Ray Lewis, the founder of Eastside Young Leaders Academy, and Patrick Derham, former Head Master of Rugby School, shared an ambition to empower ‘lost’ children and young people via education. Their paths crossed naturally as, through their own individual work, they sought to give direction and purpose to under-privileged young people who, owing to their circumstances, had found themselves meandering through life. I was one such young person.  

Patrick appreciated what EYLA was trying to do and identified the organisation as one of the first partners of the Arnold Foundation, the bursary programme he created at Rugby School in 2003.  

I came to Rugby from EYLA in 2009, arriving at Kilbracken House in the LXX, thanks to an Arnold Foundation bursary. I found the first two terms at Rugby really tough – getting up early to go to Chapel, having to be punctual for all the lessons, adapting to a significantly different routine, having to break a sweat to break even in class. 

Rugby School helped to set the tone for a successful life while also broadening my appreciation of different areas of study, sport and society. 

I went on to read Law with Business LLB Business at the University of Brighton, before completing a Master’s in Legal and Political Theory at UCL. After working for the General Counsel of the Bar of England and Wales, I joined the civil service as a Private Secretary for a Minister of State at the Department for Education. After a stint at the Ministry of Justice, I joined the Social Mobility Commission as Head of Policy in 2021. My current role is Head of Stakeholder Engagement. 

I was honoured that both Ray and Patrick attended my wedding in 2018. My wife and I are proud parents of two beautiful boys. I enjoyed a full circle moment when I was appointed as Chair of Trustees at EYLA in 2021 and, more recently, to the Arnold Foundation’s Board of Trustees.  

The Arnold Foundation has made a huge contribution in widening access to Rugby School, an endeavour that would not be possible without the generosity of its donors. It is committed to helping as many students as possible who will benefit from the opportunities at Rugby. Those opportunities are not restricted to education. An Arnold Foundation bursary also provides sanctuary for many students from challenging backgrounds. Its value is in supporting a child not just to achieve the best grades but to challenge themselves, to flourish as a person in whatever they want to do.   

The Arnold Foundation at Rugby School benefits from the support of the governors, the staff (academic and pastoral), the students, and their parents – the whole of the Rugby Community – and its partners, of which EYLA is one. It’s important that the Arnold Foundation students realise that they are living and studying at Rugby on their own merit. The bursary is not a free gift, but something they have proudly earned.  

I see my roles at EYLA and the Arnold Foundation as helping the two worlds they represent  come together, supporting the school and the students to achieve a positive, inclusive and successful experience.  

Many AF students will find Rugby overwhelming at first - the busy timetable, the academic expectations, living in a boarding house, the realisation that you are expected to bring your whole self to the school and become involved in so much.  

At the same time, I will be supporting the Foundation’s Board of Trustees to work closely with its partners, to encourage and sustain the students who benefit from its funding, and to grow the Arnold Foundation so that its commitment to widening access to Rugby School can continue with confidence.  

David Ejim-McCubbin (K 09-11)
Arnold Foundation Trustee, Chair of Trustees at EYLA