How we gave Hull primary school children a once-in-a-lifetime London experience

We’ve 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, we teamed up with the charity 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 day trip, including Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street, Trafalgar Square and the Natural History Museum.

Wearing their “Giacom Cloud Explorer” hats, the children took in the sights during a river cruise down the Thames and were treated to dinner. We also paid for each of the children to buy a souvenir of their trip.

Campaign Manager Sophie Lockwood was one of our three volunteers 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.

“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.”

The London trip was the latest support we’ve provided to HEY Children’s University under the partnership.

Earlier this year, 90 children from Biggin Primary School, in Bransholme, Hull, visited our 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 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 our different departments to find out more about what they do and took part in engaging and fun activities.

Sophie 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.

“Hopefully, our support can help inspire them to fulfill the potential they all have.”

Members of our team are delivering Christmas presents to other primary school children in Hull during the festive period, as another element of our work with HEY Children’s University.