Legendary changemaker inspires first ever Oakleaf Diploma students at Leighton Park School

Julian Page, Old Leightonian and founder of the Livingstone Tanzania Trust, a charity that believes that education can change poverty for the better, has legendary status at Leighton Park School in Reading. Although not a Quaker himself, Julian has absorbed the Quaker ethos from his education and is living the school’s Quaker values of Simplicity, Trust, Respect, Integrity, Peace, Equality, and Sustainability, on a daily basis.

The Livingstone Tanzania Trust was set up in 2007 and over the last 16 years has renovated 67 classrooms across nine schools, installed handwashing facilities at every primary school in Babati, built or renovated 146 student-friendly toilets and provided livelihood training in business or farming to 800 adults.

Julian joined current students in Leighton Park’s Lower Sixth on Thursday 21st September to talk about his experiences. The event was the first of a series of Changemaker talks in the school’s new Sixth Form programme, the Oakleaf Diploma. The Changemaker talks will all feature presentations from individuals and organisations who have made a positive difference to the world around us and aim to inspire Sixth Form students to become changemakers themselves. The Oakleaf Diploma, launched this Autumn, also teaches Wellbeing, Preparation for Adult Life and Academic Extension as well as other aspects of changemaking such as volunteering. Although the Oakleaf Diploma is a new programme, there have been many Sixth Form trips from Leighton Park to Africa organised in partnership with the Livingstone Tanzania Trust enabling Leighton Park students to make a difference to the community in some of Tanzania’s poorest areas.

Julian explained: “I think I was very heavily influenced by my time at Leighton Park in my thinking of how I wanted it to work and operate and then as a result of setting it up we wanted to look at how Leighton Park could be involved in the development not just of the charity but of the schools in Tanzania. And offer students here an opportunity to come out and see for themselves, so they could see the real Africa, not just the safari Africa, and come and learn and see what life is really like in a developing country.

“There are lots of people in history who have made a difference and there are lots of people who think I can’t make a difference because I am only one person. You can make a difference; you have to think about it and you have to collaborate with people. Don’t think that you are going to run a campaign as a saviour; that’s completely the wrong mentality. Go and work with other people to bring about change. Your part of the jigsaw will be invaluable but be a part of that jigsaw; don’t leave it for someone else to do.”

You can find out more about our changemaker talks and the Oakleaf Diploma at our Sixth Form Open Evening on Tuesday 10th October at 6.30pm. Please book online if you would like to join us at https://www.leightonpark.com/visit-leighton-park/