A morning to be thankful for

On 15th October, the Social Business Trust (SBT) welcomed its social enterprises and charities, corporate partners and extended network to the Royal Academy of Arts for the 2019 Volunteer Thank You Celebration Breakfast, hosted by Permira.

Attendees of the SBT Volunteer Thank You Breakfast Celebration in The Royal Academy of Arts, Collection Gallery.
Paul Armstrong, Managing Director at Permira and SBT Trustee thanked guests for attending and welcomed SBT Chair, Larissa Joy.

Larissa kicked off proceedings with the important announcement that three new Corporate Partners, Charles Russell Speechlys, Getronics and Refinitiv have joined SBT. The corporate partners will provide fundamental support to SBT’s social enterprises and charities, using the expertise within their companies to grow and strengthen the impact already being made.

The many announcements of the morning continued and Adele Blakebrough, MBE, CEO of SBT took to the plinth to welcome Tempo as a new addition to the portfolio. Tempo exists to enable more people to volunteer, driven by the belief that giving your time and feeling valued improves health, happiness and prospects. They do this through Time Credits – a time-based currency – that incentivises people to get involved. People earn Time Credits when they volunteer and spend them on a wide range of activities. Tempo reaches all parts of society and improves well-being of the sometimes vulnerable people it includes in its programmes.

Above: Adele Blakebrough MBE, SBT CEO addresses the crowd and presents the SBT Awards.

Ian Merrill, CEO of Tempo, said,

‘‘Tempo are delighted to be joining the SBT investment portfolio as it seeks to widen its impact by enabling many more people to become involved in volunteering. The next important step in that journey is to harness digital technology, in a way that benefits people who want to give time to their communities. We are excited about the difference that SBT’s corporate partners will make to that step change”.

A huge success story within the portfolio, The Brilliant Club, has also secured reinvestment. Dr Chris Wilson, current CEO, delivered a rousing speech, bringing to life the work of The Brilliant Club and highlighting the fundamental role SBT and its corporate partners have played in its success. He said,

“The Brilliant Club sees itself as a broker between schools and universities. A middle man between two sectors and institutions who want to work together, but find it difficult. The conduit between people in universities who are incredibly busy but want to help schools, and a group of people in schools who are also busy and want to engage with universities. It is when you conceive of The Brilliant Club like that when you realise exactly how important SBT’s corporate partners have been for the charity’s development. Who better to give us advice on an operating model, without distracting sentimentality, than Bain? Who has more experience of talking an organisation through the effective design of an operations tender, than EY? Who more capable of arranging a phone call at short notice, to talk through an approach to pricing, than Thomson Reuters?… The corporate partners are the difference between working with 10,000 children and 50,000 children”.

Next up, the Unsung Hero Awards, recognising the vital contribution of employees at all levels within the corporate partners, that have volunteered their time . Winners were from across the board of SBT corporate partners, including Bain & Company, Charles Russell Speechlys, Clifford Chance, EY, Getronics, Permira, Permira Debt Managers, Thomson Reuters and Refinitiv. Among them was Jorge Del Prado, from Getronics, for his work with London Early Years Foundation and Tempo. His work with Tempo has been instrumental in securing their investment. He said, “It’s been an honour to support the two charities so far and I hope being able to continue supporting them”.

L-R: Larissa Joy, SBT Chair and Paul Armstrong, MD of Permira and SBT Trustee, applaud award winners.

Dr Kate Chhatwal, CEO of Challenge Partners and Ruth Brock, CEO Shakespeare Schools Foundation also presented stories and highlights from the past year. The morning was brought to a close in a heart-warming performance of an abridged scene from Macbeth, by students of Stebon Primary School – showcasing the wonderful work of Shakespeare Schools Foundation.

The morning was a celebration of the collaborations SBT facilitates and the impact they have – and continue to make. Adele concluded that since 2010, SBT has positively impacted the lives of 2.4 million people, with over 40,000 hours of high-quality business support.

Latest

Two women killed every week by current or former partner: new approach needed on domestic abuse

Many people suffering from domestic abuse do not know that help is available, enduring an average of 39 incidents before seeking help. Hestia, with support from SBT and the Permira Foundation, is working to change this.
Tom's time at SBT: a loan that paid off

On secondment at SBT, Tom Cooke from EY found fulfilment using his professional skills for good causes.
Building a volunteering programme that’s practical and purposeful

Claudia Buffini from Schroders finds the causes that matter to her colleagues and works out how their hard-won knowledge can be deployed in service of these causes. Here, she walks us through how Schroders are making volunteering practical and purposeful, combining doing good with career progression.
SBT backs Hestia: a long-term partnership for sustainable growth

The Social Business Trust is proud to welcome Hestia into our portfolio of charities and social enterprises. We will back them by providing a combination of professional expertise and funding as they continue building their organisational resilience.

Two women killed every week by current or former partner: new approach needed on domestic abuse

Many people suffering from domestic abuse do not know that help is available, enduring an average of 39 incidents before seeking help. Hestia, with support from SBT and the Permira Foundation, is working to change this.
Tom's time at SBT: a loan that paid off

On secondment at SBT, Tom Cooke from EY found fulfilment using his professional skills for good causes.
Building a volunteering programme that’s practical and purposeful

Claudia Buffini from Schroders finds the causes that matter to her colleagues and works out how their hard-won knowledge can be deployed in service of these causes. Here, she walks us through how Schroders are making volunteering practical and purposeful, combining doing good with career progression.
SBT backs Hestia: a long-term partnership for sustainable growth

The Social Business Trust is proud to welcome Hestia into our portfolio of charities and social enterprises. We will back them by providing a combination of professional expertise and funding as they continue building their organisational resilience.
'I left Glasgow at 18 with £5, 2 suitcases and lots of regrets': Amyn's story from turmoil to trainer

Amyn, a trainer at SBT social enterprise Leap, reflects on the pain from his past and the progress he's made over the years. He talks about the conflict in his life that led to great misery and how he's emerged from this conflict into a better person.
'Clifford Chance gives me a chance to find purpose in work'

I hadn't been at the firm long when I heard about Clifford Chance's unique partnership with Social Business Trust, one of our charitable and foundation partners. I was drawn to learn more about SBT and its practical model of matching corporate expertise with social enterprises that are looking to grow.
Crossing the line: children as young as seven targeted by ‘county lines’ gangs

You’ve heard the phrase used often enough on news reports. The word “scourge” is never far away. You might have read about it online or in a newspaper or seen a video in your feed – without perhaps always grasping what the term really means. Here, Magid El-Amin from Catch22 discusses the pernicious form of criminal exploitation that is county lines, and the work his organisation is doing to combat it.
The revolving prison door of fixed term recalls. There’s a better way

Given the large number of people on probation that are being recalled back into prison for reasons of non-compliance, rather than because they’ve committed another offence, the questions must be asked: Is there a more proactive and preventative approach that will better support these individuals while they are trying to re-engage with the world? Is there a better way? Here, Miranda Shanks from Catch22 offers a way forward
Simon says ‘show don’t tell’ when it comes to mentoring

Before becoming a volunteer mentor with SBT, Simon was lending his time and experience to many causes. He coached water polo at his old school and, while he admits to not being the best cook, he would prepare meals at a food kitchen. But it wasn’t until he attended a joint SBT and Permira Foundation event that he realised how useful his professional skills could be.
Laura's leap into secondment at SBT

On secondment from EY, Laura has worked at SBT for the past nine months. As her final day nears, she offers us an insight into the good work being done by SBT social enterprises and how she's been able to support them with her skills and experience.