Welcome to the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust website
Stephen Lawrence dreamed of becoming an architect, so he could
influence the design of inner cities "from within": unusually, he wanted to be an architect in his own community. Stephen's dreams were cut short by his murder in 1993.
But his dreams live on, because his family and the friends who helped them launch the Trust believed his dreams could inspire other young people, especially those who may have lost faith in their own dreams.
The Trust is helping make Stephen's dreams a reality for others by opening up architectural and related professions to Britain's most disadvantaged young people. The Trust does its work by
awarding bursaries to young people who want to train as architects or construction specialists,
liaising between schools and construction companies,
presenting to schools and educational institutions, and
working with the government to find new ways to build communities with self-respect, and to regenerate urban areas.
The opening of the purpose built Stephen Lawrence Centre in February 2008 created a permanent home for the Trust.
More importantly, it also provides much-needed mentoring, education, creative and business development facilities for young people who are rediscovering their enthusiasm for life.
The dream lives on...
Good News!
The new Stephen Lawrence Centre was officially opened by Mayor of London Ken Livingstone on February 7, 2008, as a laboratory for developing new methods for supporting young people from disadvantaged communities, and new best-practice models for national dissemination. Find out more here.
The studios and computer rooms are already buzzing with experimental projects, and there's plenty more to come!
What's on
The Trust has a wide range of activities for the coming months, including The Stephen
Lawrence Charitable Trust’s Fundraising dinner at the
Dorchester Hotel on 11 November 2008. For more information contact Andy Carr:
To watch videos about our work click here to Take a look! This includes a film about our bursary students visit to No 10 to meet the Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry
After Stephen Lawrence's death, a vigorous campaign was launched seeking justice for his murder. This work continued until 1997, when the Home Secretary at the time, Jack Straw, set up the public inquiry into the investigation that took place after Stephen's murder.
This resulted in the publication of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry
Report, which made 70 recommendations and brought about a fundamental
change in UK law.
Search for Architects
RMJM and the Trust launch search for future architects
International architects RMJM fund our initiative to select six students to attend the Harvard Graduate School of Design
Empowering tomorrows
digital generation today
BT are working with the Trust to provide a community IT access hub to
provide specific IT and web support.
A wide variety of companies have invested in the Trust's work with the aim of advancing their CSR commitments to equality and diversity, the relief of poverty, urban regeneration and/or improving the standards of urban planning, design and architecture.
Discovering Talent
We help people from disadvantaged backgrounds build their self-respect by building communities. To build communities you need social skills like patience, tolerance, understanding. But you also need practical skills - in design, architecture, engineering and logistics.
So we pioneer educational methods that will help anybody discover their talents and make the most of them - regardless of their academic qualifications. And once individuals discover their vocations, we sponsor them through to success.
