Our Vision
I’ve had a lifelong passion for aviation and I want to ensure that young women have ample opportunities to achieve their dreams. Being supported by female role models was key to my success and enjoyment whilst learning to fly. One of the main aims of this project is to raise aspirations of young girls and to promote aviation as an exciting and accessible career choice.
Kanchana Gamage - Founder
objectives and priorities
Role models are incredibly effective in inspiring and enthusing young girls. Together with external agencies we will be able to develop strong partnerships with schools to support the those who are keen to explore aviation opportunities. Whilst we will visit as many schools as we can across the UK we will make special effort to reach communities where such opportunities are not the norm. In addition I’ve been incredibly inspired by female pilots, who despite their disabilities have gone onto achieve great things and we will also aim to encourage women and girls with disabilities to aim for the skies.
The project aims are to work closely with primary and secondary schools as well as higher education institutions to encourage girls into STEM and enthuse them about aviation. We create opportunities for commercial and private pilots, engineers and other aviation professionals to visit schools to deliver assemblies and workshops linked to the curriculum. We also create opportunities and promote scholarships and awards which exist to support women and girls to gain a pilot’s licence as well as offering funding opportunities of our own.
The combination of our flying club links and networks along with my educational background as a former Lecturer and a Headteacher gives us a unique opportunity to make a significant contribution to encouraging girls into aviation. The opportunities are open to all schools, colleges groups and universities across the UK and we deliver assemblies, talks and workshops to mixed gender audiences without cost.
Our aims
To encourage women and girls to take to the skies.
To encourage those from disadvantaged backgrounds to consider STEM careers.
To deliver high quality school visits to deliver assemblies, talks and workshops to promote diversity & inclusion in aviation & aerospce.
To run a taster flight programme to identified young people to inspire them to learn to fly.
To create opportunities and promote scholarships and awards which exist.
Ultimately I believe that we can use aviation as a tool to raise aspirations. I want to encourage young people – particularly young women – to believe in themselves and to know that there are no limits or barriers to achieving anything they set their mind to. Blue skies all the way!
Kanchana Gamage, Founder - The Aviatrix Project