Society marks Give & Gain Day by delivering workshops for the Parent House

Last Friday was Give & Gain Day – the UK’s largest employee volunteering event. Society colleagues were out in force, delivering sessions on CV writing and interview skills for parents and carers in the Kings Cross area. The venue for these sessions was kindly provided by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, who volunteered the use of their offices at Kings Place.

The Parent House opened 14 years ago in the old schoolkeeper's building of Winton Primary School near King's Cross. They’re a small charity with a really local focus. At present they receive most of their funding from the Cripplegate Foundation and the London Borough of Islington. The charity performs several functions:

• they operate a free registered crèche for the children of local parents and carers;
• they have a computer room for use by parents and carers;
• they run training courses on everything from English, through to personal budgeting;
• they help parents and carers to access information, and to navigate local public services;
• they offer 1:1 mentoring and coaching;
• they act as a safe drop-in centre where parents and careers can escape for a cup of tea and a chat.

To find out more about the Parent House, please visit www.theparenthouse.co.uk