Factory that Became a Village: The History of the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock

In January 2015, Jim Lewis met with the directors of the RSA Trust to discuss commissioning a book about the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF). During the discussions, it was realized that the two-hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Enfield Lock armory provided a unique opportunity to link the RSAF site with the founding of the RSA Trust. The book aims to commemorate the contribution made to the armed forces by the former workforce and the contribution made to the community by the four founding fathers of the RSA Trust. The model created pays a service charge into a limited liability company, RSA IV, which transfers the surplus to the not-for-profit RSA Trust for funding community good causes.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 160 pages
\n Publication date: 14 December 2018
\n Publisher: Libri Publishing
\n

When Jim Lewis met the directors of the RSA Trust, the charity responsible for the concept and the running of Enfield Island Village, in January 2015, it was to discuss the commissioning of a book that would tell the story of the former government-controlled Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) after privatization and closure in 1987. However, during discussions, it soon became clear that a unique opportunity existed to link the story of the RSAF site with the founding of the RSA Trust. As one Trust director put it, this is the classic story of "from swords into plowshares." Surprising as it may seem, the story of the birth of the Enfield Lock armoury in 1816 and the methods of manufacture that then existed within the British small arms industry have never been completely told. At the time of writing this book, the author wanted, in the two-hundredth anniversary year of the founding of the RSAF, to commemorate the contribution made to our armed forces by the former workforce, which, by their skills and dedication, helped keep Britain safe during times of world instability. Also, the author wanted to acknowledge the contribution made to our community by the four founding fathers of the RSA Trust, which has benefited so many worthwhile good causes. In a world full of increasingly depressing news, it is uplifting to have the opportunity to write about a group of four local businessmen who had the vision, courage, and tenacity to take on the mammoth task of rescuing a Grade II listed building that no sane entrepreneur would have contemplated taking on and turn it into a vibrant, sustainable business for the benefit of the local community. The model created pays a service charge into a limited liability company, RSA IV, which in turn invests the money in a range of assets, including property and renewable energy projects.

When Jim Lewis met the directors of the RSA Trust, the charity responsible for the concept and the running of Enfield Island Village, in January 2015, it was to discuss the commissioning of a book that would tell the story of the former government-controlled Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) after privatization and closure in 1987. However, during discussions, it soon became clear that a unique opportunity existed to link the story of the RSAF site with the founding of the RSA Trust. As one Trust director put it, this is the classic story of "from swords into plowshares." Surprising as it may seem, the story of the birth of the Enfield Lock armoury in 1816 and the methods of manufacture that then existed within the British small arms industry have never been completely told. At the time of writing this book, the author wanted, in the two-hundredth anniversary year of the founding of the RSAF, to commemorate the contribution made to our armed forces by the former workforce, which, by their skills and dedication, helped keep Britain safe during times of world instability. Also, the author wanted to acknowledge the contribution made to our community by the four founding fathers of the RSA Trust, which has benefited so many worthwhile good causes. In a world full of increasingly depressing news, it is uplifting to have the opportunity to write about a group of four local businessmen who had the vision, courage, and tenacity to take on the mammoth task of rescuing a Grade II listed building that no sane entrepreneur would have contemplated taking on and turn it into a vibrant, sustainable business for the benefit of the local community. The model created pays a service charge into a limited liability company, RSA IV, which in turn invests the money in a range of assets, including property and renewable energy projects.

\n Weight: 700g\n
Dimension: 213 x 296 x 8 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780995483446\n \n