Archive
| Charles Clarke celebrates
with HSMP |
|
Hackney’s Bullion Theatre Room was high with excitement
on Tuesday 11th November, as nearly 200 people attended an afternoon
event held to celebrate the Hackney Schools Mentoring Programme.
An ELBA initiative, the programme has been running for six years
and successfully matches Year 10 Hackney students to city mentors.
Barbara Stannard, who had the weary task of organising the day’s
proceedings, said, “The day was brilliant, everyone
played their part really well from the Met Police to Zen Satori
who provided the buffet. The kids were stars, there was no mumbling
during speeches or fighting.”
 |
| Charles Clarke presents an award to... |
 |
| Another awards goes to... |
|
Lucky, because who should be sitting in the front row but the
Right Honourable Charles Clarke, Secretary
of State for Education. He was so impressed with the
day’s events that he declined two offers by speakers to
make a quick exit to his next appointment.
Students from Haggerston Girls, Homerton
Boys and Hackney Free shared their mentoring
tales after speeches from Charles Clarke, Richard
Hardie and Harvey McGrath. ELBA staff
member Kate Harris, who also played a major role in the day’s
success said, “It was fantastic to hear the experiences
of the mentors. The stories behind the relationships really pulled
at the heart strings – particularly Lisa and Ian’s
account of their work with their mentees – truly inspirational!”
The audience was kept entertained with a video of students from
Hackney Schools and a slide backdrop of photos from mentoring
sessions shot by James Holcombe of the HSMP team. A huge sponge
cake featuring a picture of ELBA’s Rose Albrow, who initially
set up the programme, along with the HSMP team Stuart, James and
Deryl had been carefully prepared to celebrate the event. The
icing was enough to send 60 Hackney students buzzing down Mare
Street.
Chief Executive of ELBA, Liam Kane,
was impressed by the whole event and thought HSMP’s Programme
Manager, Stuart Feakins, was the star of the show. Liam closed
the event by asking all to partake in the buffet. In the cramped
foyer there was no escape from networking with people you wouldn’t
normally meet, including furious flirting between students.
Homerton student and speaker Roy Oginleye
certainly won the prize for best networker, so much so that his
food was cold by the time his friends dragged him out of the theatre.
 |
| Group shot of all attendees |
|
Special thanks to all the Hackney Empire staff, especially Claire,
Liz and Hoffman and front of house staff and Brian the Building
Manager, who was out early in the morning erecting road closed
signs. Thanks must also go to Colin Henry, a UBS volunteer, who
was busy taking lots of photographs of the event for us. Also
to the happy, smiley PCs of the Met Police, who despite starting
their shift at 6.00 a.m. and dealing with a prior demonstration
outside the college and Town Hall, remained calm, helpful and
charming.
