Rory is our latest CoachBright Programme Manager for London and the South East!
The strength of our work lies in the diverse talents of the people behind it. So, to kick off the last part of the academic year, we're excited to share stories that highlight the unique personalities, skills, and passions of some of our team members.
Get ready to dive into candid interviews, personal anecdotes, and behind-the-scenes glimpses that reveal what makes our team tick. Whether you're part of a school, university or just curious about what makes us who we are, we invite you to get to know us a little better and see how our collective efforts bring our programmes to life.
Next up is Rory Tooms, one of our fantastic London-based programme managers.
What did you do before joining CoachBright?
Before joining CoachBright, I studied History and Politics at the University of Brighton. After leaving university and deciding that I wanted to work in the non-profit sector, I worked for another educational charity, and whilst they were great, they were very much focused on educational delivery from the top down - which, although gratifying, wasn’t the social mobility work I desired to do.
Why are you passionate about social mobility?
From travelling. Of course, wanting to work for a charity after travelling isn’t rare, but where for many this manifests as a wish to work for an NGO focused on low-income countries, for me, it made me focus on my own upbringing and society, which, in turn, led me to my current belief in the importance of social mobility.
What do you love to do outside of all things CoachBright?
Whilst I have a few hobbies such as watching sport and cooking, my real passion is travelling.
Where do you think your love of travelling came from, and what travels have you done?
My love of travelling is definitely from my parents. My parents have always loved other cultures, and even when not on holiday, it felt like there was always a travel show (Bruce Parry’s Tribe has always stuck with me) on the TV growing up or a guidebook on the coffee table. This definitely planted a seed with me.
In terms of the trips I’ve done, I spent three years between college and University doing a combination of work (to save and fund) and travel. By the time I went to Uni at 21, I had visited 51 countries, spread across 4 trips and had lived abroad for 6 months.
What made you desire to go travelling for so long instead of University?
Well, I always found school too stifling. It always felt too rigid to me, and I failed to see why I had to learn all of the subjects that I had little interest in and why I had to wear a uniform, etc., etc. So when I had the opportunity to leave the system at 18, I jumped at it, which probably sounds a little odd for someone who now believes so deeply in the value of education, but it was certainly how I felt then.
What changed your views about going to University after all?
A couple of things. Firstly, I think it was from visiting places where education is still a privilege that not everyone has access to, which definitely made me reflect and change my views on my schooling so far, which in turn softened my thoughts on continuing education.
Secondly, after visiting and experiencing an increasing number of cultures and places, of different societies and politics, I realised that my interests lay in gaining a deeper understanding of the issues in a society. Which in turn led me to studying history, philosophy and politics at university.
Back to your travels, would you recommend travelling to other young people?
Oh absolutely. Of course, it does need to be acknowledged that being able to travel is a privilege.
Just off the top of my head, it requires employment so that you can fund a trip and a home setting that supports your journey. Among a myriad of other factors. Which are all privileges that not everyone has access to and are a barrier to many people. But for those who are fortunate enough to have these resources, travelling provides opportunities for growth and development that are hard to compare.
In my case, these trips gave me life skills and experiences that have allowed me to push on further in my career. Communication skills gained from learning how to communicate with a range of people across different cultures and nationalities, time management, lateral thinking and problem-solving skills are all areas of expertise that were developed and gained through travelling.
What are your reflections & what’s next?
I think my main reflection of what we’ve discussed is gratitude for the experiences and opportunities that I have been presented with. It was travelling and education that led me to my current role and position, both of which are privileges not everyone receives, so I’m thankful I have had the opportunities I did.
Looking forward, professionally, I’m excited to help deliver CoachBright's vision of “a world in which every young person’s destination is based on their choice, ambitions and talents, rather than their background’’, fulfilling that desire to help with societal change and personally, it’ll be yet more travelling (although I’ve not made a decision yet).