Touchwood partners with Solihull Academy to reward local students

Touchwood Solihull has launched a new collaboration with Solihull Academy to reward and incentivise students.

Opened in 2018, the Solihull Academy now looks after around 150.

Sadly, due to a lack of funds to appropriately incentivise students, some teachers are forced to rely on their personal finances to reward them for their hard work.

Thanks to the partnership with Touchwood, Solihull Academy students will now receive incentives and prizes to reward great performance,.

Students will also be given the opportunity to better understand the world of work and how the school and business coexist within the community.

Tony Elvin, general manager at Touchwood and president of the Solihull Chamber of Commerce, said: “They say, 'it takes a village to raise a child ' and this well-known proverb draws us back to the meaning of community and how important it is to get support from others in helping you raise your child.

“Having met the team at the Solihull Academy through tutor Matt Gregor, I was blown away by the commitment to changing the lives of the students and really felt that we needed to try and help in some way.

“Many of the children at Solihull Academy come from very disadvantaged background and may not have had the opportunities that others take for granted, so it was fantastic to see the amazing job being done by the team at the Academy to change that. ”

As well as supplying gift cards as rewards, both Jamaya, Touchwood 's independent Caribbean restaurant, and Japanese favourite Wagamama have come forward to support efforts to build relations with the Academy.

Jamaya owner, Byron Carnagie, said: “I actually use a gym just around the corner from the Academy in Cranmore business park and I 've often seen it and wondered what they do.

“When I heard about the good work they were doing and of the partnership with Touchwood, we jumped at the opportunity to get involved. Our restaurant is very popular with the younger crowd, so we hope they enjoy their visit to Jamaya and look forward to receiving their feedback! ”

Matt Gregor, tutor at Solihull Academy, said: “We are delighted to be working with Touchwood, Jamaya and Wagamama and really appreciate their contribution, especially as I know how much the students will benefit from this relationship.

“It would be amazing to work with other like-minded businesses in Solihull who share the same values and I would encourage anyone who would like to see the great work we are doing or get involved in some way to please reach out to me at the school. ”

For more information on the Solihull Academy visit https://www.sa.solihull.sch.uk/ and for more details on Touchwood visit https://touchwoodsolihull.co.uk/.

Pictured: Tony Elvin and Matt Gregor