Distribution premises in Bristol pleased to see pupils benefiting from business expertise
Central Park Bristol, the available to let distribution premises in Bristol, is pleased to see that nearly 1,400 pupils in primary schools across the city now receive extra help from business volunteers.
The figure was revealed by Bristol education charity Ablaze which organises one-to-one support from volunteers who visit classrooms as number partners, reading buddies or mentors. The volunteers are employed by a range of firms from the financial and legal sectors to the aero-engines industry.
Roger Opie, chief executive of Ablaze, said: “We are working on some new exciting projects to help primary and secondary school students. We shall be maintaining our long-standing programmes but building on them to enhance the help volunteers provide. We have reached a new record of 1,393 primary school children receiving one-to-one regular help. This is a remarkable figure that has been achieved with many new firms joining us over the past year.”
They include law firm Foot Anstey, software specialist Linux IT, the world-wide engineering group GKN, engineering and development consultants Mott MacDonald and the international company Intellect Books. ”It is impressive that more and more firms are enthusiastically supporting our programmes aimed at raising aspirations and achievements of young people in our schools,” said Mr Opie.
One of the schools that benefits is Christ the King Roman Catholic Primary at Filwood where head teacher Anne Peachey and the neighbourhood partnership team invited Ablaze to work with them. It resulted in Teleperformance, another company new to Ablaze, committing itself to sending 12 volunteers on a weekly basis to the school as reading buddies. Mr Opie said: “We were also able to introduce to the school 30 individuals, firms and organisations that could help enrich its curriculum. This brought about visits by pupils to various firms, including a tour of the Port of Bristol’s wind farm and taking part in drama workshops run by Bristol Old Vic. They have also been meeting people from various professions as well as local and national politicians. This is part of our programme of addressing poverty of aspiration in young people and recognising the power of positive role models from business in motivating young people to succeed.”
Source: The Bristol Post