The year is 1966, the Beatles are redefining music, war rages in Vietnam, the space race is in full flight and a Russian linesman plays a crucial role in World Cup triumph for England. But behind all the headlines and out of sight of the world a business was created on the back of a simple yet brilliant concept. By inventing a technique to reliably secure a metal fixing to a head, the BigHead was born.
You have probably never heard of this invention but many of you will have experienced it in action. From trains to planes, cars to boats and even Doctor Who’s nemesis the Daleks, they all contain BigHeads, but their brilliance and beauty is that you’d never know they were there.
When Dr Ken Stanley passed away in January 2017, at the age of 93, the world lost an inventor, an entrepreneur and a passionate supporter of education. At the time of his death we were working on our own business plan and putting in place the foundations needed for our company to be incorporated. At that time we took some time to reflect on Ken’s achievements and passions and it felt only right to be able to honour them.
So when we decided to offer a sailing scholarship as part of the launch of our business it gave us a perfect opportunity to honour Ken, his inventions, and more importantly his passion for education and training. Our business values can all be found right across Ken’s life and work and he has been a great source of inspiration.
Moreover, Ken was a keen sailor and enjoyed both the competitive and technical aspects of the sport. However, as BigHead continued to grow it ironically gave Ken less time to go sailing. This scholarship will be providing others with the opportunity to sail and develop business experience hand in hand, something we know would have pleased Ken a great deal. When you also consider that Ken’s BigHead is a key component in Sunseeker yachts, RNLI lifeboats and even the Mirabelle V (the largest single masted sailing vessel in the world), then the reasons for creating our sailing scholarship become even clearer.
It is only fitting that the details of an extraordinary life and career are presented in the form of his citation for the doctorate he received from Bournemouth University in 2008. He was incredibly proud to be awarded this and can be seen here on the day with his wife Dorothy.
Dr Kenneth Stanley
Kenneth Stanley has distinguished himself as an inventor and entrepreneur who founded BigHead, a Bournemouth-based company which supplies metal fastenings to many industries around the world. He is a longstanding supporter of Bournemouth University who has inspired many design students with his ingenuity and massive enthusiasm for innovative technology, good design and environmental sustainability.
Ken grew up in London, and on leaving school he began work as a postal messenger. During World War 2 he was a conscientious objector, and spent four years working on farms and building land drainage systems. After the War he was awarded a scholarship at the London School of Economics, where he took a BSc degree in Economics. He then trained as a teacher and taught in colleges around London, including the London College of Printing (now part of the University of the Arts). Here he was responsible for the support of international students, a role which sometimes included negotiating with their embassies for payment of outstanding fees and sponsorships.
His main career as an inventor and entrepreneur began when he developed a brilliant but essentially simple idea from which many others have since flowed. This was the device known as BigHead: a metal fastener which can be used to join plastics, metals and composite materials. In 1966, with the support of his wife Dorothy and her skills in financial administration, he founded BigHead Bonding Fasteners Limited to develop and make these very strong, versatile and economical fastenings which have been used in an astonishingly wide range of products including medical equipment, robots, Madame Tussaud’s waxworks, aircraft, and luxury cars.
A Bentley contains 156 BigHead fastenings, and every one of them is invisible. This invisibility is one of the most distinctive and aesthetically attractive features of BigHead fastenings, but it also helps to explain why they are widely familiar in industry and almost unknown to the public: once fitted they are never seen. So BigHead may not be well-known, but many of its clients are: for example, Sunseeker was the first to use these fasteners in boatbuilding over 35 years ago, and now they are used in this industry throughout the world. And some major technological developments, in fields such as injection moulding of plastics, have been made possible by the use of BigHead fasteners.
Sustainability and environmental conservation are key themes in all Ken Stanley’s work and thinking. His products minimise waste in manufacture and in use, so they reduce costs and environmental impact. All he does is based on simple but powerful underlying principles. First, he wants to see the intellectual wealth of this country used more, and better. And second, he is convinced that inventions and innovative ideas should be for the common good. Accordingly he has given much time and energy to the development of links between industry and higher education.
He is a strong supporter of Bournemouth University, particularly the School of Design, Engineering and Computing, and the annual Festival of Design and Innovation. He has sponsored prizes for students, many of whom have found his enthusiasm for technology and good design inspirational. As an outstanding example of innovative technological entrepreneurship, he is a role model for those seeking to follow in his footsteps and market their own ideas.
Source: https://www1.bournemouth.ac.uk/sites/default/files/asset/document/ken_stanley.pdf
Given the kindness and generosity that Ken displayed throughout his life, we are incredibly proud to name our scholarship in Ken’s honour. It will now be known as the “Kenneth Stanley Sailing Scholarshipâ€, and with Dorothy’s blessing it is a fitting tribute to his work and legacy in science, engineering and education. Our desire is that this scholarship can be used to engage, educate and inspire other young people. Our 2017 recipient Catherine, known to many as Cat, is pictured here receiving her scholarship certificate onboard Fortissimo. In her we have found a young person with a passion for science, a drive and a determination for success and a desire to help others. All qualities that Ken would recognise and be very proud of.
This is still the beginning of our story and there are many adventures still lie ahead but wherever they lead us Ken’s legacy won’t be far away!
