NEC UK MAKES A DIFFERENCE AT GREAT ORMOND STREET HOSPITAL SCHOOL

NEC GOSH Classroom Equipment Project Launched at NEC Japan Day

NEC UK yesterday hosted the fourth annual NEC Japan Day at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) School.  NEC Japan Day is a Japanese culture day that provides pupils with the experience and educational benefits of a school trip that otherwise would not be possible.

NEC used Japan Day to launch the NEC GOSH Classroom Equipment Project, a charitable programme that will see NEC employees, business partners and customers raise money through charitable activities to help the school purchase IT equipment.  Key priorities for the school are laptops, plasma screens, data storage devices and projectors. 

To jump start the project, John Beeden, General Manager of NECs Business Equipment Division presented Yvonne Hill, Head Teacher of Great Ormond Street Hospital School, with two 42 plasma screens, perfect for screening projector presentations and DVDs in the classroom and two projectors, an NEC VT670 and an LT180, both light and compact, making them ideal for use in the classroom and on the wards, independently or in conjunction with the plasmas.  John also donated three ND-4551A DVD storage devices, NECs latest DVD burners, the first to feature Labelflash technology. 

NECs commitment to NEC Japan Day over the last four years has been greatly appreciated and its something that the staff and children really look forward to.  This year was made even better when John Beeden announced that NEC UK had chosen the school as the focus of its charitable activities for 2006, said Yvonne Hill, Head Teacher, Great Ormond Street Hospital School. 

Several hundred children attend the school each year.  Some study with us for just a few days; many others rely on the school for their core education for much longer.  Its therefore vital that we can provide the best facilities as possible, and to make the learning experience as near to that they would receive from their home school, Yvonne continued. 

Through our Japan Day activities we have seen how committed the teachers are to providing a broad, varied and stimulating educational experience for all children.  We recognise that their job could be made easier with better IT resources in the classroom, and on the wards where many lessons take place, explained John Beeden of NEC UK. 

Its for this reason weve decided to make GOSH School the focus of our Make a Difference Day activities this year.  Throughout 2006, we will be encouraging employees, partners and customers to raise as much money as possible to help purchase technology for the school, John concluded.

NEC Japan Day started as a one-off project in 2002, but proved such a success that its now an annual activity and included in the schools lesson timetable.

This year NEC worked in partnership with restaurant chain, Feng Sushi; the Japanese Embassy and educational charity, Japan 21 to provide nearly 30 pupils aged between five and 18 with the opportunity to try out Japanese arts and crafts, learn the language and dress up in traditional costumes. 

This year the children also participated in a video link-up with a language school in Japan and took part in a sushi making lesson, which culminated in a competition. 

The winning sushi roll will be sold in Feng Sushis London restaurants during the week of March 6 12 and proceeds from the sales will go to the NEC GOSH Classroom Equipment Project.

NEC Japan Day was born from NECs Make a Difference Day programme, a global initiative introduced by NEC Corporation to encourage employees to give something back to the local communities in which they work.