In conversation with Aaron Saxton about UKFast’s £5m commitment to their Community and Education Trust

by Jun 20, 2019Alumni news

At our Alumni event in Manchester we caught up with Aaron Saxton, Director of Education at UKFast, to talk about the organisation’s Community and Education Trust which has committed £5 million to provide more opportunities to young people in the community.

It’s clear that UKFast is committed to delivering impact – you achieved a Princess Royal Training Award by evidencing just that – what impact do you want this £5m commitment to make?

As a team, we want to continue to work to inspire those most in need of a little support to be the best they can be. That’s one of the fundamental objectives of the Community and Education Trust – to contribute to the education and development of young people and the wider community.

The impact we’d love to see is a reduction of the poverty gap through the development of digital skills. To achieve that, we focus on understanding young people and communities who face scenarios of abuse, neglect and different forms of hardship.

UKFast's Aaron Saxton with school children using Rasberry Pi's

As with many cities today, wealth and poverty sit side by side – discovering that children in your local school couldn’t afford even 20p must have been a real shock – how did it make you feel?

I don’t believe that money brings happiness or is the solution to all of the world’s problems. I’m a passionate believer that giving time and resources is one of the most powerful things we can do to help people and communities be better. We want to give people the skills, tools and access to better opportunities.

You are working to make a real difference to those local children – is there anything that can be done for their parents?

We’re moving in that direction and we are already working with schools, parents and teachers. We want to create a sustainable model where all stakeholders are inspired to be better and become role models for future generations, especially in the digital space.

We’re looking to make a systemic change in society, so we’re doing a lot with clients and the general public through events such as open tech community workshops for budding entrepreneurs.

HRH The Princess Royal meeting UKFast directors

Last month you received a royal visit. Has the association with The Princess Royal made a difference to UKFast and to your impact on the community?

100%. It’s put us in the spotlight, which is nice! People always recognise the great work that we do with our apprentices and educational partners. The Awards have helped us as a team to articulate how and why we’re looking to make a difference on a much larger scale. We’ve been able to talk about this wider impact in the press, internally, throughout the community and our network of schools.

So the Awards enhanced engagement with the work of the Trust internally and externally?

Without a doubt. The Awards enhanced the profile of the Community and Education Trust. The Trust has always existed in the background, as a tool and platform to create a positive impact and deliver our community and education work.

The Princess Royal Training Awards helped us enhance and strengthen our purpose within the educational space, and were the reason for freeing up additional planning and investment to help us have an even greater and wider impact.

School children at UKFast using computers

When you stand back and look at the impact you have had on your business and the local community, what do you consider is your proudest achievement?

Apart from the Princess Royal Training Awards?! It has to be the four apprentices who joined UKFast with me six years ago. I used to be a teacher and they followed me across when I made a career move to UKFast. They’re all still here, at the top of their game and running their own individual teams and departments, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. I feel like a proud father to all four boys!


UKFast received a Princess Royal Training award for their Apprenticeship scheme in 2018. They hosted an alumni event in May 2019 and The Princess Royal visited their campus in Manchester to learn more about their award-winning initiatives firsthand.

Other news stories

Royal recognition for 44 UK organisations delivering outstanding workplace training

From leading banking groups to local businesses and charities, HRH Princess Royal and the City & Guilds Group recognise inspirational employers for their commitment to learning and development. London, 31st October 2019 – 44 UK organisations including IBM, The...

In the press: Unipart recognised for 3rd time by HRH Princess Anne for outstanding workplace training

Unipart was among 44 UK organisations including IBM, The Co-Op and Lloyds Banking Group, commended with a Princess Royal Training Award for their workplace learning at a ceremony held at St James’s Palace in London last week. Presented by HRH Princess Anne and...

In the press: The power of celebration – driving change with the Princess Royal Training Awards

Major societal shifts like globalisation and digitisation are transforming the world as we know it, and ramifications are spreading at a lightning quick pace throughout the working landscape. Skills shortages abound across industries, and nowhere is immune to the...

In the press: World-leading motorsport engineering company Xtrac wins Princess Royal Training Award for its apprenticeship programme

Thatcham-based transmission technology company Xtrac has received royal recognition for the “extremely high standard” of its apprenticeship scheme, which started more than 25 years ago, shortly after the business was founded in 1984. The firm, which now...

