Our thoughts on World Mental Health Day

Today is World Mental Health Day.

Why celebrate Mental Health Day?

Mental health matters, today and every other day.

According to mental health charity Mind, 2 million people are currently stuck on waiting lists for NHS mental health services.

Mental health stigma is a significant issue. People are being left behind by a broken mental health system.

We’re in the middle of a mental health crisis.

Today, we’re highlighting some organisations that have used our platform to write better narratives, ones that empower those who struggle with their mental health.

Here are 7 recent projects on Match My Project that champion Mental Health:

The Suspended Coffee Scheme

Gaia Giving CIC (Trading as Gaia Coffee) 🤝 Continuous Dataprint (UK) Ltd

The Suspended Coffee Scheme creates a stronger sense of community by providing immediate assistance to those facing financial hardship or food insecurity. This scheme aims to foster a stronger sense of community solidarity and ensures that everyone can access a warm drink or meal when needed.
The cost of living crisis has resulted in fewer people being able to purchase suspended coffees (coffees paid for in advance as an anonymous act of charity).
The growing number of individuals experiencing emotional and financial hardships has increased the demand for free coffee, necessitating additional resources to meet the needs of the Gaia Coffee community.

Continuous Dataprint provided funding, enabling Gaia Coffee to give out suspended coffees to people in need in their community.

Gaia Coffee emphasises the impact this generosity has made in the following words:

“We want to express our heartfelt thanks for the financial support provided for our Suspended Coffee Scheme. This generous contribution has had a huge impact on our community. The scheme has not only ensured that those facing financial hardship can enjoy a warm drink, but it has also fostered a stronger sense of solidarity and kindness within our community. By providing immediate support to those in need, the Suspended Coffee Scheme has truly made a difference in the lives of many, creating a more compassionate and connected community. Thank you for helping us make this possible.”

SAD Lamps for use during group mental health sessions

Self Care Creatives CIC 🤝 John Lewis & Partners Cheadle

Self Care Creative’s workshops help individuals struggling with their mental health focus on their own version of gratitude and success. They promote self-worth and upskill participants through embroidery, journaling and vision boarding.
Self Care Creative partnered with John Lewis & Partners Cheadle to support people suffering from seasonal affective disorder to feel brighter through the use of SAD Lamps during well being focused activities
Sun lamps positively impact the body’s regulation of melatonin (a hormone that helps control the sleep-wake cycle) and serotonin (which helps regulate one’s mood).

John Lewis donated a SAD Lamp to promote wellbeing in the community-building workshops hosted by Self Care Creatives.

Both organisations had positive feedback:

“We are thrilled at Self Care Creatives CIC to have connected and matched with John Lewis Cheadle through Match My Project. We kindly received a Wellbeing SAD Lamp donation which will have a positive impact on our participants who attend our self care focused thread journaling and vision board workshops. Match My Project is such a fabulous way to connect businesses who care with uplifting projects in the local community.”

“Just glad John Lewis Cheadle was able to help this amazing community group. This connection will hopefully lead to many other exciting opportunities together.”

Sponsor-A-Plot at Petworth Community Garden

Petworth Community Garden CIC 🤝 AD Construction Group

The Community Garden in Petworth has been working with their local community in the heart of a social housing estate since 2005. They offer over 100 disadvantaged locals access to free organic food and support with mental wellbeing through a variety of gardening and therapy projects. They also provide free hot lunches and community cooking lessons.
Finding funds each year for all their projects is becoming increasingly harder. They had an increase in costs since running their Food Boxes project – which delivers fruit & veg from their garden to families experiencing food poverty.
AD Construction Group provided funding that is enabling the Petworth Community Garden to run their gardening and wellbeing projects, helping those dealing with mental ill health, isolation and food poverty.

Petworth Community Garden is looking for more businesses and individuals to ‘Sponsor-A-Plot’ for a year. There are 10 plots in total and for between £100 – 300 a year, you could be the proud sponsor of a strawberry, rhubarb or raspberry plot to name a few!

