KCOM celebrates 15 years of community Learning Zone

KCOM is celebrating a milestone birthday of its vital city centre Learning Zone.

The Carr Lane centre, which is a base for the HEY Children's University and used by thousands of youngsters every year, this week celebrated 15 years of boosting digital inclusion and creating new opportunities for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Carr Lane centre was officially opened by Hull West MP and former Home Secretary  Alan Johnson on 10 December, 2010, and has since gone on to welcome thousands of youngsters from HEY Children’s University taking part in activities teaching them about Hull’s history, as well as digital inclusion and online safety.

To mark its anniversary, HEY Children’s University founder Dr John Buttrick MBE visited the Zone to see Year Five children from Clifton Primary School take part in one of the charity’s activities.

He said: “KCOM were one of the first businesses to come on board with the Children’s University and have always been a big supporter. It’s wonderful to have a base like this in Hull city centre that the children can use before going out into the city to do their experiences.

“I remember walking in with Alan Johnson on the day it opened and being blown away  with what KCOM had created for us with the space and the computers that the children could use to do their activities. Remember, some of the kids had never seen computers before – so they were in awe. It’s been a great facility for us for 15 years and we’re really grateful for everything KCOM have done for us.”

The Learning Zone has also proved a valuable resource for groups including Hull City’s Senior Tigers Supporters Group and Age UK HEY who use the space for digital skills workshops for older people.

KCOM CEO Richard Schäfer joined in the celebrations by being interviewed by ten-year-olds Hollie and Ayomikun, two young members of the charity’s Children’s Board.

He said: “It’s really important to KCOM and myself that we have a great facility like the Learning Zone that’s so well used by fantastic groups like the Children’s University.

“We live in an increasingly connected world  and we want to teach children at a young age about digital inclusion and all the opportunities it can give them. As a business that’s been at the heart of Hull for more than 120 years we’re committed to doing everything we can to help local children fulfil their potential.

“Having a facility like the Learning Zone shows that, for us, investment is not just about investing in our people, our infrastructure and our customers – it’s also about investing in our community and giving something back to Hull.”