A fire safety engineering consultancy has awarded a bursary to an aspiring engineer from a Darwen school.

Trigon Fire Safety Ltd (Trigon), has partnered with social mobility charity, the Aldridge Foundation, to award bursaries to aspiring engineers from marginalised and deprived areas of the UK.

The firm becomes the first co-sponsor of the Aldridge Foundation’s Next Steps programme, with two students, including one from Darwen, being awarded a Trigon Aldridge bursary for engineering excellence.

The first Trigon Aldridge bursaries for engineering excellence have been awarded to two state school students from underserved communities, one in Darwen and one in inner London.

Bobby Touri, 19, who graduated from Darwen Aldridge Community Academy this Summer is now studying Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Liverpool and has big dreams for the future.

The partnership between Trigon and the Aldridge Foundation will help Bobby fulfil his potential by enabling him to navigate financial barriers, receive personal and professional support and advice, and gain access to business networks.

With the right support, equal opportunities and hard work, Bobby could go on to achieve the lasting impact he wishes to make on the world through his engineering skills and diverse experience.

Bobby said: "The generous financial and pastoral support from the Aldridge Foundation and Trigon has provided me with a sense of security as I pursue a career in aerospace engineering.

“It has long been my aspiration to make a positive change in the world through engineering and the bursary has allowed me to get a step closer to achieving my goal of one day working for an esteemed organisation such as BAE or even NASA, where I'll be able to do this.”

James Lavender, founder of Trigon said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the Aldridge Foundation and supporting Bobby, an exceptional student, whose passion for engineering really shines through.

“At Trigon, we’re committed to nurturing young talent through our existing apprenticeship and graduate programmes and we’re delighted to be enhancing this through our new partnership with the Aldridge Foundation.

“We look forward to drawing on our years of experience to give Bobby an insight into the sector and offer guidance and valuable industry experiences so he can build his own pathway into a career in engineering.”

Shona Nichols, chief executive of the Aldridge Foundation said: “We’re privileged to work with many inspiring and talented young people however, coming from communities in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the UK, they are too often held back by barriers that are outside of their control.

“Through our Next Steps Bursary Programme, we’re already helping young people to overcome financial challenges and develop key life and employability skills but partnering with organisations like Trigon mean that our young people get invaluable insights and access to the industry they aspire to.”

Aldridge Foundation’s Next Steps programme supports young people from communities rated as in the top 20 per cent of deprivation in England taking their next steps post school into further and higher education or relocating to take up apprenticeship positions.

The young people receive a financial bursary of up to £8k to cover the duration of their study and valuable additional support including regular advisory check-ins, mentoring opportunities, networking events and internships that will help them on their journey toward achieving their dreams.

The Aldridge Foundation is seeking sponsorship and raising funds to support up to 20 young people a year through their Next Steps Bursary programme.