e-Learning Foundation

Lloyd’s Charities Trust
Project Sponsor

“Bridging the digital divide in East London”

In 2008 the Lloyd's Charities Trust donated £50,000 to the e-Learning Foundation, to provide children from low income families with computers at home and access to their schools' online networks for their studies.

The e-Learning Foundation was very pleased to be the recipient of the Lloyd's Special Award in 2008, a special annual award that goes to a charity working to address issues of special interest to the Lloyd's market.

Lord Mitchell, Chairman of the e-Learning Foundation commented that:
"Increasingly, low income families are finding themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide through no fault of their own and are being disadvantaged in their future development through the lack of IT access for their studies. This generous donation from Lloyd's Charities Trust will enable us to support further sustainable e-learning projects in schools in London, ensuring they have the technology skills required to take them forward in the 21st century."

The special award donation from Lloyd's Charities Trust will be directed towards supporting e-learning projects in schools in East London where the Lloyd's has long-standing links through Lloyd's Community Programme. The project will provide children in each selected school with laptop computers to use at school and at home, enabling over 500 pupils across the project schools to have the e-learning tools they require for their education.

Graham White, Chairman of the Lloyd's Charities Trust, commented:
"I am delighted that we are able to contribute in helping the e-Learning Foundation expand its positive work in East London. Investing in future talent - including unlocking the talent in our neighboring communities - is something that the Lloyd's market has a long-standing commitment to. Harnessing the potential of technology is important to every part of society and we hope that our Special Award will particularly help young people who might otherwise have found themselves excluded from the opportunities that technology can open up."

In 2008 Lloyd's took part in a programme run by the National Skills Academy for Financial Services in Tower Hamlets College and the Chartered Insurance Institute, which saw local graduates come to Lloyd's Claims team and several Managing Agents for six-week placements. Also, in the summer of 2009 the Lloyd's Charities Trust celebrated twenty years of supporting community development work in the London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Hackney, particularly int eh education sector, where they have supported twenty schools on a regular basis through donations and voluntary support.