Compass For Life Foundation for children launches at the House of Commons

The Compass For Life Foundation was launched at a high-profile lunch event hosted by founder Floyd Woodrow MBE DCM and Richard Harrington MP at the House of Commons on 4 June 2019. The lunch event brought together 190 guests including business leaders, politicians, astronaut-in-training Dr Mindy Howard and school headteachers to celebrate the launch of the charity, which empowers all children to achieve their ambitions and heighten their learning through values-based leadership training.

Guests were welcomed into the Members' Dining Room for a welcome speech by Harrington, before Woodrow introduced the Foundation's work and special speakers, all as guests enjoyed an afternoon cream tea.

"I want teachers to create an environment where students become life-long learners. That schools provide experiences for the students to find what motivates and inspires them so they can follow their Super North Star. To ensure they have knowledge but more importantly wisdom, common sense and judgement to use that knowledge effectively," Woodrow said of his desire to bridge the current educational gap between the most disadvantaged students in the UK and their peers.

"That they understand how to communicate internally with themselves and externally with others so they can adapt their communication style. That they have the correct values and are mentally and physically so that the students are equipped with dealing with an ever-changing environment," he said. "Most importantly, I want us to inspire children to leave a legacy behind to help others. Using the powerful Compass For Life model, we can help teachers and parents provide a high support and high challenge environment in which their children can succeed in whatever they choose to do in life."

School children Lucy Bradley and Charlie Bamford wowed guests with their own speeches, which they had written and presented themselves, outlining how the Foundation's programme has affected their goals, confidence and approach to school. >>

Compass for Life is the product of four years of development by Woodrow, a leadership specialist, author and entrepreneur. Woodrow served as a soldier in the Parachute Regiment before joining the Special Air Service at the age of 22. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his work in Iraq and an MBE for his work in Afghanistan. During his time in the military, Woodrow studied law and psychology, and he is now an award-winning global lecturer on leadership.

The Compass For Life Foundation takes the leadership skills training that Floyd and his team of educational specialists employs with sports teams and CEOs and applies it to school children in some of the UK's most deprived communities, with trials already undertaken in more than 200 schools, including a project in Stoke on Trent which involved more than 50 schools.

Chantal Dean, director of education for the Foundation, and assistant head of Pewsey Vale School in Wiltshire said: "It’s so important for us as teachers and parents in the community to inspire our children and encourage them to strive for greatness. I knew that with Compass for Life, it would change the way they see things. It’s about seeing the children as whole people and challenging them to think about what they want to do. Compass for Life challenges students and gives them a way of learning that totally puts the power in their own hands and encourages them to connect the dots between what they’re learning and why it’s important to ensure they fulfil their ambitions and plans. Some of our children have gone from being disengaged in their learning to incredibly enthusiastic, not only able to identify what they want to do, but why they want to do it."

With the charity's official launch, Compass For Life aims to roll out to 200 areas of the UK in 2019 and 2020, to support a projected 100,000 students in the UK to achieve their goals.