Jessica volunteers as a governor at a secondary school in Manchester, with Governors for Schools, and this is her story:
“Manchester’s got some challenging environments, but what I see from my experience of being a school governor is how resilient and motivated the kids are. They might have come from difficult backgrounds but they’ve got masses of aspiration and ideas, and get up and go.
A lot of young people I meet don’t have the natural networks many children of professionals do - they have to make their own. Businesses have a role to play in helping them access ideas, opportunities and jobs. I think we have an obligation to the communities we live and work in to provide that.
I was at a point in my life and my career where I was doing well and I wanted to give something practical back to the community that I was part of. I lived next to a secondary school that needed school governors with connections to the city and it felt like a good way to support young people.”
Jessica Bowles, Director of Strategy, Bruntwood and Chair of Governors.
Governors for Schools exists to improve educational standards so that children and young people have the chance to realise their full potential. They believe the key to improving school performance is effective governance. By finding, nurturing and supporting a committed network of governors, they help drive systematic change in how schools operate and since 1999, they have been connecting schools across England with skilled and committed volunteers.