WCIT MONITOR Issue 66 Dec 2015 | Page 19

CHARITY

THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGISTS

WCIT Projects & Pro-Bono Panel
Information Technologists Provide IT Support for
help2read.org and give the gift of literacy in South Africa

H

elp2read is a child literacy
organisation that works with
primary schools in South Africa.

Conscious of a lack of in-house skills,
resource and budget, help2read turned
to WCIT for independent strategic
advice. The Livery’s P&P panel then
The charity currently operates in
referred the work to Freeman
communities throughout the Western
Matthew Hampson, Chief
Cape and parts of Gauteng using a
Technology Officer, Nomura
largely volunteer workforce. Since its
Wholesale. Hampson developed a
inception, it has worked in almost 200
comprehensive report with
schools and has helped thousands of
recommended best steps for IT
children. It is currently actively working on usage across the charity’s
expanding its programme to the more
operations, and has actively
rural provinces of South Africa.
supported implementation of
the chosen systems.
“We have a team of 300 dedicated
volunteers who do a great job, working
with students to improve their reading
Clare continues: “WCIT’s help has been
levels and encouraging them to become
invaluable in enabling us to put our whole
confident, self-assured individuals that
operation on a much stronger footing. We
succeed in education,” says Clare
expect that working with WCIT will enable
Haskins, Director, help2read.
us to drive operational efficiencies, in turn
enabling us to communicate better, raise
“To achieve our core aim of raising
more money and mobilise more
literacy levels, we need reliable and
volunteers reaching more children in need
flexible IT solutions that allow us to keep of literacy support in primary schools in
our operations both in the UK and in
South Africa”
South Africa up and running while
maintaining a strong online presence,”
Freeman Matt said: “For a charity like
she adds. “It’s a complex challenge made help2read, having a robust, yet flexible IT
harder by the constant power cuts and
infrastructure in place is a must in
load shedding that impact our
managing the extensive databases they
Johannesburg and Cape Town offices.”
have and in maintaining the vital

© Jac Kritzinger

online ‘shop window’ they need to engage
with schools, pupils and volunteers and to
keep delivering the invaluable work they
carry out every day for disadvantaged
children in South Africa. WCIT is
delighted to have the opportunity to
provide the systems, solutions and advice
they need to ensure they achieve their
goals.”
Story by Tom Webb
The Whiteoaks Consultancy
& Clare Haskins,
Director of help2read

WCIT Combined Professionals Panel

I

n December, The WCIT Hall hosted the first meeting of the
Combined Professionals Panel.

The Company is blessed with a rich and diverse membership
from a number of professions, including: Accountants;
Actuaries; Bankers; Management Consultants; Marketers;
Medics; HR Professionals; and Lawyers (with apologies to any
professions missing from the list – there will be a prize bottle of
wine for the first volunteer from any other professions
represented within the Company).
The key aims of the Combined Professionals Panel are to:
 marshall expertise within the Company among professionals
who support the IT industry;

 provide a focal point for discussion of financial, regulatory
and legal issues for the technology industry through

seminars and lunches (continuing
the work of the Law Panel, which is
now subsumed)

 provide mentoring and career

Chairman and WCIT
Liveryman,

guidance for students of the
Dr Huw Beverley-Smith
Hammersmith Academy and Lilian
Baylis Technology School looking to enter the professions;

 develop links and host events with professional Livery
Companies who are either involved in the ICT industry itself
or in industries in which ICT is a key business driver, such
as banking and insurance.
Please contact the Chairman Liverym