"I am proud to name Kumon as my place of work. It is great to be part of an organisation that dedicates time to developing children as well as Associates."
Kumon runners support Cancer Research in 'Race for Life'
20/07/2010
Employees from the head office of Southgate based Kumon Educational, which provides maths and English programmes that develop independent learning in children of all ages, joined 17,000 other runners in Hyde Park on Sunday to complete the 5k 'Race for Life' in aid of Cancer Research UK.
The Kumon runners raised over £1,100 and included Sharmin Chowdhury, Marta Meli and Eleni Pepona, who work in roles from Human Capital Development (HCD) to Project Management. Like all donations, this sum is crucial in helping Cancer Research UK fund research into curing all 200 different types of cancers. The charity works to diagnose, treat and ultimately prevent each cancer, which can afflict organs such as the lung and bladder.
Hannah Beaver, HCD Co-ordinator, Kumon Educational said, "This charity is close to my heart as Cancer Research's work has helped save millions of lives in the UK and abroad. Sadly, cancer has affected many people in some way; they might know someone that has suffered from the disease or endured a personal battle to overcome it."
She continued, "Running the 'Race for Life' was a great opportunity to raise money for charity and a fulfilling experience. My colleague, Nikki Killeen and I have completed the race before and it's a lovely bonding opportunity too."
All the participants rose to the spirit of the occasion; training together, wearing Kumon T-shirts and taking the opportunity to get a group photograph.
The Kumon runners will be pleased to hear of the impact that their donation can have. Funding the costs for women to take part in a clinical trial to develop the use of hormone therapy in treating breast cancer, Digital timers (which allow cancer researchers to carry out timed experiments) and an advanced microarray – machinery that allows scientists to analyse which genes are activated in cancer sufferers - are examples of the preventative measures and equipment that their donation can provide.
The Kumon method of learning was developed in 1954 by Toru Kumon, both a parent and gifted teacher from Japan. Like any parent, Toru wanted the best education for his son and began devising a teaching method using worksheets in the core subject of maths. Soon word spread of his successful method and now, in 2010, there are over 4 million children studying Kumon worldwide. Approximately 63,000 now attend more than 600 study centres across the UK and Ireland.
Picture, from left to right: Kumon employees; Tiani Fernando, Finance Manager; Sharmin Chowdhury, HCD Co-Ordinator; Alice Young, Instruction Project Manager; Hannah Beaver, HCD Co-ordinator; Marta Meli, Instruction Project Manager; Sheila Bennett, Area Manager, London North; Nicola Killeen; HCD Manager.
