Alcatel-Lucent partners with welfare agency Barnados

Children at an inner-Sydney afterschool learning centre will benefit from a new partnership between Alcatel-Lucent and leading welfare agency Barnados Australia.

Alcatel-Lucent will provide the centre with funding to support the learning experiences of vulnerable children. Its first step will be to increase the number of personal computers at the learning centre, which currently stands at ten PCs shared between approximately 30 children.

Alcatel-Lucent will also offer its staff the chance to volunteer for Barnados’ community projects. The first community activities will kick-off in early 2009.

“We are committed to helping Barnardos remain at the forefront of child welfare services and build on its great work from the past 120 years,” said Hilary Mine, Managing Director for Alcatel-Lucent in Australasia and North Asia.

“We look forward to supporting Barnardos for many years to come. By making learning fun and helping children develop their technology skills, we hope to build a stronger future for the clients of Barnardos together with their families and local communities,” said Mine.

“We know that many children and young people are already excluded from the positive impacts that technology can have on educational achievements, health and well-being, financial stability and lifestyle,” said Glynis Sequeira, Marketing Director, Barnardos Australia.

“Our partnership with Alcatel-Lucent will enable us to maintain an acute awareness of what is required to ensure that young people who are disadvantaged and vulnerable do not slip between the cracks and get left behind.”