Wessex Archaeology is delighted to announce a partnership with the Jon Egging Trust, a charity set up in honour of Flt. Lt. Jon Egging (‘Red 4’) who sadly lost his life whilst participating in an air display with the Red Arrows at the Bournemouth Air Festival in 2011.
 
Working with Wessex Archaeology, the Jon Egging Trust are expanding their Blue Skies programme through which young students are provided with a unique opportunity to build confidence and self-esteem, foster ambition and achieve accredited training in work and life skills.
Teamwork and leadership are at the heart of our Blue Skies programme. I am really excited that the Jon Egging Trust will be working with such established teams as Wessex Archaeology and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation to develop these skills in our young people. They will get an insight into a unique team environment, which will complement the opportunities for personal development provided by our other inspirational partners, including MoD Boscombe Down and Salisbury Plain.
Dr Emma Egging (Jon Egging Trust)
 
With significant input from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and Operation Nightingale, Wessex Archaeology will host two ‘inspiration days’ in early May 2013, with a view to repeating them annually.
 
The first of these ‘inspiration days’ will be based at the Wessex Archaeology head office in Salisbury and will provide the students with an introduction to archaeology. The young people will have the unique opportunity to engage with the WA archaeologists, handle an array of artefacts, take part in practical activities and enjoy a flint-knapping demonstration by Time Team’s Phil Harding.

The second ‘inspiration day’, organised by DIO Senior Historic Advisor Richard Osgood, will offer the Blue Skies students the chance to get involved in an exciting excavation on Salisbury Plain. The Iron Age midden site at East Chisenbury is an extraordinary 2700 year old mound of finds-rich feasting waste. The students will locate the site in the landscape, excavate, record and plan the archaeology, and process their finds. Guidance throughout will be provided by some truly inspirational Op Nightingale participants and veteran ex-Rifles. The valuable results of the students’ efforts will be added to the archaeological archive and will ultimately contribute to the site interpretation.
 

 
 
 
Find out more about the Blue Skies programme at www.joneggingtrust.com.