Private sector volunteers help kids in transition

(CNS):A group of students who are in their final year at George Town primary school have begun attending the Positive Intervention Now (PIN) programme run by the Education and Youth Committee of St George’s Anglican Church after local accountancy and consulting firm confirmed its commitment to supporting the programme with cash and fifteen voluteers. The kids attend the programme which has been running for seven years on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons during the school term at what is sometimes a difficult transition for young people from childhood into their teens and from primary to secondary school.

Marlene Ricketts, the PIN programme facilitator, said the success of the programme is largely down to the sponsors who do such a tremendous amount of good for the young people.

“I really cannot thank the PwC volunteers enough for their continuous support of PIN over the years,” she said. “The fact that the firm has been happy to donate monetarily every year is a big enough contribution in itself; the fact that the staff members themselves are so giving of their time is invaluable. Not only are our young people able to gain from the academic and artistic input PwC staff bring to the programme, they are also able to develop their social skills as they interact with staff members on a one-to-one basis. I know our students always look forward to Wednesdays when the PwC staff come along.”

Ricketts also said she was grateful to the firm for their recent donation of four extra laptops.
“Having the technology to teach the young people in a way to which they can particularly relate is priceless in our teaching at PIN,” she said “On behalf of the Board, staff, volunteers and students at PIN we offer our sincere thanks to PwC staff for their generosity. They should know they make a huge difference.”  

The fifteen PwC staff, who volunteered for the 2014/2015 term recent met the group of younsters and spent time getting to know them explain about the projects they would be working on, alongside the students throughout the school year.

Angilynn Chan-Baraud, PwC’s Business Development Manager, coordinates the firm’s efforts to assist the PIN programme. She explained that they had a full agenda in store.
“PwC has been a big supporter of the PIN programme for 7 years and as the years have gone by we have become increasingly involved with the development of the programme itself,” she said. “This year we will be working on a fun photography project with the youngsters, whereby they will be given their own disposable camera and asked to take photos for a competition that we will be running throughout the weeks. 

“We will also be assisting the children in helping them develop their maths skills and be on hand for any homework questions. Three or four of our volunteer PIN team attend PIN every Wednesday to work alongside the youngsters and the PIN staff so students get a great one-to-one experience.”

She said he firm was happy to help the children who have been selected for PIN because it’s a critical time in their lives. “The programme helps develop the youngsters’ skills in so many ways, not just intellectually, but socially as well…And I know that our staff also get a great amount of satisfaction from their interaction with the young people,” Baraud added.