In today's world, it's not enough for businesses to just make money. They've got to give back to their communities too. At Henry Schein, we take this seriously. Through loads of CSR, charity, and community initiatives, Henry Schein has shown how much we care about making the world a better place.
Through supporting schools with oral health, reaching out to refugees, and even creating a new Henry Schein Pride and Allies chapter, we’re determined to leave the world a better place than we found it.
But that's not all. Our Team Schein Members (TSMs) are also getting involved in loads of charitable endeavours, proving that they really do walk the walk when it comes to giving back. Let’s take a closer look at some of the recent initiatives that Henry Schein has taken on and see how they're making a real difference in the community.
Refugee Outreach 2023
The current refugee crisis is no secret, and we all need to play our part to help people in need.
Henry Schein teamed up with Dentaid and Asylum Link Merseyside to provide emergency dental care to twenty refugees in Liverpool. Asylum Link Merseyside helped organise sign-ups, while Dentaid provided a mobile dental clinic with clinical volunteers. The project was a huge success, and it was all made possible thanks to collaboration and teamwork.
At the helm of the initiative was Belan Saied, a member of Henry Schein's CSR Committee. As a refugee herself, Belan knew first-hand the importance of access to safe dental care. The program was her idea, and Belan’s drive and enthusiasm was central to the initiative’s success.
Belan said: “As a Henry Schein employee I wanted to help in some way. I began discussing with the Henry Schein Cares team in the UK to build the Refugee Outreach Project with the help of Dentaid. After a year of planning, we visited Asylum Link Merseyside, where we were supported by the staff to assist refugees in the area with emergency dental issues.”
During the event, Belan and Naomi Pleasants, another member of the CSR Committee, saw parents who had never had any access to dental care or were suffering from severe dental issues. The experience was eye-opening for the team, and it highlighted the ongoing lack of access to dental care for vulnerable communities in the UK.
Ewan Roberts, Centre Manager for Asylum Link Merseyside, said: “I have two lasting images in my head. One was of a service user with his arm around our interpreter as he exited the van, saying thank you repeatedly, and the other was of a patient high-fiving one of our staff after his treatment. For people who society largely regards as disposable, this not only helped with their health care, but showed what a caring and compassionate bunch we can be when we put our minds to it – it helped people from top to bottom.”
Supporting schools on oral health day
Earlier this year BA International teamed up with Dentaid to provide an exciting and informative Oral Health Day for 143 pupils at St Mary & St Giles Church of England School in Milton Keynes. This fun event was attended by children from reception to Year 6, who had a blast learning about good oral hygiene.
During the day, the children were able to brush a model of ‘big teeth’ to learn proper brushing techniques, as well as understand how much toothpaste to use. They were also given the chance to handle dental equipment such as handpieces and mirrors, and ask questions, hopefully reducing any misplaced fear of dentistry.
So that the children could use what they had learned and go home excited to practice, each child received a brand-new toothbrush, toothpaste, and an information booklet. The initiative hopes that simple workshops like this one can inspire and educate children to take care of their oral health for years to come, staving off possible oral health problems in the future.
Adam Palmer, Headteacher at SMSG, said: “Our children thoroughly enjoyed the experience of their Oral Health Hygiene session. The educational experience was informative and enlightening for children in all year groups across the school and the children were delighted to take home some toothpaste and brushes. It was an excellent afternoon.”
Henry Schein supports Forward2Employment open evenings
Imagine a world where every young person, regardless of their abilities, has the opportunity to flourish in a meaningful and fulfilling career. Every day Forward2Employment works to make this a reality.
Forward2Employment are a fantastic non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering young people with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) in the UK. With their unwavering support, guidance, and infectious positivity, Forward2Employment opens doors and creates pathways to permanent employment. They work tirelessly to break down barriers, match talents to opportunities, and provide personalised training and development. With Forward2Employment by their side, young people with SEND can confidently step into the professional world, armed with skills, self-belief, and the brightest of futures.
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Believing sincerely in the Forward2Employment mission, Henry Schein has been supporting them since 2018. As part of our partnership, we recently supported Forward2Employment at their open evenings in Medway and Kent aimed at prospective interns and their parents who are interested in a Supported Internship program.
At the events, our HR and Operations TSMs were able to speak with young adults with SEND and their parents about the personal development and career growth opportunities we provide at Henry Schein.
Our warehouse team leader responsible for supporting our interns, Carole Corthine, said “I hope that after talking through the roles within our distribution centre, showing the warehouse in action through a video, along with highlighting the success of previous interns, that we have inspired those who attended in taking their own first career steps.”
Forward2Employment were supported over the two events by Helen Stubbs and Natalie Jackson from HR and David Smitherman, Carole Corthine, and Tim Andrew from Operations.