Find out more and donate to this wonderful project here:

https://localgiving.org/fundraising/sponsor-a-plot

1:1 wellbeing support for the community

St Sidwell’s Centre 🤝 Bradfords Building Supplies Limited

St Sidwell’s Centre provide 1:1 support sessions for their community – from a listening space, to help accessing specialist support services.
With more local services facing cuts, long waiting lists for specialist provision and challenges in accessing services, many people approach the centre for help with a wide range of challenges.
The increasing demand for St Sidwell’s Centre’s services meant they needed extra funding.

Bradford’s Building Supplies have made a generous donation which will provide staffing and contribute to room hire for 30+ 1:1 support sessions held by St Sidwell’s Centre.

St Sidwell’s Centre thanked Bradford’s Building Supplies, saying that “providing ongoing wellbeing support within our community is essential and it’s so important to have the resources to offer this.”

Mental well-being through animal interaction

Brinnington SEND 🤝 POSSABILITIES CIC

Brinnington SEND started delivering animal therapy sessions to promote mental health wellbeing for families with children and young people with additional needs and disabilities.
Interactions with animals are proven to have a calming effect and reduce stress levels. Brinnington SEND noticed positive emotional responses among participants and fewer behavioural issues reported after these interactions with animals.
They used Match My Project to secure the funding which would enable them to run this initiative on a long-term basis.

POSSABILITIES CIC has agreed to fund sessions that will host 400 people. They said,

“We are really looking forward to working with Brinnington SEND on this project. Debbie spoke passionately about the aims and aspirations of her organisation. I’m confident that this project not only fills a critical gap in support provision for SEND children in Stockport, but will also bring a lot of joy and happiness!”

Sport in Mind – Brent

Sport in Mind 🤝 Anglian Building Products (ASHI Group)

Sport in Mind started running a weekly stretch and movement exercise session at Brent Hub for Hyde residents and local people struggling with their mental health. This activity is free and people can be referred via the GP/NHS or self-refer.
These sessions help to reduce loneliness and isolation, providing a regular weekly activity with other local people.
The funding they had received for this activity was running out but they wanted to continue to offer it for free. They also wanted to offer residents attending a free wellbeing journal to encourage being active, eating healthily, and other healthy lifestyle tips.

Anglian Building Products provided funding which will pay for an instructor and venue costs. This generous donation will improve the lives of adults experiencing mental health problems through sport and physical activity. They said,

“Great organisation to work with and we look forward to working with you again in the future.”

Counselling for young people and families

Ignite Life 🤝 4Ward Group LTD (T/A Wascle)

Ignite Life have provided over 100 young people and families with counselling sessions to help them through periods of mental health challenges, bullying and other barriers.
Poor mental health amongst young people is rife and they receive referrals for their counselling service every day.
To make their service free-of-charge for the user, they rely completely on funding to ensure these sessions can go ahead. Ignite Life needed more funding to keep up with the demand for their counselling service.

Ignite Life matched with 4Ward Group to fund professional 1:1 and family counselling for marginalised young people and families who face barriers to support. This generous donation is now supporting staffing costs and enabling Ignite Life to maintain up-to-date safeguarding training.

As we observe World Mental Health Day, these seven projects serve as powerful reminders of the impact we can make when businesses and community organisations come together.

Here’s how you can get involved:

For Community Organisations: If you’re running a project that supports mental health and wellbeing, sign up at matchmyproject.org. Your initiative could be the next to receive crucial support and resources.
For Businesses: Your contribution can transform lives. Register at matchmyproject.org to discover local projects that align with your values and see how you can make a tangible impact in your community.

Earlier this week at Birmingham and Solihull Social Value Conference, we heard from Carol Glenn, Social Value Programme Manager at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council about the council’s learnings getting Social Value delivered.

The story so far

At Solihull Council, we’ve got Social Value embedded in our procurement processes quite well. And that’s the easy part, really.

The harder part is actually getting Social Value actually delivered.

Carol Glenn is Social Value Programme Manager at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council

Like Birmingham City Council, we’ve tried various different ways of matching suppliers to the borough’s needs.

We’ve chosen the ad-hoc approach, where someone comes to meet me or has a request, I speak to a few suppliers, it’s all on a 1 to 1 basis and I don’t know what skills the suppliers have got who can do that work for us. So the magic only happens by accident.

