Want to organise a party? Get the young people from ReachOut! to do it for you!
Last week ten 15 year olds from ReachOut! were invited to a Money Skills workshop at the Barclays headquarters in 1 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf. They were welcomed by event organiser Will Rhodes, who had volunteered and worked for ReachOut! in Manchester, and the Retail Operations Team, into a meeting room on the thirty-first floor - where million dollar mergers normally take place!The workshop began with Will’s version of Million Pound Drop, where each young person was given six “gold bars” (tasty gold wrapped sweets) with which to bet on multiple choice answers to an array of questions - they got to eat whatever they had left at the end!
They then worked on a monthly budget for “Lucy” and found she had a little spare money at the end of the month. The point of “saving for a rainy day” was made and the young people contemplated occasionally not buying chicken and chips…
In the main part of the workshop the young people were split into three groups, aided by Barclays staff, to organise an end of term party. They could charge between £6 and £12 per ticket and had to provide refreshments, entertainment and decorations. The organisers were thwarted half way through when Will told them the bad news that the venue had burnt down, to which Dion replied “Will! I had just added it all up!”
Each group presented their party to the others and Abdulaahi got the biggest laugh for finding a new venue in the Arsenal trophy room as “there’s plenty of room in there!” The workshop finished with a Q&A session. Perry asked what GCSEs you need to work at Barclays; Will responded that maths and English are very important and Kathryn Elliott, Senior Supplier Manager, said it’s important that you can show different strengths and stand out from your peers i.e. “you guys playing for a football team shows you can be team players” and attending “workshops like this show you have an interest in banking”. Kathryn also commented on the importance of volunteering experience as an impressive addition to your CV. Will, who knows the work of ReachOut! well, also added that the boys should stay involved in ReachOut! and become Junior Leaders on ReachOut! projects when they get older.
After the workshop the Will and Steve took everyone on a tour around 1 Churchill Place, highlighting the stunning views of London, their work stations, explaining what hot-desking was and overall giving real insight into their day to day work. Quotes of the day: “It was great actually doing work that will come up in real life.” Abdulaahi, Year 10. “It was a great way for young people to discover more about the world of business and how they can be a part of it.” Andy Steer, ETA (finance) Manager. “I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon as did my team who realised how much of a difference they can make in the local community.” Kathryn Elliott, Senior Supplier Manager. Will Rhodes’ comments echoed the thoughts of everyone at ReachOut! who attended the event “Great to see you lot yesterday – the Barclays employees who helped out have been talking about it all day and are excited to get involved in more things with ReachOut!” A huge thank you to all involved.By Jack Bond
Our mentees know their 5 Ps! (Planning and Preparation Prevents Poor Performance!)
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