FOUNDER
Ben Drew (Plan B)
WHO WE ARE
Plan B's Journey with EOTO
After participating in a TedX event, Plan B invited like-minded individuals to discuss topics close to his heart, particularly the role of independent social organizations in teaching vocational skills to underprivileged youth in creative industries. He identified a gap between the existence of these organizations and public awareness, which limited the opportunities for underprivileged children.
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Plan B was then asked to join a BBC documentary promoting the BBC Hackney Weekends festival. He and other musicians, such as Leona Lewis and Labirinth, visited their old schools to engage with current students and promote free festival entry for local kids. Plan B, having attended Tunmarsh Centre PRU—a specialist school for expelled students and truants—felt compelled to give back. He extended his visit to a month-long music program where students wrote, recorded, and performed original music, with the help of volunteer musicians.
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Following the documentary, Plan B built a state-of-the-art, soundproof music room at Tunmarsh, mostly self-funded with some support from Atlantic Records. He secured brand-new instruments through partnerships and provided a full-time music teacher. Plan B continued his support until the school could sustain the music program independently. During this period, Plan B founded the EOTO Trust. Initially a grant-giving organization, EOTO evolved to directly address funding cuts to vocational programs. Plan B launched a one-year, self-funded program replacing cut subjects with vocational courses in partnership with social enterprises. This included hairdressing, acting, multimedia, boxing, and gardening. EOTO's mission crystallized: to awaken vulnerable young people to their potential beyond academia. The Trust grew organically, adapting to challenges based on Plan B’s own experiences. Today, EOTO continues to explore innovative solutions to transform young lives.
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Plan B's own experience at Tunmarsh from 1999 to 2000 heavily focused on vocational subjects, influenced by local volunteer Cliff Earlye, whose unique approach to teaching music left a lasting impact on Plan B. After learning of Cliff Earlye's passing and returning to the school for the first time in 10 years to film the Hackney Project documentary, Plan B was disheartened to discover that the music room had been dismantled and that Cliff, with all his unique qualities, had not been replaced. In honor of Cliff's impact, Plan B named the new music room after him. This new facility aimed to provide therapeutic, practical intelligence education, inspired by Cliff's methods.
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Despite funding challenges, the one-year program impacted many students' lives, with several achieving professional success in their chosen fields. The Cliff Earlye music room remains a testament to the program's success. EOTO now focuses on enhancing existing music facilities in PRUs and providing 4-6 week music technology courses to students with musical promise. Additionally, EOTO partners with brands to supply musical instruments to children on the lower tiers of Maslow Hierarchy of Needs, identified through PRUs, foster care homes, and academies in London's most deprived areas, maximizing their learning and progression at home.