Celebrating their annual Founder’s Day this week, the community of Robert Gordon’s College welcomed award winning Scottish Philanthropist and former pupil Garreth Wood, Class of ’96 to deliver the annual oration.
Garreth Wood, 38 years old, returned to his Schoolhill roots to speak to the Gordon’s community about his fascinating venture philanthropic career with The Wood Foundation and The Speratus Group.
Inspiring the next generation Garreth said: “Life is a careful balance between what you do for yourself, and what you do for others. If through business, we can go some way to tackle social problems, improve communities, people’s life chances or their environment then it has all been worth it. Philanthropy developed from getting that joy of giving. Being able to create change was a real turning point for me in my late teens. I first experienced a social conscience after contracting meningitis at the age of 16 - mid way through my fifth year Highers, and wanting to help the meningitis research foundation where I did a parachute jump and raised £900. Dad setting up The Wood Foundation was also a pivotal moment where I experienced the real Africa but also the joy of developing young people in Scotland. Although you can study philanthropy you don’t get it until you go and actually do it. There is nothing wrong with sitting at home writing cheques but you have got to out there and smell, feel and touch philanthropy to really get it.
“My family comes first and I have a massive inner desire that I need to be able to give something back. It is a privilege to be involved in the family foundation. I want to impress upon my children the same value for money that my parents taught me, and be remembered as someone who did something with their life.”
Pupils led by the school pipe band, marched down Schoolhill and along Back Wynd to the nearby Kirk of St Nicholas for a service, and commenced with the arrival of the symbolic mace.
Simon Mills, Head of Robert Gordon’s College added: “We were delighted to hear about Garreth’s philanthropic efforts which resonate with the values of our founder – Robert Gordon, both young entrepreneurs and philanthropists. Founder’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to unite and inspire our pupils and remember the mission set out by Robert Gordon encouraging our pupils to be the best they can be.”
Proudly watching from the audience, Sir Ian Wood, Class of ‘60 and Founder’s Day Orator in 1984 said: “You must get directly involved to give effectively, and good philanthropy shares a lot of the same principles as good business – you need good people and performance. Meeting people, the satisfaction of seeing the impact and changing people’s lives in a positive way in the longer term are the rewards. As a family we have a shared interest in inspiring our future philanthropists.”