The trustees of the Rob George Foundation are all volunteers – find out more about them on this page.
David Cant
David Cant
David is a Partner and Director of Business Development & Marketing at the leading Essex-based law firm, Birkett Long LLP. He joined from Bradford & Bingley PLC where he was a Sales Director responsible for the banking, property and financial services business for 22 branches across Essex. David has enjoyed a long and successful career in sales, marketing and business development, previously having held regional and national positions with major PLCs. At Birkett Long David is heavily involved in developing and sustaining client and business partner relationships, business growth and mentoring.
For the last 11 years David has captained the Birkett Long cricket team, during which time every member of the George family, except Lorraine, has performed admirably, none more so than Rob! Having recently retired from competitive sport, David’s love of sport is now confined to that of a spectator and he has a particular passion for football and cricket. From a more recreational perspective, David enjoys cycling, running, walking, music and travel!
Lorraine George
Lorraine George
Lorraine is Rob’s Mum. As a youngster, she attended the Royal Ballet School and her passion is dance – she is a Fellow of the Associated Board of Dance – and the performing arts. Soon after Rob (the youngest of three brothers) was born, Lorraine founded her own school in Colchester – the Lorraine George School of Dance and Performing Arts. The school has since gone from strength to strength and together with its associated business, Stars on Stage Limited, now has more than 300 pupils.
When Rob was recovering from chemotherapy whilst in remission, he was passionate about regaining his fitness and took up cycling in a serious way. Lorraine, who had never cycled in earnest before, found herself fulfilling the role of Rob’s constant companion on these trips. Together, they had planned to cycle from John O’Groats to Land’s End but sadly Rob’s leukaemia returned before the challenge could be attempted.
Lorraine’s other passion is skiing to which, like cycling, she is a relatively late convert.
Philip George – Chairman
Philip George
Philip (“Pip”) is Rob’s Dad. He is a solicitor and now a consultant to Birkett Long of Colchester, Chelmsford and Basildon, where he was previously Managing Partner. He headed up the firm’s Commercial and Corporate Finance team for many years and successfully led the firm’s applications for ISO 9001 and Lexcel accreditation. His experience spans a wide variety of commercial issues and sectors (particularly healthcare), where he has offered advice on partnerships and joint ventures, sales and purchases of companies and businesses, Private Finance Initiatives and Private Public Partnership projects.
Philip is Non-Executive Chairman of the CA Blackwell Group of companies, the Kent Blaxill group of companies and of the Essex County Cricket Board; he is also non-Executive Vice-Chairman of Essex Cares Limited and a Non-Executive Director of Colchester Business Enterprise Agency. He is a trustee of the Almshouse Charity of Arthur Winsley and Company Secretary of the Essex Community Foundation. In his spare time he enjoys cricket, walking, cycling and the theatre.
Sam George
Sam George
Sam is Rob’s brother. He is a musician, song-writer and music teacher.
Sam trained both as a popular and classical musician, and studied World and Popular Music at Leeds University, where he joined the band Armstrong. The recording of Armstrong’s album, Light up the Night, was made possible by entering and winning an internet based competition.
After graduation, Sam spent a year touring the country with Armstrong, gaining professional experience on drums and guitar, as well as stage tech and sound engineering experience. Armstrong successfully released two singles, the first of which, “Can’t Go Back”, reached number 65 in the UK singles charts and 23 in the independent labels chart without any professional backing.Sam subsequently qualified as a teacher and now works at The Brit School in Croydon, the alma mater of many legends of the pop music industry, including Adele, Jessie J, Leona Lewis, Rizzle Kicks and Amy Winehouse.
Sam shares (with his mother and fellow RGF Trustee, Lorraine) Rob’s passion for skiing and (with his father and fellow Trustee, Pip) Rob’s passion for cricket.
Andrew Kennedy
Andrew Kennedy
Andrew (“Spesh”) Kennedy was one of Rob’s good friends. He is a Project Manager for GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals in Stevenage, where he works in Product Development, and is involved in bringing new medicines to market.
Andrew knew Rob in his capacity as a former Colchester Royal Grammar School Head Boy and more recently as his 1st XI Captain and Chairman at Colchester and East Essex Cricket Club. Andrew is Chairman of the Shepherd Neame Essex League, a member of the General Committee at Essex County Cricket Club and a keen playing member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). Andrew owns Trotters Bar in Colchester with his brother. This is a thriving freehouse in the town centre that caters for the local office based staff and many private functions. This has enabled Andrew to gain significant experience in business management and marketing.
In any spare time left in Andrew’s life he can be found on a hockey pitch, not as a player but as an International Hockey Umpire, a skill in which he has progressed to the top 20 umpires in the world. He has travelled all over the world and rates his main achievements as umpiring at the Indoor World Cup in Poznan in 2011, the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010, and at the two Champions Trophy Semi-finals in Melbourne (2012) and Bhubaneshwar (2014).
John O’Connor
John O’Connor
John worked in the City of London for 37 years before his retirement in 2015. He worked in the Treasury and Finance arena for a number of banks including Kleinwort Benson, Hill Samuel and Deutsche Morgan Grenfell before spending the final 17 years of his career as Head of Treasury Operations at Rothschild.
He knew the George family through his youngest daughter, Hannah, who was a pupil at Lorraine’s dance school from the age of 4 until she left aged 18, and his wife, Anne, who helped backstage at the school’s dance shows for most of those 14 years. He became Treasurer for the Foundation in 2015.
John’s interests include cars, music and sport of all kinds, although his main love is golf and much of his time in retirement is spent trying to keep his handicap in single figures!