Since January of this year, a group of 11 employees from financial services company HML have been mentoring kids from the Escape (Education, Sports, Citizenship and Parents) project, an out-of-school scheme which aims to improve children’s reading, writing and IT skills. More than 100 children, aged 10-14, from the Triax area of the Bogside, Brandywell, Creggan, Fountain and Bishop Street, are currently involved with the project.

Anna Wallace, of HML, says the partnership – which allows employees to undertake a volunteer mentoring role during working hours – has been a richly rewarding experience for HML staff.

“Corporate responsibility is about much more than handing over a cheque, it’s about getting directly involved in projects like Escape, about encouraging staff to come forward and be part of their community.
“The feedback has been very positive, staff have been getting a lot out of it and it has become an important part of their work.

“It is something we hope to continue on an ongoing basis. It’s about us, as a company, giving back and getting involved with our local community,” she says.

The initial phase of the HML and Escape link has seen the employees undertake a ten week training programme before taking pupils through a specifically designed ICT based scheme. Escape Project manager John McBride says the initiative has benefited greatly from the HML link.

“We have seen the volunteers develop a real relationship with the children, and the children have been getting a much richer experience.
“Thanks in no small part to the HML volunteers, we are moving steadily towards the ultimate goal where each child will have one-to-one support within the group environment that will allow them to improve their confidence, esteem, and to gain the practical skills they can transfer to other educational activities.

“Having HML has given us so much more than just 11 volunteers, we have found a tremendous difference over the last quarter, we are working through the key stages much quicker without losing any of the quality.”
He says the project has been enriched by “the genuine nature” of HML’s ethos of corporate reasonability.

Both parties are keen to continue the partnership.

“If John needs more volunteers, we will certainly be encouraging staff to come forward,” Anna says.

Meanwhile, the Derry call centre has made it through to the final three in this year’s Northern Ireland wide Business in the Community awards. The awards ceremony was due to take place in Belfast last night.

The ‘Escape’ project is targeted at children in socially-deprived areas and will work with 10-14 year olds in the Triax area of the Bogside, Brandywell, Creggan, Fountain and Bishop Street. It’s an out-of-school scheme which aims to improve reading and writing skills, working with numbers and IT skills.

It’s based on the ‘Playing for Success’ initiative adopted by sports clubs in England, and will involve Derry City. Manager Stephen Kenny said the club was delighted to support the project.

” This is a really worthwhile project. The club, perhaps more than any other club, is proud to be part of its local community and to be part of this project,” he said.

Students have already used the key link with the club on a number of projects that have included interviewing a number of players.

Minister Ritchie officially launched Escape (Education, Sports, Citizenship and Parents) on Wednesday. She said the Derry-based project which aims to improve educational inequalities in socially deprived areas could become the blueprint for addressing underachievement across the North.

“It is vital that all our children and young people, regardless of background, are given every opportunity to achieve their full potential. The Escape Project, which uses Information Technology, Sports and mentoring, aims to achieve just that. There is nothing to stop this type of project being replicated across the North.”

Study centre manager John McBride said ultimately the project wanted to break down the barriers to learning.

“There are way too many factors holding kids in deprived areas back,” he said. “We have encountered children with no access to computers, children who don’t read as a pastime, or for whom there is no culture of reading at home. The Escape project aims to break down the barriers associated with disadvantage.”

Mr McBride said the study support centre works in tandem with local schools, where he said “some fantastic work is being done.”

Adding that the Escape Project has been well received by the areas young students, he said a further 40 young people will engage with Escape’s work over the coming weeks.

Margaret Ritchie said: “I am pleased my Department, through the Neighbourhood Renewal Investment Fund, has been able to fund this worthwhile project for young people in disadvantaged areas of Derry.

“Investing time, resources and money in our young people is the only way we can bring communities together as part of a shared future. If we are to tackle the long term spiral of deprivation, and improve the life chances of those living in our most deprived communities, then our young people need to receive the best educational opportunities possible.

“It is vital that all our children and young people, regardless of background, are given every opportunity to achieve their full potential. Neighbourhood Renewal funding is an excellent means of supporting innovative projects that will make a difference. The Escape Project through the utilisation of Information, Technology, Sports and mentoring, aims to achieve just that.”

The Escape (Education, Sports, Citizenship and Parents) Project is a pilot project promoted through the Triax Neighbourhood Partnership and modelled upon an existing national initiative delivered within Britain. The national ‘Playing for Success’ model aims, through the utilisation of Information, Technology, Sports and Mentoring, to raise the educational standards of 10–16 year olds, particularly in urban settings. This is achieved through the medium of sport as a motivator for those participating.