Ten Weeks Hard Labour for FirstFound’s Charity Volunteer

FirstFound’s credit controller turned charity volunteer Gemma Daubney is swapping her comfortable city-centre desk job for ten weeks hard labour under the Indian sun. In August, she’ll be flying out for a placement in one of India’s poorest communities to help some of the world’s most impoverished people.

Rochdale-born Gemma is one of 40 volunteers heading out to Jaisalmer, Rahasthan, as part of Platform 2’s Dabla Project. With a schedule consisting of primary school teaching, building renovation and tree plantation, it’s a far cry from handling the accounts for Manchester-based search engine consultants, FirstFound.

“It’s an opportunity I couldn’t pass up” explains Gemma, “a chance to help a developing community, see a new country and help children who would otherwise have missed out on an education. My only worry was getting the time off work.”

“We were more than happy to give Gemma a sabbatical” says FirstFound’s Managing Director Chris Bellamy, “we’re heavily involved with a number of charitable causes in the local area, so I’m delighted that a member of our team has volunteered for the Dabla Project.”

To find out more about FirstFound’s involvement in other charitable projects, visit www.firstfound.co.uk. For more information on Platform2 and the Dabla project, visit www.myplatform2.com

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Editors Notes
• Over 828 million Indians (76% of the population) live in poverty.*
• Only 86% of primary age Indian children receive a formal school education.*
• Platform2’s Dabla Project was set up in 2008 to create education opportunities, develop infrastructure and improve childcare in the village of Dabla.*
• FirstFound are the UK’s leading search engine consultants, and are based in central Manchester.
• FirstFound have been heavily involved with the Lancasterian School (http://www.lancasterian.manchester.sch.uk) in Didsbury, a specialist communication school for children with disabilities.

*Source – Platform2 Dabla Project Profile