Oakman Inns’ training is recognised by HRH The Princess Royal on her 70th birthday

On 14th August 2020, The City and Guilds Group announced that pub group, Oakman Inns, will be one of just 43 recipients from 39 organisations who will be presented with the annual Princess Royal Training Award in November. This is the second time that the independent...

In the press: The impact of awards on recruitment – A signal to attract top-talent

What is a company without its employees?  The heart and soul of every great company is its people and the most successful organisations are those which recruit the right people.  People with passion, drive, and a shared sense of purpose. Recruitment can be the...

HRH The Princess Royal discusses the diverse range of Princess Royal Training Award organisations

In this video series, Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Chief Executive of City & Guilds, talks with our president HRH The Princess Royal about the importance of skills on society, about the role we play as an organisation and about the Awards that we created in her name – The Princess Royal Training Awards – which are celebrating their tenth anniversary.

Case study: investing in apprentices to prepare for crisis situations at HMRC

In 2014, HMRC was facing a need for a team that could respond to crisis situations across the Civil Service. They launched an apprenticeship programme designed to create a pipeline of talent for the new Surge and Rapid Response Team (SRRT). It now has over 300...

Case study: helping employees feel included and psychologically safe at Sparta Global

There’s a big question mark over what training in a hybrid working culture should focus on. People want to feel better connected to colleagues and more flexibility in where they work from. To make training work for all, inclusivity will be key.   But what is best...

Case study: investing in training to drive up standards, quality and sales at George

Four years ago, clothing retailer George at Asda identified an issue with quality control checks in overseas factories that were costing the business time and money. To tackle the problem and improve the existing processes, they worked with City & Guilds on a...

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

HRH The Princess Royal discusses the importance of creating aspirations for young people

n this video series, Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Chief Executive of City & Guilds, talks with our president HRH The Princess Royal about the importance of skills on society, about the role we play as an organisation and about the Awards that we created in her name – The Princess Royal Training Awards – which are celebrating their tenth anniversary.

HRH The Princess Royal discusses the diverse range of Princess Royal Training Award organisations

In this video series, Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Chief Executive of City & Guilds, talks with our president HRH The Princess Royal about the importance of skills on society, about the role we play as an organisation and about the Awards that we created in her name – The Princess Royal Training Awards – which are celebrating their tenth anniversary.

HRH The Princess Royal discusses the value of City & Guilds to society

In this video series, Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Chief Executive of City & Guilds, talks with our president HRH The Princess Royal about the importance of skills on society, about the role we play as an organisation and about the Awards that we created in her name – The Princess Royal Training Awards – which are celebrating their tenth anniversary.

HRH The Princess Royal discusses the changing world of skills

In this video series, Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Chief Executive of City & Guilds, talks with our president HRH The Princess Royal about the importance of skills on society, about the role we play as an organisation and about the Awards that we created in her name – The Princess Royal Training Awards – which are celebrating their tenth anniversary.

A decade of excellence and a room full of inspiration – Princess Royal Training Awards Skills Share 2025

On 30 April 2025, City & Guilds hosted its second-ever Skills Share event – this time at the stunning Goldsmiths’ Hall in London – marking a major milestone: 10 years of the Princess Royal Training Awards. With over 130 Award recipients in attendance, the event was not just a celebration but a forum for shared learning, inspiration and reflection on what a decade of investment in skills development really means.

Ten Years of the Princess Royal Training Awards

In the tenth year of the Princess Royal Training Awards we take a look back at some of the recipients including Balfour Beatty, Fifty Shades Greener and Pret A Manger to find out what achieving the standard means to them and their organisations.

Case study: OnSide Youth Zones

Hear about Princess Royal Training Award recipients OnSide and their award-winning youth centres in this video.

Case study: Pret A Manger

Hear about Princess Royal Training Award recipients Pret A Manger and their award-winning Pret Academy in this video.

Case study: The Dean Hotel Group and Fifty Shades Greener, our first recipients from Ireland

In this video hear about Princess Royal Training Award recipients The Dean Hotel and Fifty Shades Greener, our first recipients from Ireland.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This
Princess Royal Training Awards
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. For more information see our Privacy Policy.