We tried sending a spreadsheet out to all of our suppliers with a list of requests. It’s a very dry way of sending out those requests. And who can be bothered to read a spreadsheet? It doesn’t show the passion that the organisations have for the requests that they’ve got coming out.

We’ve also tried matching events. And this has a little bit more success: where we put suppliers and community groups in a room together, lock the door, and tell them they can’t leave till they’ve made a connection with somebody. It’s really not that draconian, but you get the idea of what we’re trying to do.

All of those approaches have differing success rates and effectiveness. But all have one thing in common. They’re very time consuming and quite inefficient.

The impact of Match My Project

So what Match My Project offers is the chance to take the burden off us. Remember, it’s the contractor’s responsibility to deliver their Social Value commitments. The council is just there to support the suppliers in understanding what the needs of the borough are – and maybe making some connections.

Match My Project is easy to use. It’s easy to see what projects are available.

The community groups are putting their own projects on there, so it reflects the passion that they’ve got.

The council approves all of the registrations and the projects that go on there. So you can be sure that all of the projects meet our local priorities.

Match My Project also allows suppliers to post what they’ve committed to on their Social Value, so it works both ways.

At Solihull we will continue our Social Value events, but the projects on Match My Project will help us focus these events to more specific areas of interest.

And the platform also isn’t just restricted to our contracted suppliers. We’re launching a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative called Step Up For Solihull, so Match My Project won’t just be around Social Value. It’ll be Corporate Social Responsibility as well, so you don’t have to be contracted with the council to put offers on there or to match with the requests that are on there.

And finally, Match My Project will help with continuous improvement. There’s the Leaderboard – and every company wants to be at the top of a leaderboard, don’t they? It fills us with the confidence that the Social Value that is being delivered is actually being delivered in the right way. If people are giving good feedback, that’s good Social Value, it’s being delivered well.

How it works in practice

As I mentioned earlier, Social Value is embedded in Solihull Council’s procurements. And if you’ve tendered with us before, you’ll know that we use Social Value Portal for our large tenders. So we ask our bidders to make commitments against the national Themes, Outcomes and Measures.

And once we award a contract, those commitments are then contractualised. They form part of the contract just like any other KPI. Match My Project in Solihull will give bidders the chance to see, when they register, the needs of Solihull. And they can base their commitments around what they’ve seen on the portal.

Now, as you know, public sector procurement can take an age. So we’re not expecting them to say ‘we will do this, this and this project’, but it will give you an idea of what community groups are on there and what types of projects are on there as well. Some authorities may ask for suppliers to do at least one Match My Project project, per year, depending on the contract value.

Because our focus is on Corporate Social Responsibility, as well as Social Value, we won’t be stipulating a number of projects. We’ll be asking people to sign up to it as soon as we’ve got them hooked in and awarded them a contract. So it’s in your best interests and our best interests that as many people as possible register on the platform.

Measuring and validating Social Value

I mentioned that Solihull Council uses the TOMs to measure our Social Value that is delivered through our contracts. And if you don’t know what they are, they’re basically a list of things that a supplier can do to deliver Social Value. Examples include employing local people, employing people with vulnerabilities, upskilling students and, doing CV workshops, volunteering days donations. All of that sort of thing is covered by the TOMs.

They are also exactly the type of projects that you can put on Match My Project. And when you deliver on a project on Match My Project, we can map it to the TOMs, which can contribute to your Social Value delivery figures.

Finally, Match My Project can be used as evidence of delivery. Accountability is basically what my job is – to make sure that the Social Value that’s committed is actually being delivered. And by using the TOMs, we validate the data that comes in.

And we need to check that what you say you’ve done, you’ve actually done. We need to know that you’ve visited that school or you’ve done that litter pick or you’ve done a project with that charity. And if that is showing completed on Match My Project, then that evidence is there for all to see.

Community organisations and businesses working in Solihull can sign up at https://matchmyproject.org/solihull

Are you making the most of Match My Project? Find out from Match My Project’s most prolific community beneficiary how to maximise the resources available on the platform.

I spoke to Rachel, the Assistant Head of Henry Fawcett Primary School, the most active community organisation on Match My Project. The school has an impressive history of using our platform to channel the best resources and opportunities into the local community. This has earned them a reputation for excellence in the community.

