Partnering with the Danaher Foundation

Back to Impact report 2021-2022

City Year UK is delighted to be partnering with the Danaher Foundation, with the organisation’s financial and pro bono support tailored to developing the employability skills of our young adult mentors, particularly in London. 

During 2021-22, our first year of collaboration, 14 associates gave over 100 hours, including one-to-one career mentoring through our ten month ‘Bridge Builder’ programme.

Manisha, a volunteer with City Year London, explains how her Danaher Bridge Builder supported her:

“Samit helped me look at life with a different perspective. In our first meeting he asked me, ‘When it comes to your career, what is your heart telling you and your head telling you?’ I couldn’t answer. He helped me find a balance with working in a creative industry – which has been a passion of mine – and focusing on my strengths and where I can continue to grow as a person. Having Samit as my mentor made me more confident and the knowledge he imparted will always stay with me.” 

Samit adds:

“I had the pleasure of being a mentor in City Year UK’s Bridge Builder program this year and I really enjoyed the experience of coaching Manisha. We focused on building her resume and professional networking profiles, and how to convey her experience and passions with confidence and maturity. It was fulfilling to give advice to a ‘young me’ and I thank City Year for creating such a platform.” 

An industry exploration day at Danaher’s offices was a particular  highlight, with activities ranging from team building to talks providing an insight into career options.  One of our participants commented: “I got to network with people who are in similar fields that I would like to go into. I gained insight into working life and how people got into their career, and gained a great insight into the working world in the future.” 

City Year UK looks forward to building on the partnership further in 2022-23, with even more engagement opportunities planned.