Simon Rumbles, a strategic buyer at Xaar’s Cambridgeshire office, has achieved the trip of a lifetime, volunteering to help support five local schools in Nakuru, Kenya.
The trip was organized by Midlands-based charity Derby County Community Trust (DCCT) to deliver several projects at the schools which teachers had identified as key to the improvement of the pupils’ welfare and mental health. These included the building of a new toilet block, updating kitchen facilities, roofing renovations, and road surface improvements, as well as installing water butts.
As one of 65 volunteers, Rumbles raised £3,000 from donations and his own contributions to fund the two-week trip. Xaar’s volunteering scheme, a part of its sustainability roadmap, donated £500 towards Rumbles’ cause and contributed 2½ additional leave days to help make his trip possible.
“It was very rewarding to be able to help deliver these much-needed improvements to what so many of the local children regard as their ‘safe, happy place’,” said Rumbles.
“All the children made it clear how happy they were for us to be there, and my abiding memory of the trip is the joy and celebration they showed and how we could help make a difference in their lives.
“I will be forever grateful for the support that everyone at Xaar and elsewhere has given me in making this life-changing trip.”
John Mills, chief executive officer of Xaar, commented, “At Xaar, our people are what makes us who we are, both at work and outside of it, and it’s both rewarding and a pleasure to be able to support them in their efforts as part of our commitment to people and our community.
“Our values are shared across our business and Simon’s efforts embody the spirit and commitment we have at Xaar. We are all enormously proud of his achievements and send our congratulations to everyone who supported this worthy initiative.”
