All organisations rely on critical assets, tools and services to ensure smooth operation and business continuity –schools are no different, especially when it comes to student welfare.

The consistent operation of student management software, security systems, communications and internet connectivity are essential to maintaining the learning and safety of NZ’s young people.

Established in 1904, Wanganui East School caters for around 200 year 1 to year 6 students and the 23 staff provide a fun and valuable education programme based around the school’s long-established vision; to provide a consistent approach to ensuring respectful relationships through collaborative consultation with the whole school community.

Wanganui East School Principal, Eleanore Barry explains that if anything were to impact power to the school such as an outage; communication between parents and the school could be compromised along with security cameras that are integral to the school’s safety protocols.

“Our school infrastructure is well protected by two uninterruptable power supply units (UPSs) that protect our ability to operate from power surges and outages, however we recently discovered that the batteries had ceased to function properly, which presented a significant risk that needed urgent attention,” she says.

As a part of a UPS system, batteries have an end-of-service-life and will require replacement after a certain period of operation. The UPS system performed as expected in alerting the school to the need for replacements, but for a not-for-profit organisation, this would come at a cost – especially when it is not budgeted for.

Happy coincidence

Sourcing new batteries became an important priority but being able to do so without jeopardising the students’ learning and the continuation of planned activities, the school turned to its community for assistance.

Thankfully UPS Power Solution’s Business Support Administrator, Angela Trotter has close ties to the school and immediately identified this as a perfect project for the Helping Hands Initiative.

Trotter says that the school’s requirements were in UPS Power Solution’s area of expertise and therefore a good fit for a helping hand. The fact that we were able to provide knowledge and expertise to ensure the correct batteries are provided for the systems was a very happy coincidence.

Through its Helping Hands Initiative, UPS Power Solutions provided brand-new CSB batteries that were ideal for the school’s UPS equipment to protect its critical services and ensure uninterrupted learning for the students.

“The Helping Hands Initiative was established to provide a vehicle for our people to assist their own communities and in this particular case its even more gratifying for our own best-in-class products and expertise to have been the solution. It also fits perfectly with Wanganui East School’s vision, which calls for collaboration with the community – we were delighted to lend a helping hand,” says UPS Power Solutions Managing Director, Nicky Blackmore.