© I2R (UK) Limited 2009

The Glasshouse College

About The Sophie Hill-Jones Trust:

The Sophie Hill-Jones Trust started to be formed in the midst of rolling out the first two pilot events of The Business Benefit during Summer 2009.

Those pilot events were very successful and they raised over £1000 in the name of The Friends of Sophie Hill-Jones.

At the time, this was the original charity that existed in Sophie’s name, and it had a somewhat specific focus on helping either The Queen Elisabeth Hospital or The Midlands Air Ambulance.

Accordingly money raised at these two pilot events was donated to The Midlands Air Ambulance. And whilst this is of course a most worthy cause, the friends of Sophie wanted to do more things in her name.

So during conversations around the potential of The Business Benefit and the things that Sophie would probably choose to support herself, it became clear that the best thing to do would be to create The Sophie-Hill Jones Trust.

This would have a broader remit than the original charity and its main purpose would be to support children in general and do good works in the area that would help to make Stourbridge a better place.

The Business Benefit itself, as an independent entity, would still be free to deliver benefit events that would be in support of any charity or worthy cause nominated by the host of such events.

However, if the event host did not wish to specify any particular charity or worthy cause, it was agreed that the new Sophie Hill-Jones Trust would be the ‘default’ charity that The Business Benefit would support.

Since Sophie had been an employee of the HSBC Bank in Stourbridge it was also agreed that whenever this branch of the HSBC hosted or sponsored a Business Benefit Event then these would always be in support of The Sophie Hill-Jones Trust.

And so it was in November 2009 that the first Business Benefit event in aid of The Sophie-Hill Jones Trust was held at The Glass House College in Stourbridge.

This event was also a great success and was in fact both the official launch of The Business Benefit and The Sophie Hill-Jones Trust.

Benefit To Support:

The

Sophie Hill-Jones

Trust

Sophie Hill-Jones

[1983 - 2008]

About Sophie:

Sophie Hill-Jones lived

in Oldswinford, just
outside Stourbridge.

Educated at King Edwards College,

she worked at HSBC Bank in Stourbridge and was only 24 years old on the day her car was involved in a tragic accident that resulted in Sophie receiving severe head injury. She was taken by air ambulance to Selly Oak and later transferred to NCCU at the QE hospital. She never regained consciousness and, sadly, she died 6 days later on 31st May 2008. She was totally unique. Someone who made the utmost of every single minute of her life. Her huge personality and boundless energy and enthusiasm had a lasting impact on everyone she met and her loss has left a void for her family and friends that will never be filled.

The Glass House College Stourbrige

Hosted By:

Forging Relationships,

With People, Earth,

Universe...

The Glasshouse College
Wollaston Road, Amblecote, Stourbridge
West Midlands, DY8 4HF

Centred on a former Royal Doulton crystal glass factory, Glasshouse opened in Stourbridge in the West Midlands, in the first year of the Millennium.
 

Based in a converted crystal glass factory in the glass making district of Stourbridge, the College is situated on the edge of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire countryside yet within easy reach of Birmingham's cultural centre.

The industrial heritage of the Black Country is being actively promoted and Glasshouse College, working in collaboration with the Ruskin Glass Centre, has established a range of high quality craft workshops, a shop and cafe.

Each student follows the three-year Ruskin Mill Orientation Course, a bespoke vocational timetable designed around his or her particular needs, talents and aspirations.

For third years, this will probably incorporate work experience and/or study at local mainstream colleges, in preparation for life after college.

Residential provision is likewise tailored to individual needs and abilities, but typically evolves from a family-based model in the first year to more independent arrangements in the third.

Both educational and residential provision are supported by a wide range of specialists, from GPs and psychotherapists to gardeners and technicians.
 

The Glasshouse College As A Venue:

The small theatre adjacent to the cafeteria at The Glasshouse College proved to be the perfect venue for hosting the inaugural Business Benefit event in support of The Sophie Hill-Jones Trust.

In fact it proved to be so popular that it is likely that this will become one of the main, if not THE main venue for all future Business Benefit Events.

To find The Glasshouse College, Stourbridge, please click here.

Photo of Cheque for £220 for The Sophie Hill-Jones Trust being presented to Sophie’s brother and sister at the end of the November 2009 Business Benefit event.

The

Sophie-Hill Jones

Trust

This is the entrance to the cafeteria / theatre at
The Glasshouse College, Stourbridge.