On the 10th of July, Balfour Beatty’s Senior Executive Sustainability Leadership team joined a group of inspiring community leaders from across Greenwich for a unique day of collaboration, learning, and mutual support. The event was built on a simple but powerful idea: when business leaders and community leaders come together as equals, both sides stand to gain.
I’ve come away with a list of practical things we’ll implement to provide continued support and advocacy, but also with ideas that will help make us better too.Jo Potts, Sustainability Director Balfour Beatty
https://www.balfourbeatty.com/
After a chance to settle in and get to know each other, the day began with a structured workshop that paired charity leaders with corporate executives based on areas of expertise and shared interest. The three groups addressed some key challenges which had been brought along by the community groups: income generation, effective marketing and community engagement.
After listening to the community leaders describe the issues they encounter in their work, everyone creatively brainstormed ideas that could address the problem, without letting logic set any limitations. The goal was to let your mind wander freely; it was about creativity, not perfection.
All ideas were noted down and collected on post it notes. There is no such thing as a bad idea!
After collecting all these ideas, it was time to select the most promising two for a deeper discussion and further development.
Thinking along the lines of necessary resources, timings, and people involved, the groups were encouraged to produce the next steps that will take this idea from the realm of imagination to reality.
From all the brilliant ideas that were floated that day, here is just a brief glimpse into some that could create better partnerships between the sectors:
Participants proposed a programme where students and young people on work placements with businesses could also “get loaned out” to charities to share their expertise and gain a broad, real-world understanding of issues faced by communities and consumers. They would also get multiple perspective on challenges and could learn to approach problems with both entrepreneurial and social mindsets.
Today I witnessed an incredible moment. The birth of an idea (...) that could reshape apprenticeships as a powerful tool for social change, not just for the apprentice, but for wider society. Putting Charity leaders and Business leaders in a room creates its own power. Hats off to the Greenwich Giving for making it happenAnnie Drewry, Director at the Big Red Kick
https://www.thebigredkick.co.uk/
Another team dug deep into the motivations of businesses to give, trying to find a way for charities to build more successful corporate partnerships. Part of that work explored:
From this, people developed a new opportunity for training that focuses on corporate relationships, bridging the communicative gap between charities and corporate leaders to build sustainable mutually beneficial partnerships.
This project explored how businesses can engage more meaningfully with charities through corporate volunteering, especially as volunteering days are underused despite the big impact they could make for charities and communities. This is especially true for skills-based volunteering. The discussion included:
For lunch, everyone was invited on a walking tour to the Tramshed and the Woolwich Service User Project, allowing the corporate leaders to see first-hand the kind of grassroots initiatives happening across Greenwich. It was a reminder of why this work matters and how local communities benefit from corporate support.
The afternoon turned the tables. It was now time for the community leaders to step up and help their counterparts. In quick-fire mentorship sessions, commonalities began to emerge: the sustainability leadership team also struggled to justify their value when it cannot be measured financially. Charity leaders offered up a new perspective: sustainability work can generate indirect income.
In order to gain an edge over the competition, it is the non-financial aspects that can make a difference. While all contractors can build houses, it is the one with excellent community services that will stand out in their application.
In this way, the Balfour Beatty team heard from the charity leaders about the importance of reputation and community networks in a competitive funding landscape.
This day was not just about generating good ideas; it was about changing mindsets. It showed that:
There was a strong appetite for more of these sessions: more opportunities to meet as equals, share challenges, and co-create solutions.
Our mission at Greenwich Giving remains clear: bringing people together to work together. We want to build a thriving Greenwich where community and business grow together. If your organisation, corporate or charitable, is interested in sharing expertise with others, get in touch with us at info@greenwichgiving.org.
When I think of the phrase "time is money" it feels a bit greasy, but this day demonstrated a really positive side to that. The knowledge shared in the time we spent together would have cost me £90 from just 1 coaching sessionBethan Thomlinson, Director at Tramshed
https://www.tramshed.org/
Great to be able to listen to the challenges faced by community charities in Greenwich and see how passionate they are. Plenty of food for thought and opportunity for us.Iain Casson, Head of Sustainability
https://www.balfourbeatty.com/