Our mission at Match My Project is to help communities flourish. We do this by matching community organisations with businesses that want to deliver Social Value and CSR.

Rachel said, “The support that we’ve had via [Hyde Housing Association] from Match My Project compared to the support we get from other organisations … it’s not even comparable”.

Rachel provided some invaluable tips and principles which could help you enhance your impact within the community you serve.

Here are the top 5 tips for Community-Based Organisations on Match My Project:

Build strong relationships
Have a look around
Frame asks clearly
Go the extra mile
Go for it!

1. Build strong relationships

Match My Project exists for people and communities.

That’s the heart of what we do.

It’s all about relationships – so naturally, having strong ones will set you up well to create flourishing communities through the platform.

Rachel identifies two key ways to achieve this:

a. Keep in touch with the authority

“If there are things I put on there and I start getting a bit panicky that I might not get them, I would contact the Social Value person at Hyde and just say … ‘is there anyone you can poke to help us with this?’.”

The authority could be a bridge between you and a new community partnership – they may be able to put your project in front of the right people. Reaching out to them could help you get the resources you need for your community.

b. Understand the businesses on the platform

Rachel puts her success on Match My Project down to her savviness when it comes to understanding the different focuses and preferences of the business users on the platform. She says: “I’ve understood what sort of things they might be looking for.”

She goes on to explain that, when creating new projects, community-based organisations should consider: “What kind of organisations might want to do them? And framing them in a way that is going to be appealing to them.”

While this may require some initial effort, it’s worth the fruitful relationships that could follow:

“I generally end up getting more than I ask for … once you’re engaged with the supplier and they come and have a look and they’ve come to move the furniture but then they go ‘oh but now you need some carpets in here don’t you? We’ll do that’.”

Taking some time to get your head around the outcomes that suppliers are looking for can go a long way in receiving the right support for your projects.

Remember that suppliers will be looking for projects that contribute to the shared goals or outcomes selected by the authority, for example, “safeguarding the environment” or “promoting jobs and skills” – you will see these outcomes listed when creating a new project.

2. Have a Look Around

In the same spirit of working towards shared goals, Rachel also suggests having a look at other organisations’ projects on Match My Project.

She says, “It’s worth having a little bit of a look around to see what other people are doing and who’s being successful.”

I asked Rachel about the type of resources Henry Fawcett Primary has requested on Match My Project and was impressed by the broad range of projects they have completed. These vary from physical things like chairs to volunteers and funding. She notes that their Breakfast Club is subsidised by suppliers on Match My Project, as is a member of staff (a 1-1 mentor for the children), therapeutic residentials, and a boxing club.

To view other organisations’ projects, log in to your account and navigate to the “Directory” on the left-hand side tab. Here you can see community projects, supplier offers, jobs & training opportunities, as well as a list of all organisations under the “organisations” tab.

3. Frame Asks Clearly

“That’s the important thing: being clear.”

Rachel stresses the importance of framing resource requests clearly.

There are three main elements to this.

a. Be specific

“Try and think about framing the narrative in your request. What you put as your heading – that’s the one-line thing that comes up – is really important … if you can make the title show the benefit and paint a nice narrative, I think that’s helpful. And be specific in what you’re asking for.”

b. Prioritise projects

“You’re always playing a game of prioritising what you put on there and not putting too many things up at the same time. And being clear about which ones are really important to you and which ones are nice to have.”

“I try and keep the requests middling and then find that people are very helpful after the fact.”

c. Separate requests

“There is also an art to … separating things out in the requests. So, rather than saying ‘I need my library redone’ [say], ‘I need the walls painting’; ‘I need the furniture moving’; ‘I need somebody to pay for books.’ Because there might be different organisations that are able to help with those things separately.”

The wording you use in your project request is crucial to the success of the project. Remember to be specific in the title, be clear about your priorities, and try to separate larger projects into smaller, more workable ones.

4. Go the extra mile

Providing as much information as possible, and consistently engaging with community partners, makes a big difference to the impact of projects on Match My Project.

What could you do to get the attention your projects need?

Here are some ideas that have worked for Rachel in the past:

“We always try and contact the supplier directly, send photos of what’s going on, say ‘would you like to come visit the project?’ … I don’t have to do these things, but I chose to.”

