Poolooza CSR Day 2024: A Day of Global Impact and Community Spirit

On June 5th, 2024, our team came together for the second annual ‘Poolooza’, CSR Day, a global initiative dedicated to giving back to our local communities. This year, over 400 of our people took part in a variety of CSR activities, dedicating an incredible 3,000 collective hours to making a positive impact, matching the high level of engagement we achieved last year.

A global endeavour

Poolooza  is designed to support a broad spectrum of charitable, environmental, and educational efforts in the communities where our team members live and work. With colleagues based in Derry, Belfast, Nottingham, Oxford, Scotland, Switzerland, the United States, and beyond, this dynamic CSR campaign touched over 100 charities, schools, organisations, and initiatives around the world.

Embracing our B Corp commitment

As a certified B Corporation, we are committed to meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

Our CSR day is a shining example of our dedication to these principles, demonstrating our commitment to using business as a force for good.

Diverse volunteering efforts

Throughout the week, Learning Pool employees showcased their dedication by volunteering their time and talents in various impactful ways. They helped at animal shelters, food banks, schools, and charity shops, and participated in environmental projects like beach and street clean-ups, gardening, and tree planting. Our team also provided specialised support in teaching, coding, and graphic design.

Here are some standout accomplishments from this year’s event:

• Cleaned the beaches of Long Branch, NJ, collecting and tracking litter to support future funding efforts with Clean Ocean Action.
• Our team from the Derry office rolled up their sleeves and spent the day collecting litter on a beach in Donegal, helping to preserve its natural beauty.
• Our team helped shift over 40,000 pounds of food into boxes ready to ship, and the morning shift prepared over 33,000 meals for neighbours with North Texas Food Bank.
• Organised clean-ups at Buncrana Beach, Boston Park, and the City of Rapperswil-Jona.
• Assisted in building homes for families in need with Habitat for Humanity.
• Helped provide nutritionally balanced  food to the community at Foyle Foodbank.
• Riding for the Disabled Association in Coleraine: Supported therapeutic riding activities.
• Engaged in essential environmental activities such as planting and weeding at Creggan Country Park
• Repaired and relaid stone pathways to ensure safe and enjoyable visits with the National Trust at the Giant’s Causeway.
• Prepared fundraising packs for the Female Walk 2024 and maintained the grounds at Foyle Hospice.

Our CEO Ben Betts shared his thoughts on the initiative:

“Learning Poolooza has enabled us to make a tangible impact on over 100 organisations in just one day. Making a positive difference in our communities is a core value at Learning Pool, and participating in these activities was incredibly rewarding. I want to thank our entire team for their dedication and the participating organisations for welcoming us so warmly.”

Looking forward

Our CSR day has once again highlighted our commitment to social responsibility and demonstrated the significant impact we can achieve collectively. As we look ahead to next year, we remain dedicated to continuing our efforts to make a positive difference in the world.

Thank you to everyone who participated in and supported Poolooza 2024. Your enthusiasm and hard work are truly inspiring!