Maximise and communicate your sustainability and social impact.
As a CSR team we used to apply to many award schemes relating to our partnerships and impacts. Historically, our organisation had been recognised by prestigious schemes, and it was just something that we had in the diary to do. Most schemes have a similar deadline each year and we were primed to submit when… Continue reading Award applications, a pursuit in vanity?
If you have put your feelers out to explore doing something that makes a difference and loved it, and/or you've reached the point where you want to take the plunge and walk away from your profession for a role in a charity, or in Corporate Social Responsibility, you might be interested in some of lessons… Continue reading What #difference does it make? (2)
You can study all you like but, if your technique for studying and writing exams is poor, your results will likely not improve. Below is some of what I learned about learning and tackling exams. Firstly, and most importantly, it's best if you understand that you are studying for yourself and no one else. You… Continue reading Youth development – Exam technique
As someone who had the benefit of a privileged upbringing and world class education opportunities, I am passionate about empowering others and helping them get access to similar quality opportunities. As part of my previous CSR role, I worked in embedding and deepening the impacts of a social mobility/youth development programme. In order to bolster… Continue reading Using social media to deepen the impact of youth social mobility programmes
It's amazing how your brain starts working, storing, growing, retrieving, forging millions of connections a minute, from the moment you're born until you... step into an interview! We all know the terror of attending an interview, but what can we do to make sure we maximise the opportunity? Before the day there is plenty we… Continue reading Youth development – Interview prep
If you've ever tried to organise volunteering in the community, you'll know it's difficult to get people to turn up. Even with good intentions, numbers often drop at the last minute. This can happen for a variety of reasons, it can be frustrating and puzzling. During my five years focusing on engaging all the people… Continue reading Levers and barriers for corporate volunteering
Many individuals and smaller service providers are trying to break into the corporate supply chain. Thankfully, the trend at the moment is for corporates to support local providers and social enterprises. However, it can be difficult to know what approach to take to secure corporate clients, especially if you don't have any experience in the… Continue reading Landing the corporate client ‘holy grail’
I have been asked about what makes a good corporate sustainability or CSR programme. I think it is one which is sustainable by the organisation. What do I mean by that? I mean it is one which can withstand the test of time. Ideally, in my opinion, one which will be followed through in the… Continue reading Sustainable sustainability
It certainly feels like we're hitting a critical mass of people concerned about plastic waste and its impact. This is a great thing and it's amazing to see how quickly change can be brought about and steps can be taken, particularly when people are shown the effect on sea life or a company's customers threaten… Continue reading Think twice
There's an endless supply of advice out there: ten ways to 'this', five top things to 'that'. I have read countless articles like this, but the advice rarely sticks. It's unoriginal, has little impact and is forgotten in no time. There is one piece of advice that has stuck in my mind though, and that… Continue reading Forget it.
In common with many expectant parents, my husband and I decided when I was pregnant in late 2017 that we would preserve the cord blood from my placenta after giving birth. We believed then, as we do now, that it was the right thing to do, to help protect the health of our child. We… Continue reading Call for answers in tissue bank failure
A recent trip to the doctor left me with a surprising and thought provoking diagnosis: "...don't forget to make some time for self care." Don't get me wrong, I showed up showered and dressed with clean hair and brushed teeth. However, with a little probing from the doctor, a few gaps started to show. "When… Continue reading Because… Me.
I learned some interesting things tonight. I attended a B Corp social and was pleasantly surprised. I learned that the B Corp movement is about more than changing your company's constitutional documents to balance the needs of all stakeholders, not just shareholders. I realised that the movement is also about creating communities of people who… Continue reading Winds of change
It took me a long time to feel ready to try for a baby. There was no rational argument for why the world needed another person in it. I wanted children, more so after meeting the right partner, but I was in no rush. I knew it would change everything about life as we knew… Continue reading A year to save my life
Loads of successful professionals have reached out to me over the years with the same problem. They've dedicated years to qualifying and building careers, but find themselves feeling unfulfilled. People want to feel like they are 'making a difference'. This is something I struggled with personally. Much psychological energy went into questioning the 'why' of… Continue reading What #difference does it make?
Almost a year ago the most life-changing thing happened to me. I had my son. I have always thought of pregnancy and motherhood as the most sacred things, and I guess deep down I knew that becoming a mother would shift my centre of gravity and give me one purpose above any others. I guess… Continue reading #MummyWorks
Seems as good a time as any to start a blog. It's one thing, falling in love with the idea of being a writer, but how do you get there? I suppose, you have to start somewhere. Like everything, it's going to be a journey. Maybe, sharing my journey and my many mistakes and lessons… Continue reading 03.54 am