Residents from the Marylebone Project had the opportunity to visit the Head Office of Pakistani owned HBL Bank. HBL has five branches in London and has recently started working closely with the Marble Arch London BID Community Programme – fundraising over £2000 earlier this year for the Greenhouse Sports Centre.

On Wednesday 2 October, HBL colleagues hosted a relaxed careers insight session; sharing information on the history of the bank, roles available and recruitment procedures. The attendees then received one-to-one support to review their CVs and discuss interview techniques. Colleagues have generously offered to provide ongoing support by email and to visit the Marylebone Project to provide future support.

The volunteers quickly found they had a lot in common with the attendees, with nearly everyone in the room having moved to the UK from countries around the world. All had needed to learn English, adjust cultural expectations and re-build their communities. This shared experience helped drive the conversation, as everyone recounted the challenges, they had faced on moving here.

HBL Bank UK keeps Corporate Social Responsibility close to our heart, and we are passionate about serving and engaging with our neighbours and communities. It was a heartfelt experience interacting and engaging with the women from the Marylebone Project. HR will be helping them with their CVs and training them on how to succeed at interviews, so they can support themselves and feel empowered to move their lives forward.

Zahra Majid

If you are a Marble Arch business and would be interested in opening your doors to students and local residents, to provide insights on careers in your field, please get in touch. Our Community Team would be delighted to work with you.