Kilburn & Strode’s Innovation for All Foundation enables young people embarking on a career in STEM and tackles digital exclusion

Kilburn & Strode’s Innovation for All Foundation enables young people embarking on a career in STEM

On World IP Day 2019, Kilburn & Strode is proud to announce the first grants from its Innovation for All Foundation to charities Generating Genius and Lifeshare.

One year on from our initial launch, our Foundation Board of staff members from across the firm worked closely to decide which funding applications would be shortlisted to receive 1% of our annual profits.
 

Igniting innovation

Innovation is important and can be a powerful force for good. With that in mind, the funding theme we chose this launch year is ‘Technology for Good’. The charities that resonated most with the firm and the theme are Generating Genius and Lifeshare. We’re pleased to announce that these are the recipients of our grants.

Generating Genius work with young people to inspire, motivate and support them to pursue STEM subjects at school and to ultimately consider careers in these fields. They work with those underrepresented in higher education and in STEM. This includes females of any ethnic group, black African and black Caribbean males and mixed-race young people – all of whom are generally from lower-income households and would be the first in their immediate family to go to university.

Dr Tony Sewell, CBE, Generating Genius Director says:
Our mission at Generating Genius is to inspire and equip young people to achieve academic excellence and career success. We believe that modernising the STEM curriculum will engage pupils, open the path to higher education to all, and bring opportunity to achieve excellence in academia and for a professional career in a STEM discipline.
Given the range of exciting activities planned, we are confident of excellent attendance. Not only will students be able to widen their knowledge in the application of cutting-edge technologies, but we will also use Virtual Reality headsets to further engage and excite them. This is an enjoyable, informative programme where students are encouraged to use their imaginations and to devise a plan for their future careers. We also provide participants with CV writing and interview tips and introduce them to school leavers programmes.”

Lifeshare is a voluntary organisation established to help meet the needs of homeless and vulnerable people in Manchester and Salford. Their key objectives are to identify street homelessness and help obtaining emergency accommodation, signposting other relevant agencies and information for support; to alleviate aspects of poverty and hardship through redistribution of resources and to assist people to access Primary Health Care and to promote health and harm reduction.

Robin Toal, Lifeshare Trustee says: 
“We’re thrilled to receive funding from the Innovation for All Foundation to tackle the problem of digital exclusion amongst vulnerable young people in Greater Manchester. Digital skills are a fundamental part of social inclusion in the modern world. Whether used to connect with friends and family, find information, or use common online services like banking and job search; the ability to navigate the digital environment can have a major impact on individual’s lives and prospects.
The project will enable vulnerable and marginalized young people in Manchester, particularly those who are homeless and at risk of being sexually exploited, to develop skills that will help them to be resilient and successful in an increasingly digital world.”
You can read Lifeshare's update here

An investment in knowledge

Jonathan Clarke Director of Human Resources at Kilburn & Strode:
“We’re thrilled by the response that we’ve received and we’re very excited to see the effect that these grants will have on our world. Both of our winners will use the funds for a technology project which will have a hugely positive impact on the great work that they do.”



About Kilburn & Strode

Kilburn & Strode is a top-tier European law firm that protects the intellectual property of some of the world’s most innovative organisations.

We are trusted to provide strategic IP advice and navigate the complex world of IP for clients across the world, including some leading brands, technology companies and subject matter experts.

Whether obtaining protection, clearing the path or defending key technologies; we offer a unique combination of experience, technical expertise and, most importantly, an approach that makes us a true extension of our clients’ teams.

With offices in London (HQ), Munich, The Hague, Amsterdam (Hilversum) and a liaison office in San Francisco, we’re the only firm to connect these centres for European IP with the pulse of the Silicon Valley.
 

Our commitment

We were one of the first signatories of the IP Inclusive Charter, making a public commitment to supporting and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in the IP professions. 

Every year we donate 1% of our annual profits through our Innovation for All Foundation.

For more information, contact media@kilburnstrode.com.
Download our media release here.

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