Thousands of volunteers from big business are touring schools in London’s deprived East End helping improve basic learning skills and giving a taste of life in the world of work.
As many as 2,000 are out in schools in any one week, Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership’s 25th anniversary awards night at Canary Wharf was told.
This was how the charity functions after 25 years, explained the charity’s director Helen Sanson who thanked head-teachers and business volunteers for helping to “improve life chances” for youngsters growing up in the East End.
“It’s the best way to celebrate our Silver Jubilee,” she said. “They contribute to students’ lives and we look forward to the next 25 years’ collaboration with these organisations to help young people feel inspired.”
The education-business partnership was set up in 1991 to bridge a gap between schools in a deprived East End and the world of work.
Its goal today is to end the “poverty of opportunity” and help reduce youth unemployment, using educational programmes to inspire learning.
The charity is built on partnerships with business and links with Tower Hamlets schools, providing programmes from basic literacy and numeracy to interview presentation skills and even work experience.
Programmes are run by volunteers from business, including 8,000 in the past year alone who visit schools. Around 2,000 are in schools in any given week.
Silver Jubilee Award winners at Tuesday night’s ceremony were ‘Outstanding Primary School Co-ordinator’ Natalie Davies, from Old Palace in Bromley-by-Bow, ‘Outstanding Secondary School Co-ordinator’ Mike Burns, now retired, from Morpeth in Bethnal Green, ‘Volunteer of the Year’ Sarah Connor from Willis Towers Watson, ‘Outstanding Company Co-ordinator’ Uma Akther from Clyde & Co and ‘Alumni Ambassador of the Year’ Shah Jamil. Company awards went to Barclays in Canary Wharf and three City organisations, Lloyd’s of London, Bank of England and ‘Best Newcomer’ Alesco management services.
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