Lauren Young, Marketing Manager at Stratech, shares how she and her team have supported In2scienceUK through fundraising, highlighting the positive impact it has had on both the Stratech team and the young people we work with.
In2scienceUK’s mission to support young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds is one that resonates strongly with organisations across industry and academia that value inclusion and diversity in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM). One of the most powerful ways these organisations can help us achieve this mission is through fundraising.
Fundraising provides In2scienceUK with the vital resources needed to keep our programmes free for young people. This ensures they can access opportunities to explore STEM subjects they are passionate about, develop transferable skills, learn about STEM career pathways, and build the confidence to pursue their aspirations.
Beyond financial support, fundraising also plays a crucial role in raising awareness of the barriers young people from underrepresented backgrounds face in entering STEM careers and highlights the life-changing impact of our work.
One company leading the way in supporting In2scienceUK through fundraising is Stratech, a UK-based business specialising in importing and supplying rare and hard-to-find biological products for the scientific community.
Over the past year, the Stratech team has been dedicated to raising funds for our In2STEM programme. In this Q&A, Lauren Young, Stratech’s Marketing Manager, shares her fundraising journey, offering valuable tips for other organisations looking to get involved, and showing how fundraising can make a real difference.
What inspired your organisation to choose In2scienceUK as a cause to fundraise for?
We were looking for a charity to support for our charity of the year programme when I came across In2scienceUK through a simple google search. I was shocked being in the industry that I had not seen the amazing work you do! Since starting our partnership, we have come across a number of customers who are familiar with the charity, and even some who have come through your programmes into the industry! We are now proud to be a small part of the work you do.
Why did you choose to fundraise for In2scienceUK?
We decided that fundraising would be a good way to raise money by bringing our colleagues together. The majority of our team work remotely, and our sales team are always on the road travelling. By hosting our bake sales to align with our in office sales and marketing meetings, it allows us to spend time as a team together whilst doing something we all enjoy – eating cake! It has also encouraged us to reach out to our neighbours on our business park and offer them invites to take part in the bake sales as well as to meet our team.
What kind of fundraising activities have you done and how did you come up with the ideas?
So far we have only fundraised through bake sales. We have done smaller coffee mornings in the past, however after the success from our first bake sale we knew this worked well for us and decided to continue these throughout the year. We also have a GiveWheel page which provides people an easy way to donate through our conferences, social media events and marketing campaigns.
Did your staff, team or customers get involved? If so, how did you bring people together?
The whole company has come together and got involved with our bake sales. Our sister company also took part, both with the baking and donating. It has highlighted that we have some undercover bakers in the team!! Great British Bake Off watch this space…
Since starting our partnership, we have come across a number of customers who are familiar with the charity, and even some who have come through your programmes into the industry! We are now proud to be a small part of the work you do.
What difference do you hope your fundraising will make for the young people supported by In2scienceUK?
Our target was to get one student through the In2STEM programme, any more we can raise will be an added bonus. Since advertising our fundraising at conferences and events, it has become apparent how impactful your work is in the industry. Recently one of our sales team met someone who was part of the In2STEM programme and now works in the industry and they said how the programme helped them to get to where they are today!
What advice would you give to organisations thinking about fundraising for In2scienceUK?
Do it!! We have really enjoyed our fundraising events. It has brought the team together and allowed us to all show off our baking skills. In2scienceUK’s fundraising pack has so many ideas to help you to figure out what will work best for your organisation. But seeing the difference 1 placement can make has given us all even more motivation to fundraise for In2scienceUK.
Want to support Stratech’s efforts? Visit their fundraising page and show your support today!
Feeling inspired to start your own fundraiser for In2scienceUK? Head to our website and download our fundraising pack to get started.