Business and Culture are the theme of the day at two South East Schools'

Wednesday 16th March 2011 saw employee volunteers from the Platforms and Distribution Marketing Team at Legal and General host a Dragon’s Den style day for year 10 pupils at Therfield School, Leatherhead. 

The day saw a series of workshops on marketing topics run by Legal and General employee volunteers. Pupils took part in fun and interactive sessions throughout the day to raise awareness of the role marketing plays in business. Pupils worked on a creative brief to present ideas to the dragons with ideas including press advertisements and radio jingles. The day concluded with the presentations in a bid to win the prize of a Behind the Scenes visit to Legal & General’s offices in Kingswood to see marketing in action!

Employee volunteers from Legal and General shared their professional skills and expertise with the pupils who, as well as having to create a presentation, gained greater understanding of what marketing actually entails. Pupils learnt about the different roles in a corporate marketing team and what skills and qualifications are needed to pursue a career in this field.

This was a great opportunity for pupils to learn new skills and to put them into practice as they would in the workplace.

Tracy Davis, Work Related Learning co-ordinator at Therfield School said:  “The students involved gained so much from interacting with employers and learning about “the real world”. It also gave them a chance to transfer their classroom learning into real life working situations. It was a very enjoyable day and we extend our thanks to Legal & General for providing such a brilliant day for our year 10 Business students.”

John Laney, Head of Marketing at Legal & General said: “We all had a fantastic day with the students and teachers of Therfield School, Leatherhead. The day was a great opportunity for us as a marketing team to work with our local community, to share our knowledge and skills to support the year 10 students studying Business Studies. All the students were engaged and enthusiastic and it was a pleasure working with them and their teachers.”

Whilst secondary school pupils at Therfield School were discovering more about the world of marketing pupils at Charles Dickens Junior School, Portsmouth were discovering the world cultures.  

As part of the University of Portsmouth Business Schools community engagement programme the International Bazaar was brought to Charles Dickens Junior School, Portsmouth following the success of last years event at Mayfield Secondary School. The University of Portsmouth Business School is popular amongst International Students who as part of their time spent studying wish to integrate within UK society.

The International Bazaar saw 10 countries set up stalls in the schools hall showcasing their cultural backgrounds to young pupils in Portsmouth’s most deprived neighbourhood. With the young pupils of this school unlikely to travel beyond Portsmouth's’s boundaries student volunteers brought Romania, Kenya, India and Cameroon, to name a few, to the school. Portsmouth City Councils Library Service also attended the event and showcased some of the cultural resources on offer in their local library.  

Pupils were able to sample dishes, discuss cultural identity, try on cultural clothing and discuss with the students their backgrounds. Students who volunteered also gained from being provided with the opportunity of going inside a UK school, an experience of which many found beneficial in understanding UK culture.   

Richard Tonge, Associate Dean, Portsmouth Business School said: “Portsmouth has a university campus full of fascinating faces, ethnic dresses and vivid colours. It’s so important to prepare young people for comfortable interaction with others from all corners of the world”

Employee volunteering is one of Business in the Community’s most active programmes in the South East region. Pat Smith, Area Manager Hampshire, BITC said: “Employee volunteering is one of the most important and effective ways that companies can increase their positive impact in the community and leverage a key resource beyond cash.”

For further information on employee volunteering in the South East of England contact Pat Smith on 023 9223 0692.