Loughborough tech consultant helping children to read

A tech consultant from Loughborough has used the benefits package at the company she works for to help support a number of local charities.

Becky Henson works at Synergy Learning, a tech company headquartered in Belfast, and has been volunteering with a number of charitable organisations during Global Volunteering Month.

Announced at the start of 2024, Synergy Learning offers the Giving Back programme, 15 hours of paid volunteering time to employees every year. With the new perk, the Synergy Learning team can support schools and charitable organisations in their communities. This encourages the team to support causes they are passionate about, and is also augmented by a subscription to the OnHand Volunteering app which matches volunteers with good causes across the UK

Following Global Volunteering Month, employees at Synergy Learning have taken the opportunity to support initiatives and activities that hold a special place in their hearts. Becky has been volunteering for over two years and is now using her volunteering hours to show more support.

Through the Synergy Learning Volunteering Hours Programme, Becky has had the opportunity to volunteer for charities such as The Compassionate Friends, Homeless Outreach and a local primary school in Becky’s area.

Becky joined Synergy Learning in June 2022 as an Implementation Consultant after she had a look at the company’s LinkedIn page and thought she would fit in well with the team. She said:

“In my first week at Synergy Learning, I remember feeling like I found my people. Two years down the line, I realised I really have found my people. Everyone cares about each other, and we can all have a laugh. The benefits are great too. Not just the financial benefits, but also in terms of wellbeing support too.”

With the backing of Synergy Learning’s volunteering hours, Becky is currently volunteering at her son’s primary school in Loughborough. Speaking on the experience, Becky said:

“A local school in my area has recently launched a scheme to support pupils who are struggling with their reading. Because of the volunteering hours at Synergy Learning, I can support the school with visits to read with the children and watch them progress to the next reading levels.

“I’m so passionate about this scheme. I have been given the opportunity to have an impact on the education of our young people. In the short time that I’ve been volunteering with the children, a lot of them have progressed to the next reading level and their improvement means so much to me.”

Becky also volunteers for The Compassionate Friend after seeking support from the charity when her sister passed away in 2015. She said:

“I sought help from The Compassionate Friend which offers peer to peer support with sibling bereavement, and I now volunteer for that charity as a facilitator. They support bereaved grandparents, parents and siblings. Just knowing I can be there for other siblings has such a big impact and it can really help people with their grief.”

When asked what initiatives she would like to take part in the future, Becky said:

“In the future, I would love to get involved with a charity or set up a charity that supports cardiac risk in the young. If my sister had a similar support system or had an ECG she would have been saved and if I could save one person, it would make such a difference.”

Synergy Learning Head of People, Performance and Culture Tory Kerley said:

“Synergy Learning’s Giving Back programme is something we’ve been focused on for years through charity partnerships, so we have been delighted to add this new initiative to really support connection with what matters most to the team. With the new benefit of volunteering hours, we can encourage them to support their local communities, wherever they live, or causes that they are passionate about at a time that works best for them.”

“Not only has Becky made a fantastic professional impact since joining our team in 2022, but she has made a massive contribution to our Giving Back programme through her enthusiastic use of volunteering hours.  We are really proud of the work she has already done with Compassionate Friends and for pupils in Loughborough”

To find out more about current opportunities available, visit their website.

Synergy Learning is one of the UK’s fastest growing businesses and is recognised as one of Northern Ireland’s Top 100 Tech Companies. Synergy Learning works for a wide range of local and global organisations, including the World Trade Organisation and Hyundai Motor Europe, and is headquartered at the Catalyst Innovation Centre in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter.