Northern Gas Networks (NGN) and Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University (HEYCU) are marking 10 years of supporting thousands of children to access life-changing experiences, opening doors for their futures and breaking down barriers.
NGN’s highly resilient network delivers gas to 2.9 million homes and businesses across the North of England, including Hull and the surrounding area.
HEYCU works with more than 10,000 primary school children in the Hull area each year, Many of the pupils have a minimum of 50% of their intake classed as growing up in poverty – with some having up to 98%.
NGN has been one of the charity’s partners since 2015 and has helped the charity to grow to reach more children.
Unforgettable events
Jointly organised events have included…
- Unforgettable trips to London
- Receiving gifts at ‘Breakfast with Santa’
- Outdoor ‘NGN Futures’ sessions at Hull University’s botanical gardens
NGN funding also allowed HEYCU to get a ‘Reading Van’ on the road. This was a camper van offering a quiet space for meaningful reading interventions across Hull.
Many of the children do not have the opportunity to leave their local area. So HEYCU, supported by NGN, have organised several trips to London where the children stay overnight on HMS Belfast. They learned about London’s history and visited 10 Downing Street, Tower of London and the Natural History Museum.
Raising aspirations and building confidence
Sarah Brodie, Head of Development at HEYCU, said: “Over the past ten years, our partnership with NGN has opened doors for children and families across Hull and the surrounding area.
“Together, we have supported thousands of young people through inspiring experiences, targeted interventions and future-focused learning opportunities.
“These are designed to raise aspirations, build confidence and strengthen engagement with education.
“This long-standing collaboration has consistently focused on removing barriers and creating opportunities for those who need them most.
“Many thousands of children have benefitted from NGN’s support. Every volunteer has acted as a positive role model encouraging the children to be more aspirational, confident and engaged in their learning. We can’t thank them enough for their input.”
Claire Allcock, HR Director at NGN, said: “Giving young people from disadvantaged backgrounds opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have access to is a vital part of our inclusion activity.
“The partnership – powered by the time and commitment of our colleagues – has helped young people build confidence and raise aspirations.
“We embed inclusion in everything we do, aiming to drive meaningful and lasting change. The impact this partnership has made on the lives of thousands of young people is a terrific example of that.”
Rewarding volunteering
Jason Willis, Commercial Finance Analyst at NGN, helped supervise a group from Mountbatten Primary School in Hull on a trip to London.
He said: “It’s so important that these children have the opportunity to experience trips like this. It was such a rewarding two days for the children and the volunteers, and I can’t recommend the benefits of volunteering enough.”
In 2025 alone, NGN colleagues volunteered a total of 1,916 hours to HEYCU. They are one of the many organisations who benefit from NGN colleagues volunteering their time.
Find out more about HEYCU’s work and latest charity challenges here.