The third national Stephen Lawrence Day is on Thursday 22 April 2021. It is held every year to commemorate the life of Stephen Lawrence, an aspiring architect, who was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 1993.

At the 25th anniversary of Stephen’s death in 2018, then Prime Minister Theresa May announced that Stephen Lawrence Day would become an annual national commemoration.

In recognising the day, we look ahead to another year of working with Blueprint for All - the new name for the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. The underpinning principles of the charity, founded in memory of Stephen Lawrence, remain the same and have never been more relevant. The charity spreads a positive message about the part we all play in creating a society in which everyone can flourish. As architects and designers we work with a vision to enrich lives through the built environment.

Scott Brownrigg have supported Blueprint for All/Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust since 2010 as part of our commitment to promoting the next generation of architects and in encouraging and providing guidance for those young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who want to pursue a career in architecture.

Our longstanding relationship includes activity such as offering portfolio reviews and interviews of candidates for the annual bursary awards, providing paid internships and work placements within our busy architectural studios, together with hosting exhibitions that showcase the work of bursary students.  

Faced with the Covid-19 pandemic and remote working, we have recently worked with Blueprint for All to offer speakers for their flagship Building Futures programme. Our talks focused on areas of development and tools that students could pick up during the pandemic, preparing themselves for work in a difficult economic climate.

This year we have also partnered with the BeMoreInclusive initiative, led by the BeMoreUrban recruitment agency. A percentage of their recruitment fees for each placed candidate will be donated to Blueprint for All, supporting members of under-represented groups achieve their first role in the industry.

It is with great pride that we have observed how Blueprint for All has developed and grown to meet its goal in ensuring that young people, regardless of their background, are given equal career opportunities to reach their full potential within the field of architecture. We look forward to many more Stephen Lawrence Days and the positive messages it brings.