SBT first invested in The Brilliant Club in 2017, supporting the growth and development of The Brilliant Club’s two delivery
programmes and the recruitment of a Special Projects Officer. Anne-Marie Canning MBE, CEO of The Brilliant Club explains how
they got more than they bargained for through the SBT relationship. For  The Brilliant Club, widening access for children through
education is at the forefront of its agenda. But beyond that, working with SBT and its corporate partners has been a really positive experience for employees.

CEO Anne-Marie explains, “We always talk about the benefits to children and they’re obviously at the front and centre of our minds all the time. But working with Bain & Company has been really positive for our colleagues – exposing new ways of thinking and new forms of challenge.”

This has been enriching for employees across the board. The charity has been able to take away some of the ideas and apply
them to areas beyond the active projects “everything from the types of analysis, the ways of doing analysis, the methods, the
governance, and more.”

One of the things SBT is most proud of is its ability to create close bonds between its social enterprises and corporate partners, and The Brilliant Club are a shining example of that. Anne-Marie told us that she has been supported above and beyond by SBT’s corporate partners.

“I definitely didn’t anticipate how closely we would bond as a team – as a group of pro bono consultants and charity employees. It’s been absolutely incredible. Genuinely, it has been delightful.” 

She also pointed out that the analysis done by volunteers not only benefits The Brilliant Club, but is also helpful for its partner
organisations. “Being able to share some of those insights with universities or schools has been incredibly valuable and will
continue to be in the future.” 

Due to The Brilliant Club’s expertise focusing on charity and public institutions, SBT’s corporate partners’ experience across sectors
has been a huge advantage for The Brilliant Club. As The Brilliant Club embarks on planning its new strategy, the vision is now an
expansion of the charity’s remit – focusing not just on helping children to access university, but also helping them flourish when
they’re there. This strategy is now one of the main goals for The Brilliant Club and a project is underway with Bain & Company to develop this.