Little actions like contacting suppliers directly and sending them photographs can have a huge ripple effect. Fortune favours the bold!

5. Go for It!

As the old adage goes … if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Rachel puts it this way: “Ask, because you just don’t know. Somebody might give it to you.”

Or, you’ve got nothing to lose.

In Rachel’s words: “Realistically, I could spend 15 minutes writing a Match My Project request and get £4000.”

Insights on Impact

At Match My Project we are dedicated to getting the best resources and opportunities into the communities that need them most. We are so inspired by community users like Rachel who are using Match My Project to make a real difference in the local community. Listen to our full conversation with Rachel here – you’ll come away with plenty of insight.

You can also watch some highlights of the conversation here:

Do you have any tips or pieces of advice for other community users? Please get in touch – we’d love to hear from you about how to make the biggest impact in communities.

What is the relationship between social responsibility, the tech industry and product development?

I recently posed this question to Ruth, the Product Lead at Match My Project.

Her answer got me thinking.

This is what she said:

“Technology – we’ve seen through social media – can be quite divisive at times and it can demand a lot of our time and attention, but we want to do things the human way. We want our platforms to be tools that bring people together, bring communities together, and help positive change to happen in the world.”

We want to do things the human way

We want to do things the human way.

This is in the context of a world where things can seem less and less human every day. As Ruth so astutely pointed out, technology can be divisive and demands much of our time and attention. Technology is all-pervasive, and it’s changing how we relate to the world and one another. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and disconnected from the very essence of what makes us human – our communities and personal connections.

At Match My Project, we have made it our mission to bring communities closer together. Our platform harnesses the power of the digital world while staying grounded in the fundamental need for human interaction, empathy, and collaboration.

We’re not about creating online communities for their own sake or as a way to harvest data and market to people. We’re creating connections to get more jobs, training and resources into our communities.

A Platform that Makes a Real Difference in Communities

Onward Homes and Novus Property Solutions recently used Match My Project to collaborate on an inspiring initiative to create a local work opportunity in the Kirkdale community of Liverpool.
Working closely with Everton in the Community (EITC), one of the UK’s top sporting charities, eight local candidates were identified and interviewed by Onward and Novus.

Ryan, who lives locally and who was out of work at the time, was appointed to a permanent job position with Novus that included all training needed. Ryan will be working on various elements of Novus’ retrofit scheme with Onward to deliver energy efficiency improvements to 400 homes in Liverpool, making them warmer, quieter and more comfortable for the people who live in them.

A representative from Novus emphasised the organisation’s commitment to creating good Social Value employment opportunities. They said:

“At the end of September 2023, the number of unemployed people aged 16 and over in the Liverpool area was a staggering 14,600 – a rate of 5.7%. Novus are committed to reducing that statistic where possible by offering local persons the opportunity to join our contract with new client Onward Homes … Local employment and helping people return to work after a period of unemployment is one of our main priorities within all our contracts. We wish Ryan all the success within his new role.”

Ryan’s successful appointment to a role at Novus is a shining example of the tangible difference that Match My Project is making in local communities.

This is what an Onward spokesperson had to say:

“The Retrofit programme is a great initiative to work in partnership to promote opportunities in the Kirkdale area. Using Match My Project has enabled us to promote these opportunities and give the best social value return in our local areas.”

Onward Homes and Novus Property Solutions were both rated 5 stars on Match My Project for the accuracy, communication and timeliness of their involvement in the project.

At Match My Project, we are proud of success stories like this one. We are championing a human approach to technology, where connecting communities is at the heart of our work.

We believe in technology as a force for good. Our new Pathways to Work feature is enabling businesses and community-based organisations to work together to create high-quality employment opportunities in local areas.

Our Product Development team is working hard behind the scenes to make our platform even more innovative and efficient for the people who use it. Watch this video to find out more about the upcoming feature releases you can look out for, and to hear more about what motivates the Match My Project team.

For far too long, the job market has been dominated by outdated hiring practices prioritising certain demographics and overlooking qualified individuals from underrepresented communities.

Conventional hiring criteria tend to favour candidates with traditional educational and professional backgrounds, excluding those with non-linear career paths. Unconscious biases in the recruitment process have also limited the opportunities available to people of colour, women, and other marginalised groups. And the heavy reliance on narrow networks and referral-based hiring has created a lack of diversity within many organisations.

