Raspberry Pi Foundation Explained

Raspberry Pi Foundation
Founders:David Braben, Jack Lang, Alan Mycroft, Robert Mullins, Eben Upton
Founding Location:Caldecote, South Cambridgeshire
Registration Id:1129409
Status:Company limited by guarantee
Registered charity in England and Wales
Headquarters:Hills Road. Cambridge, England, UK
Products:Raspberry Pi
Fields:Education
Leader Title:CEO
Leader Name:Philip Colligan
Main Organ:Board of trustees[1]
Revenue:£95,818,848[2]
Revenue Year:2020
Staff:203
Staff Year:2020

The Raspberry Pi Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, as well as an England and Wales company limited by guarantee. [3] It was founded in 2009 to promote the study of computer science. It is part of a group that comprises legal entities in India, Ireland, and the United States, which carry out educational activities in those jurisdictions; and Raspberry Pi Ltd, a commercial subsidiary that develops Raspberry Pi computers and other hardware. The foundation’s charitable activities are funded through a combination of Gift Aid from the profits of Raspberry Pi Ltd, contracts for the delivery of educational services e.g. professional development for teachers, and donations from individuals, foundations, and other organisations.

Foundation

The Raspberry Pi Foundation is a charitable organisation registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. The board of trustees was assembled by 2008,[4] [5] and the Raspberry Pi Foundation was founded as a registered charity in May 2009 in Caldecote, England.[6] In 2016, The foundation moved its headquarters to Station Road, Cambridge,[7] moving again in 2018, to Hills Road, Cambridge.[8]

The foundation is supported by the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory and Broadcom.[9] Its aim is to "promote the study of computer science and related topics, especially at the school level, and to put the fun back into learning computing."[10] Project co-founder Eben Upton is a former academic, currently employed by Broadcom as a system-on-chip architect and associate technical director. Components, albeit in small numbers, were able to be sourced from suppliers, due to the charitable status of the organisation.

History

When the decline in numbers and skills of students applying for Computer Science became a concern for a team that included Eben Upton, Rob Mullins, Jack Lang and Alan Mycroft at the University of Cambridge’s Computer Laboratory in 2006, a need for a tiny and affordable computer came to their minds. Several versions of the early Raspberry Pi prototypes were designed but were very limited by the high cost and low power processors for mobile devices at that time.[11]

In 2008, the team started a collaboration with Pete Lomas, MD of Norcott Technologies and David Braben, the co-author of the seminal BBC Micro game Elite, and formed the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Three years later, the Raspberry Pi Model B was born and it had sold over two million units within two years of mass production.[11]

Founders and leadership

The founders of the organisation were:[12]

In early 2013, the organisation split into two parts: Raspberry Pi Foundation, which is responsible for the charitable and educational activities; and Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd, responsible for the engineering and trading activities. Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Raspberry Pi Foundation, with the money earned from sales of Raspberry Pi products being used to fund the charitable work of the Foundation. Eben Upton was initially CEO of both divisions, but in September 2013 Lance Howarth became CEO of the Raspberry Pi Foundation,[13] with Eben Upton remaining as CEO of Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd. Philip Colligan took over from Lance Howarth as CEO of Raspberry Pi Foundation in July 2015.[14] [15]

In 2021 Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd changed its name to Raspberry Pi Ltd.[16]

Logo

In October 2011, the foundation's logo was selected from a number submitted from open competition.[17] A shortlist of six was drawn up, with the final judging taking several days. The chosen design was created by Paul Beech[18] and depicts a raspberry, in the style of a buckminsterfullerene molecule.[19]

Education fund

In April 2014, the foundation announced a £1million education fund to support projects that enhance the understanding of computing and to promote the use of technology in other subjects, particularly STEM and creative arts for children.[20] They offered to provide up to 50% of the total projected costs to successful applicants.[21] Carrie Anne Philbin was the Director of Education.[22]

Mergers

In 2015, the Raspberry Pi Foundation merged with Code Club.[23] [24] [25] In 2017, it merged with CoderDojo.[26] [27]

Bebras

The Raspberry Foundation is an active sponsor of the British edition of the International Bebras Computing competition, together with the University of Oxford.[28]

