Giving Back: Nyumbani and our local community - Hotcourses Goup
During my time at Hotcourses (owner of the Complete University Guide) I ran the 'Giving Back' team. This article is an update for several stakeholders at Hotcourses.
Hotcourses Group Giving Back: Nyumbani and our local community
July 18, 2017 by Stephanie Butler 2likes 0 Comments
From work experience week to Wimbledon-themed fundraisers, 2017 has already been an immersive year of giving back. Many members of Hotcourses Group have been dedicated to making a difference, whether it be close to home or in Nyumbani, with positive outcomes all-round.
The sunny second weekend of July saw six of us, including our speedy CEO, running through the streets of central London in the Virgin Sport British 10k. This was a tough but really enjoyable day! Fundraising included an auction of all the runners to be office ‘tea fairies’ for a day (being on demand to make hot drinks for whoever won the bidding). This had a great response and we are still collecting donations for the charity.
In the true spirit of Wimbledon, we hosted a fundraising ‘Strawberries and Cream on the Green’ for the surrounding offices of our London base. Live tennis action from SW19 was projected onto a large screen and we served prosecco, lemonade and strawberries and cream. Tennis-themed activities ensured everyone got involved and all profits went towards the Hotcourses Foundation.
Giving back to our local community and not just for the Foundation is also very important to us. In June, we invited six students from a school in west London to join us in the office for a week of work experience. They were introduced to the company and office life, taught about information security and how to be responsible in a working environment like ours. The students were then spread across different departments, where several members of the team shared the responsibility of setting them tasks and generally making it a valuable experience for them. During each lunchtime, a different member of the company would host a session about their careers and how they got there, to provide insight on different job options and pathways.
There was positive feedback from both parties – the students asked many intriguing and relevant questions about the company and their futures, and even gave interesting feedback about some of our products. The Assistant Head from the school said: “You have been absolutely brilliant supporting our students and having spoken with each of them, they have learned a lot.”
We have also been to visit schools to give career talks. A small group of us visited an academy in north-west London and presented to a group of secondary school students about careers in content, hospitality and human resources. Again, we found this a rewarding experience for both the students and for us. This left us feeling energised and with the hope that we inspired at least one of the students in the room that day.
Nyumbani UK & the Hotcourses Foundation support some of the world’s poorest children, many of whom are affected or infected by HIV and are orphans. The charity supports over 4,000 children in Kenya in three areas: education, healthcare and housing. This year the charity is celebrating its 25th anniversary, in which it will recognise its progress and success in making a difference for a much brighter future.
For more information or to see how you can get involved, please visit Nyumbani.org.uk or email hello@nyumbani.org.uk.