The result is a workforce that fails to reflect the rich diversity of our communities – a missed opportunity for businesses to access quality talent and fuel innovation.

This is where Match My Project’s new Pathways to Work feature comes in. By serving as a bridge between businesses and community-based organisations, Pathways to Work provides a gateway to connect companies with talented professionals from local talent pools.

Pathways to Work: Technology as a Bridge Between Communities

Through community-driven referrals, Pathways to Work aims to promote accessibility and economic resilience in previously overlooked communities. This represents a true win-win scenario – businesses gain access to a broader range of qualified candidates, while community members are empowered with new opportunities to become part of the workforce.

“Pathways to Work is about using technology as a bridge, not a barrier, to fostering human connections and uplifting communities,” explains Zahra, the Delivery Manager at Match My Project. “We know it’s those human connections that really make the difference and move us forward.”

By tapping into the rich diversity of local talent, businesses can gain a significant competitive edge. They’ll be able to build more innovative, well-rounded teams that reflect the customers and communities they serve. And in the process, they’ll be investing in the long-term resilience of those very communities.

It’s time to rethink traditional hiring practices and embrace the power of diverse talent. With Pathways to Work, Match My Project is making it easier than ever for businesses to access untapped pools of quality candidates – and boost their success in the process.

Pathways to Work is only the beginning.

We have lots of new features set to launch in the coming months. Watch this insightful conversation with our Product Lead, Ruth, on what you can expect from the Match My Project Team.

In an era where businesses are increasingly held accountable to contribute to societal progress, opportunity creation is a powerful strategy for driving inclusive growth and Social Value. Our new jobs and training feature is here, and it’s making opportunities more accessible for local communities and businesses alike.

Businesses today are expected to do more than just make a profit. They need to operate in a way that benefits society as a whole.

The UK is one of the world’s most regionally unequal advanced economies. Wealth and opportunity are disproportionately concentrated in specific areas, posing a significant challenge to the nation’s economic potential and social cohesion.

For purpose-driven businesses committed to Social Value and community empowerment, tackling these regional imbalances presents a compelling opportunity to align corporate objectives with societal needs. By strategically investing in underserved regions and fostering local talent, companies can fulfil their ethical obligations and gain a competitive advantage through access to untapped talent pools, enhanced brand reputation, and stronger community relationships.

Regional Inequality

A study by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found that average personal wealth in the North East is around one-third of the average level of wealth in the South East. Drastic imbalances in wealth, power and opportunity attest to the fact that our economy and democracy are not yet designed to help all places thrive.

Beyond statistics, these gaps and inequalities are taking a real toll, resulting in shorter, sicker, less fulfilling lives.

We need to work towards a future where all regions stand equally and offer opportunities for all to thrive within a healthy, prosperous, and equal country.

The IPPR’s 2024 State of the North report stresses the creation of good-quality jobs as imperative for restoring balance. The report says: “Rebalancing opportunity means creating not only jobs, but good quality, fulfilling jobs across the country.”

Businesses have an opportunity to be part of the solution. Through a commitment to Social Value delivery, companies can drive opportunity creation and empowerment for local communities in marginalised regions.

Sounds good … but what does this look like on a practical level?

Five principles for businesses to drive multi-stakeholder partnerships built on trust, cooperation and a shared goal of inclusive growth

Create direct pathways to employment. Partner with the local community to provide work experience, apprenticeships and mentoring schemes for students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Collaborate with community organisations, charities and social enterprises to offer skills training, adult education and employment support services tailored to the needs of the local area—co-develop programs to maximise impact.

Work with local government agencies to design policies and initiatives that drive inclusive economic growth, such as small business incubators in underserved neighbourhoods or infrastructure development to attract investment.

Sponsor community projects and events that support entrepreneurship, creativity, and cultural development. This stimulates innovation and job creation.

Encourage employee volunteer programs where workers share their expertise with vulnerable groups, helping build skills and confidence.

Creating work and training opportunities in less advantaged regions is not just an act of altruism; it is a strategic investment in the future. By tapping into local talent pools and providing skills training, we can unlock untapped potential and empower individuals to become active participants in the economy. This, in turn, stimulates local economies, generates tax revenue, and reduces dependency on welfare systems.

