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Bupa takes training and corporate social responsibility (CSR) to new levels12 July 2007A team of intrepid management trainees from Bupa UK Health Insurance have just returned from an intense five days in India where they worked with a charity in Jaipur, the Vihaan project, to help improve education and business opportunities in the area. This is the most ambitious project ever taken on by Bupa’s management training programme and the first overseas volunteering project Bupa has initiated. Individuals were given the opportunity to put their management skills to the test in one of the world’s most impoverished slum areas. The ten volunteers tackled everything from teaching English to children to constructing roofing to provide extra classroom space. The team also shared their management expertise to help improve local business prospects. They will now put their know-how to practice in the UK by working with the management training team to raise funds to invest in a sustainable activity, such as purchasing a carpet loom to create a business opportunity and extra resources for the slum’s school. The slum has 1,400 households with a population of approximately 5,000. The area is rife with social issues including child labour, families existing well below the poverty line, lack of education and weak health provision. Lack of resources and funding mean that people in the area have limited access to practical solutions. John Enright, who was part of the Jaipur challenge, says: “Participating in this project has been a fantastic experience both in terms of the difference that we have made to the local community and on my development as a manager. It’s really humbling to work with those that have hardly anything to speak of apart from beaming smiles and boundless enthusiasm. I might have made some impact, but the impact on me has been tremendous and I have learnt on a professional as well as personal level.” Bupa’s Management and Development programs are strongly aligned to Bupa’s Community Connections voluntary activity meaning that all delegates are provided with the opportunity to align the community element to their training. The scheme is designed for delegates to transfer skills by stepping out of their comfort zones and working with Community partners. This means that they contribute while getting learning back themselves. The international element has raised the bar on Bupa’s volunteering program to new areas of challenge and benefit. Louise Hanlon, an HR Community Connections Consultant who led the project at Bupa, says: "The success achieved this week has been incredible. We have managed to exceed the original task the Vihaan project set for us by working effectively as a management team despite extreme conditions. The opportunity strengthened our relationship with the community in Jaipur while building on the existing relationship we have with our business in Jaipur, Genpact, which will continue the relationship with the Vihaan project. This will provide another great platform for a community partnership to be sustained into 2008 and well beyond." Participating Bupa volunteers will now inspire and engage their colleagues in the UK by strengthening Bupa's CSR strategy throughout the business. New perspectives will encourage colleagues to extend their skills to local and international communities. To follow the story and view comments and pictures on the experience, log onto: www.jaipurchallenge.wordpress.com Back to the latest press releases
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