An Introduction by Chris Hill, Director of Wigwam Acoustics

SSR, Helen Jones and myself are proud to announce the launch of the Charlie Jones Scholarship.

There are many reasons why this project is so important to myself and Helen Jones, Charlie's sister.

Firstly, to remember a great friend and work colleague by, and secondly to put something back into the industry, which is still young in conception, but has given me opportunities and experiences that I could never have dreamed of.

Over the last thirty years I have worked with some of the most gifted people you could wish to meet. I have travelled the world and worked on some of the most prestigious events and projects that have been produced.

This is a long way from working at Grimethorpe Colliery, where I was an electrician after a five-year apprentice programme.

As well as full time work at the pit, Charlie Jones and I started a small sound rental company, JC Sound Hire, that we worked on after hours in the local venues and clubs.

The hours we put in over those years were incredible, but we shared the same passion for live sound and worked hard to gain experience and develop our skills to become very successful in our own careers.

Sadly “ The Silver Fox “ is no longer with us and the scholarship is a fitting tribute to a great friend and sound engineer.

When Charlie and myself started out in our chosen field of live sound, there was nowhere for us to learn or gain experience. This is why it is so important for us to develop this scheme for the future of the industry and the next generation of technicians.

I hope that this web site will give you some inspiration and determination to develop your own career paths.

Charlie Jones

Charlie not only recognised the importance of education in the industry, but enjoyed investing his own time to inspire and develop trainee engineers.  The Scholarship has been created in Charlie’s spirit.

Charlie's sister Helen would like Charlie’s passion, expertise and desire to educate to live on for many years, through the Scholarship.

The Charlie Jones Scholarship is linked to SSR’s Audio Engineering course, and is intended for young people who would otherwise not be able to afford this type of training.

Applicants for the scholarship must have a desire and passion to work in the live sound industry. There will be one scholarship place per intake of the Audio Engineering Course.

The intakes for the course are every six months and the Scholarships are funded by Helen Jones, Wigwam and SSR, on a rotational basis.

Please browse the information on this site and see what the live sound industry has to offer as a career and lifestyle. There are sections giving an insight on Wigwam, SSR and also career paths for prospective students.