We’ve just welcomed 2 special guests from Africa! Teachers, Brian and Joab from Kenya, were given a grand tour of the R2W HQ by Furniture Warehouse boss Chris Pantechis accompanied by R2W Director Andy Blackman.
They’re visiting South Lakeland this week to see for themselves how social enterprise can make such a difference to communities.
R2W Director Andy Blackman
“We have a couple of Kenyan teachers (Brian and Joab) staying with us for a couple of weeks funded by the British Council Connecting Classrooms initiative. The main focus of their visit will be looking at UK education through spending a week in Heron Hill School, Kendal. As part of this scheme both Heron Hill School and Open Arms Academy (Kenya) are doing curriculum activities learning about Social Enterprise. (With local unemployment at 50%+ an entrepreneurial skill set is a valuable asset in their home region). As well as ‘widening’ their eyes to educational practice we are keen to show them how Open Arms International can contribute further to community development in their rural area –hence the tour of R2W.”
The Furniture Warehouse and R2W benefits from funding from CCF – Cumbria Community Foundation –which has done so much to promote social enterprise across the County -something Brian and Joab were made aware of.