Barnardos announces extension of partnership with Dell Technologies

Barnardos has announced today that Dell Technologies has committed to extending its partnership by a further two years helping the organisation to continue its vital work to support vulnerable children and families in Ireland. Dell Technologies first formed a partnership with Barnardos in 2017 to support the good work and continued vision of Barnardos. The partnership involves the provision of financial support as well as the sharing of employee expertise, skills and the volunteering of time.

Over the course of three years, the Dell Technologies teams in Dublin, Cork and Limerick have volunteered their time to support the organisation’s National Collection Day, hosted various fundraising initiatives on their campuses and in recent weeks have supported the organisation as they transitioned their services to virtual settings.

Employees at Dell Technologies are always on hand to provide digital support to Barnardos but in recent weeks this has evolved to respond to the current environment and the team has been sharing expertise in managing teams remotely, organising virtual meetings, ensuring the organisation remains secure while the team operates remotely and general technical training.

Throughout the partnership, the team at Dell Technologies has also helped to create and deliver ‘Code Work Clubs’, a new initiative for the organisation hosted at regional Barnardos Homework Clubs in Cork, Limerick and Dublin. The Clubs were set up with an aim to deliver digital skills to the young people participating who might not have access to technology on a day-to-day basis.

Over the past three years, the support provided by the Dell Technologies team in Ireland through fundraising and voluntary activities has led to:

— Growth in the support of Barnardos National Collection Day by over 90%
— Introduction of three Code Work Clubs in Cork, Limerick and Dublin delivering 150+ hours of training
— Close to 7,000 hours of time volunteered by employees to the organisation
— Through fundraising activities hosted by employees the money raised has meant that Barnardos could provide:
—- 15,000 hours of family support
—- 500,000 meals for children
—- Support to 1,000 children in Barnardos programmes.

Suzanne Connolly, CEO, Barnardos says of the partnership: “The impact that the Dell Technologies partnership has had on the Barnardos and ultimately the lives of children and families in Ireland is phenomenal. Thanks to the support of Dell Technologies team members in their fundraising efforts, skills sharing and awareness building over the last three years we have made a difference to the children of Barnardos. We’re looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together in the next two years, as we continue to provide support to those most in need, working to close the digital divide among communities across Ireland and provide much-needed help to the most vulnerable children in our society.”

Commenting today, Denis Lucey, Vice-President of Commercial Support Services EMEA and Site Leader, Dell Technologies Cherrywood: Commenting today, Denis Lucey, Vice-President EMEA Support Services and Site Leader, Dell Technologies Dublin:

“Since first joining forces in 2017, we’ve been truly inspired by the life-changing impact Barnardos has on children and families in communities throughout Ireland. This has struck a chord with our own team members who over the years have come together to support the children’s charity.

This support has been particularly evident in recent weeks as the team has worked to ensure the organisation has the digital skills and capabilities to manage teams remotely and to continue providing the vital supports to families and children across the country.

In addition to the company’s financial contributions, our employees donate their time and creativity in order to help Barnardos to continue their valuable work. We’re delighted to be able to extend the partnership for a further two years and continue to support the great work that Barnardos does.”

To learn more about the impact that the Dell Technologies and Barnardos partnership have achieved, please watch: