Giacom gives Hull primary school children once-in-lifetime London experience
TRIP: Children from Paisley Primary School, in west Hull, on the River Thames
By Rick Lyon
Leading cloud services provider Giacom has given primary school children from Hull an unforgettable experience in London.
Giacom is a Gold sponsor of Hull and East Yorkshire (HEY) Children’s University, which aims to build the confidence, self-esteem and aspirations of youngsters living in areas of high deprivation by providing them with a diverse range of experiences outside the classroom.
Under the partnership, Giacom and the charity teamed up to take a group of 20 children from Paisley Primary School, in west Hull, on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the capital.
Most of the children had not been to London before and, for some of them, it was their first time on a train or leaving Hull.
They were taken on a tour of some of London’s most famous landmarks and attractions during the daytrip, including Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street, Trafalgar Square and the Natural History Museum.
EXPERIENCE: The trip included a visit to Trafalgar Square
Wearing their ‘Giacom Cloud Explorer’ hats, the children took in the sights during a river cruise down the Thames and were treated to dinner. Giacom, which is based at Hull’s Priory Park, also paid for each of the children to buy a souvenir of their trip.
Sophie Lockwood, Campaign Manager at Giacom, was one of three volunteers from the company who joined four members of staff from the school and three representatives from HEY Children’s University on the trip.
She said: “We had such a wonderful day. There was so much for the children to take in and it was amazing to point things out to them and see their reactions. We absolutely loved spending the day with them.
“The Royal Standard was flying at Buckingham Palace, so we were able to tell the children the King was there. Then, when we went to Downing Street, we saw Rishi Sunak coming out in his car to go to Prime Minister’s Questions.
“The children really loved all the exhibitions at the Natural History Museum and they were just blown away by the whole experience.
EXCITING: The children taking in the delights of London
“At the end of the day, we were all exhausted – but totally exhilarated as well.”
Rose James, Director of Development at HEY Children’s University, said: “For most of these children, it was their first time on a train and for some it was the first time they’d ever left Hull.
“Giacom’s support allowed us to provide the children with this incredible experience. Without this, some of them might have never had the opportunity to visit London.
“They’ve made memories to cherish for a lifetime.”
Giacom is an industry-leading provider of Cloud services to IT companies. The London trip was the latest support provided by the company to HEY Children’s University under its 12-month partnership.
THUMBS UP: Children wore their ‘Giacom Cloud Explorer’ hats on the trip to the capital
Earlier this year, 90 children from Biggin Primary School, in Bransholme, visited Giacom’s offices over two days to learn about the business and the wide range of careers it offers.
The ‘Day in the Clouds’ visits were organised by Giacom to inspire long-term ambitions and improve the youngsters’ future prospects by giving them an early insight into the world of work.
The children spent time in Giacom’s different departments to find out more about what they do and took part in engaging and fun activities.
Sophie said Giacom, which employs around 90 people, mostly from Hull, is committed to supporting the local community.
She said: “It’s been such a privilege to spend time with these children and to help open their eyes to some of the opportunities and experiences out there for them.
‘EXHILARATED’: The children enjoyed the wildlife in some of London’s parks
“Hopefully, our support can help inspire them to fulfil the potential they all have.”
Members of the Giacom team will be delivering Christmas presents to other primary school children in Hull during the festive period, as another element of the company’s work with HEY Children’s University.
Giacom has also been using its position as a sponsor of Hull City to create memorable experiences for children and their families.
Training kit sponsor Giacom launched the Giacom Goals competition last season to give aspiring young players the chance to showcase their talents.
Giacom invited players aged 16 or under to send in a video of their best goal. Prizes up for grabs included Hull City match tickets and merchandise, with the overall winner Eden Innes, 10, and her team Hall Road Rangers U10 Girls being invited to train with Tigers left-back Brandon Fleming and goalkeeper Matt Ingram.
To find out more about Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University, and how to support the charity, visit www.hullchildrensuniversity.com.