Magazine

The foundation publishes Hello World, a "computing and digital making" magazine.[29] From 2018 to early 2023, the foundation published Wireframe, a video game development magazine.[30]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Governance - Raspberry Pi . 2017-07-18 . 2021-03-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210328020304/https://www.raspberrypi.org/about/governance/ . live .
  2. Web site: Raspberry Pi Foundation Trustees' Report and Financial Statements 2020 . 2022-11-16 . 2022-12-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221210023154/https://static.raspberrypi.org/files/about/RaspberryPiFoundationReport2020.pdf . live .
  3. Web site: Raspberry Pi Foundation - About Us . 2021-06-16 . Raspberry Pi . "Raspberry Pi Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales (1129409).Registered as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales No.06758215. . 2020-07-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200708201926/https://www.raspberrypi.org/about/ . live.
  4. Web site: Raspberry Pi – A Credit-Card Sized ARM Computer – Yours For Only $25 . MakeUseOf . 2012-02-24 . 2012-02-29 . Brookes, Tim . 2021-02-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210224154853/https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/raspberry-pi-creditcard-sized-arm-computer-25/ . live .
  5. News: Vilches . Jose . Interview with Raspberry's Founder Eben Upton . 2012-06-19 . . 2012-05-22 . 2 December 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151202030458/http://www.techspot.com/article/531-eben-upton-interview/ . live.
  6. Web site: Register of Charities - The Charity Commission - Raspberry Pi Foundation Charity number: 1129409 . . 2011-06-06 . The object of the charity is to further the advancement of education of adults and children, particularly in the field of Computers, Computer Science and related subjects .
  7. Web site: Raspberry Pi and JA Kemp move to iconic Station Road HQs . Business Weekly . Business Weekly . 2017-02-17 . 2021-02-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210224224606/https://www.businessweekly.co.uk/news/property-and-construction/raspberry-pi-and-ja-kemp-move-iconic-station-road-hqs . live.
  8. Web site: Annual Reoprt . Raspberry Pi Foundation . 2018.
  9. Web site: Robert Mullins: Raspberry Pi . . 2012 . 2012-02-29 . Mullins, Robert . 2012-11-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121115052955/http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rdm34/raspi/ . dead .
  10. Web site: Raspberry Pi Foundation . Raspberry Pi Foundation . 2011-07-02 . 2013-01-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130112054319/http://www.raspberrypi.org/ . live .
  11. Web site: About Us . Raspberry Pi Foundation . 2014-04-24 . 2014-04-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140425012911/http://www.raspberrypi.org/about/ . live .
  12. Web site: Heath . Nick . Inside the Raspberry Pi: The story of the $35 computer that changed the world . TechRepublic . 2023-02-10 . Early the following year, Upton, Lomas, Mycroft, Elite creator David Braben, and Cambridge University lecturers Jack Lang and Rob Mullins would create the Raspberry Pi Foundation, . 2018-12-19 .
  13. Web site: Welcome Lance! . Raspberry Pi Foundation . 2014-04-24 . 2015-09-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150917063022/https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/welcome-lance/ . live.
  14. Web site: Welcome Philip! . Raspberry Pi Foundation . 2017-05-07 . 2017-05-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170523133035/https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/welcome-philip/ . live .
  15. Web site: 3. Carrie Anne Philbin, director of education, Raspberry Pi Foundation - The 50 Most Influential Women in UK Tech 2017 . www.computerweekly.com . en . 2018-07-28 . 2018-07-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180729012901/https://www.computerweekly.com/photostory/450427418/The-50-Most-Influential-Women-in-UK-Tech-2017/3/3-Carrie-Anne-Philbin-director-of-education-Raspberry-Pi-Foundation . live.
  16. Web site: RASPBERRY PI LTD overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK . 2023-10-24 . find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk . en.
  17. Web site: Logo competition . Raspberry Pi Foundation . 2017-09-27 . 2017-10-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171031143845/https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/logo-competition/ . live.
  18. Web site: Logo competition - we have a winner! . Raspberry Pi Foundation . 2017-09-27 . 2016-02-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160216224739/https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/logo-competition-we-have-a-winner/ . live.
  19. Web site: Raspberry Pi selects a very clever logo . geek.com . 2011-10-11 . Humphries, Matthew . 1 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131001100627/http://www.geek.com/chips/raspberry-pi-selects-a-very-clever-logo-1428525/ . dead .
  20. Web site: Announcing Our Million-Pound Education Charity Fund . Raspberry Pi Foundation . 2014-04-26 . 2014-05-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140502020148/http://www.raspberrypi.org/announcing-our-million-pound-education-charity-fund/ . live .
  21. Web site: EDUCATION FUND . Raspberry Pi Foundation . 2014-04-26 . 2014-04-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140427051937/http://www.raspberrypi.org/education-fund/ . dead.
  22. News: Raspberry Pi Foundation’s Carrie Anne Philbin earns MBE for services to education . 2023-02-10 . Cambridge Independent . 2020-10-12 . en.
  23. Web site: Putting a Code Club in every community . Raspberry Pi Foundation . 2022-08-04 . 2022-08-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220804171009/https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/putting-a-code-club-in-every-community/ . live .
  24. News: Pi's the limit: Merger aims to create more kid coders . 2023-02-10 .
  25. Web site: Horsey . Julian . Raspberry Pi Foundation And Code Club UK Join Forces To Help Children Code . Geeky Gadgets . 2023-02-10 . 2015-11-03 .
  26. Web site: Raspberry Pi Foundation and CoderDojo to code club together . TechCrunch . 2022-08-04 . 2022-08-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220804171009/https://techcrunch.com/2017/05/26/raspberry-pi-foundation-and-coderdojo-to-code-club-together/ . live .
  27. Web site: Gorey . Colm . CoderDojo and Raspberry Pi join forces to create coding giant . Silicon Republic . 2023-02-10 . 2017-05-26.
  28. Web site: Sentance . Sue . 2019-10-28 . The Raspberry Pi Foundation and Bebras . 2023-08-17 . Raspberry Pi Foundation . en-GB.
  29. Web site: Hello World . 2018-07-03 . 2021-03-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210325130316/https://helloworld.raspberrypi.org/ . live .
  30. Web site: Calvin . Alex . January 17, 2023 . Four years and 70 issues later: Why Wireframe magazine is closing down . January 23, 2024 . Games Industry.biz.

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