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#High5ives: Havas Lynx goes to Rwanda
Since our Christmas Campaign, we have kept the charity Born to Thrive (BTT) close to our heart, fundraising and trying to help where we can. Earlier in the year we held a company competition where staff could apply for the opportunity to visit Rwanda and see the charity's work first hand. We asked all applicants to donate a minimum of 36 hours of their own time to the charity and to record a short video detailing how they would use their time to help. The team are flying to Rwanda on 17th October and we will keep you updated on their progress throughout their trip (as and when they have Wi-Fi). Below Nat and Claire explain what they hope to achieve on the trip.
Claire Elliot
Brand Manager / Head of Ambassadors
I was stopped in my tracks when I found out that only £250 could pay for a child's education for a whole year. I immediately wanted to return my freshly delivered ASOS shop and felt very guilty about the life I lead….. This got us thinking…. Could we at Havas Lynx raise £2500 to enable 10 children to go to school for a year? I mean we have an agency of 250 people right?! Could we get everyone to part with a tenner to support someone less fortunate than themselves? And so the 2014 Christmas campaign was born.
I knew I worked with amazing, dedicated, talented and kind people. But we were overwhelmed with support. Not only did they part with much more than a tenner, they got families and friends on board too…. I know that in some instances families of people who worked at Lynx decided to make donations to the charity rather than get each other Christmas gifts. It was unbelievable and truly humbling. I feel very lucky to work with amazing people and for a company who has whole-heartedly supported our efforts every step of the way. The Christmas campaign highlighted how, by working together, we really can achieve a lot. £10,610.45 to be precise.
Encouraged by the success of having raised enough money to send 42 children to school for a year, we wanted to do more.
Since then, we have continued to work with Born to Thrive, not only raising money when we can, but also supporting the charity with our expertise. Soon, we will be launching the charity's new branding and website. This will be supported by a full social media strategy to enable the charity to raise its profile and seek further support. None of which would have been possible without the people of Lynx giving up their free time. It's truly inspiring.
When in Rwanda, I hope we capture the stories of the people who have benefitted from the charity. I want to ensure that moving into 2016; the charity is armed with the material to communicate their story and to encourage people to act.
Natalie Brickhill
It wasn't until Christmas 2014 when the true impact of BTT sunk in. How is it that in 2015 children aren't able to attend school?
It's hard to think that something we take for granted as we grow up, which forms the core of how we got where we are today, just isn't an option. Everyone should have the right to an education.
Back in December, my team was given information about child who needed our help to raise money so he could attend school for a year for just £250. The impact the of this information drove so many fundraising ideas and everyone dug deep to ensure we could raise as much as we could to give these children the best opportunity possible.
Since, we have been able to work with the BTT team and the coordinator in Rwanda to find out what supplies are desperately needed. We set up donation boxes to which the lovely people here at Lynx and local suppliers have been so generous. On our return we will be continuing to fundraise to ensure the children we have sponsored can continue through school and so we can provide more much needed school supplies. I want to ensure the children we have helped so far can finish their education, free of the thought of not attending school the following year.
I'm sure there will be tears, smiles and lots of laughter and I feel really proud to be travelling to Rwanda with an amazing team of people, knowing that together, with the backing of all the amazing people here at Havas Lynx, we have the opportunity to better children's lives.
Click here to watch Natalie's application video
To find out more about Born To Thrive, visit their website:
https://www.born-to-thrive.org/
You can donate to Born To Thrive here:
https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/borntothrive
It's hard to think that something we take for granted as we grow up, which forms the core of how we got where we are today, just isn't an option. Everyone should have the right to an education. NATALIE BRICKHILL - CLIENT PARTNER
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