Lady Eleanor Holles, an exceptional independent school in Hampton, UK, has a wonderful spirit that encourages their students to go boldly into the world, knowing that the community of Lady Eleanor Holles is behind them. Whether their alumnae go onto starring on the big screen, winning gold medals in duathlons or becoming the bright entrepreneurs of tomorrow, Lady Eleanor Holles (LEH) encourages every student to push themselves to their potential. 

The LEH community is every bit as remarkable as the school itself, with nearly 1000 online members that support each other and their school through mentoring, careers advice and by giving back to their bursary fund. 

With a buzzing alumnae community forming, Susanna Frayn, Alumnae Communications Officer at LEH, says:

“We launched Holles Connect, our ToucanTech website for LEH alumnae, just over a year ago now and we’re delighted with the response we’ve had from our community. Nearly 1,000 members have activated their accounts, allowing us to engage in a much more meaningful and active way than before. The site has already opened up a wealth of opportunities to help us strengthen their connections with the school and allow us to support them and for them to support each other. And we’re excited about the potential to do more."

Inspiring philanthropy through the 1710 Society

The 1710 society, the roots of which date back to the school’s inception in the 18th century, have inspired long-standing philanthropy from alumni and the wider community, and currently supports 58 students with financial aid. Today, LEH promotes their 1710 society on their community site, raising funds through donor events and connecting this club of special donors in their mission to provide bursaries for 100 students by 2025. 

Virtual alumnae reunion brings together classmates 

LEH recently held their first virtual alumnae reunion, inviting different years across the school’s history to be reunited, organised and promoted on their ToucanTech platform. They had a fantastic turnout, with over 170 alumnae attending. This inspired a takeup in members creating ‘Reconnect’ appeals; a wonderful aspect of their community site that seeks to put former classmates back in touch with each other. 

Extensive mentorship programme sets LEH girls up for success

LEH alumnae work in diverse sectors across the world, and the alumnae community is teeming with experts ready to help others take the first steps into their career, or navigate a change in their career path. Through their ToucanTech site, mentors can sign up to offer advice on topics from CV guidance to internships, and mentees can speak to one of the LEH ‘featured mentors’. 

Supporting alumna long after their school days

As part of the supportive alumnae community that LEH has created, the alumni association seeks to give back to alumna who are rising as leaders in their fields through the Emerging Talent Award. Applicants can submit their projects via the LEH community site, and winners share their progress with the rest of the community through write ups, demonstrating the effect that the LEH community can have on life as an alumna even years after leaving. 

ToucanTech customers are creating strong community connections all over the world. Discuss ways to make your community more engaged with an experienced ToucanTech engagement evangelist; organise a time to talk to the team here.

You’ll find more fundraising, alumni and community management success stories here.