & Spencer.

The ‘What Works in Schools’ visits showcased a number of initiatives including “Business Class”, a BITC strategic programme designed to provide a sustainable framework for business engagement with education. The visits helped delegates to understand the key priorities for businesses in supporting leaders in education while building effective, sustainable partnerships with schools. The aim of Seeing is Believing is to showcase best practice examples of leadership in education and of companies’ engagement in supporting it. Another key programme showcased was delivered by the The Prince’s Teaching Institute and is designed to provide departmental head teachers with access to high calibre residential continual profession development.

Since the visits, John Laing plc has started supporting Business Class and the Prince’s Teaching Institute in partner schools in Swindon.

On 1st February 2011 Adrian Ewer, Chris Waples, David Micciche together with other business leaders attended a reception hosted by HRH The Prince of Wales and provided feedback on the action John Laing is taking.

To read The Prince's Seeing is Believing Annual Review 2010 please click here.

The Prince’s Seeing is Believing Feedback seminar proved a great opportunity for John Laing Directors Chris Waples and David Micciche to meet other business leaders who had participated in the visits. During the day David Micciche was introduced to HRH Prince Charles by Christopher Pope, Director of The Prince’s Teaching Institute (PTI). They discussed John Laing’s involvement in both the PTI and the BITC Business Class programmes on the Swindon Schools projects.

Photography by Alastair Fyfe