A not-for-profit organisation with humble roots which seeks to encourage more girls to study STEM subjects at school has got the backing of a Kent MP.

Worldly Wise was co-founded as a Community Interest Company by Allington resident Nick Inge in June 2020.

He explained the idea had sprung from something that happened in his own family - when his daughter Eleanor had announced that after her A-levels she planned to take a gap year touring Asia.

Mr Inge said: “Obviously as her parents, we didn’t want to dampen her quest for adventure, but of course we were also worried what difficulties she might encounter so far from home.”

Mr Inge’s solution was to engage Trevel Henry, an old friend from the police force, to give Eleanor a course in personal safety techniques and to arrange for her to be given guidance on the culture of the countries she would be visiting.

He added: ”We were soon contacted by other parents of kids going on their gap years who asked if we could do the same for them, then after a while, we had schools asking if we could arrange something for them.”

The pair established Worldy Wise with the aim of offering schools a one-stop shop, arranging for experts - or ambassadors - as they are known, to visit and offer school students guidance for life after school.

The aims of the Community Interest Company have also expanded and now, as well as travel advice, Worldy Wise is also about giving girls the confidence to take up STEM subjects at GCSE and A-levels, with a view to later entering those careers that were traditionally seen as male preserves.

Such subjects include science, technology, engineering and maths.

Mr Inge said: “We aim to counter the gender imbalance by giving the girls confidence and connecting girls to businesses and career paths that they may never have considered before.

“It’s a win-win. We find businesses are happy to provide ambassadors to help the girls - and possibly in so doing help their own recruitment at some time in the future.”

Recently, Worldy Wise was given a grant by KCC to expand its provision across Kent.

Already four new schools have signed up for its services under its Why Not You? project.

They are the Oasis Academy at Minster, Folkestone Academy, Canterbury College and Astor College in Dover.

Helen Grant, MP for Maidstone and Malling, said: “Having been a special envoy for girls education myself, I fully support the incredible work that Worldly Wise has been doing in schools across Kent since 2020.

“Now thanks to KCC funding, more female students can pursue their aspirations in science, technology, engineering, and maths.

“Their potential is limitless and these opportunities will help them shape a brighter future."

To find out more about Worldly Wise, visit its website here.

There is no fee for either the schools or the businesses to take part.