Rebalancing Power, Wealth and Opportunity

Investing in the local workforce contributes to a more cohesive, prosperous nation.

At its core, addressing regional inequalities through opportunity creation is about rebalancing power and wealth across the UK. By decentralising economic activity and spreading prosperity to underserved regions, businesses can help break the cycles of deprivation. This not only enhances social mobility but also strengthens the overall resilience of the economy by reducing its reliance on a few dominant regions.

One way to achieve this is to place Social Value at the heart of corporate strategy.

At Match My Project, we are determined to help businesses create employment and training opportunities that are responsible, empowering, and prosperous for themselves and the community. That is why we’ve developed our new Pathways to Work feature that allows businesses to find top talent while making a real difference for local jobseekers and organisations.

But that’s not all.

We have loads of exciting new features launching on our platform in the upcoming months. Watch this exclusive new conversation with our Product Lead, Ruth, to find out about what you can expect, and to learn more about what motivates the people behind Match My Project.

A Behind-the-Scenes Conversation: Our Exciting New Features

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the workplace and raising concerns about the future of entry-level jobs.

As businesses adopt AI technologies like chatbots, robotic process automation, and machine learning, many routine and repetitive tasks traditionally performed by humans are being automated. This has significant implications for young people entering the job market and those in lower-skilled roles.

For businesses committed to creating work and training opportunities for local people, understanding and addressing these implications is crucial.

The AI Disruption

AI technologies, including automation, machine learning, and robotics, have significantly transformed traditional job roles across industries.

Routine tasks once performed by entry-level employees are now increasingly automated, leading to concerns about job displacement and unemployment. Entry-level positions in sectors such as manufacturing, retail, and administrative services have been particularly affected by AI-driven automation. AI-powered systems and algorithms are gradually replacing jobs involving repetitive tasks, data entry, and basic customer service.

Challenges and Opportunities

While the rise of AI poses challenges for entry-level job seekers, it also presents opportunities for businesses committed to creating Social Value in their communities.

A study by PwC estimates that AI could boost GDP in local economies by up to 26% by 2030.

Rather than replacing humans entirely, AI often augments and enhances human capabilities, allowing workers to focus on more value-adding activities. The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2025, analytical thinking, creativity, and flexibility will be among the top skills sought by employers. By embracing AI responsibly and strategically, organisations can create new pathways for employment and skill development.

Five guidelines for promoting sustainable and empowering employment practices in the context of AI:

Reskilling and Upskilling Initiatives: Invest in reskilling and upskilling programs to equip entry-level workers with the necessary skills to adapt to the changing job market. Training initiatives focused on digital literacy, problem-solving, and critical thinking can help individuals thrive in AI-driven workplaces.

Job Redesign: Instead of eliminating entry-level positions altogether, businesses can redesign roles to complement AI technologies. This involves restructuring job tasks to leverage human creativity, emotional intelligence, and decision-making capabilities, areas where AI currently struggles to match human expertise.

Collaboration with Educational Institutions: Learning structures must diversify and evolve to keep pace with the changing needs of the workplace. Collaboration between businesses and educational institutions is essential for preparing future generations for AI-dominated workplaces.

Job Creation in Emerging AI Fields: While AI may disrupt certain entry-level roles, it also generates new job opportunities in emerging fields such as data science, cybersecurity, and AI development. Businesses can contribute to job creation by investing in these high-demand areas and providing training and employment opportunities for aspiring professionals.

Be Transparent: Maintain open communication and dialogue with current and prospective employees about how AI could change their roles, and provide support during transition periods.

Future Pathways

By taking a responsible and proactive approach, we can harness the potential of AI to create positive societal impact, new types of jobs, and expanded opportunities for workers of all skill levels. The future of work will require adaptability and lifelong learning, but an AI-powered economy could be more productive and inclusive if we plan ahead.

At Match My Project, we are determined to help businesses create employment and training opportunities that are responsible, empowering, and prosperous for themselves and the community. That is why we’ve developed a feature that allows businesses to find top talent while making a real difference for local jobseekers and organisations.

As more and more organisations sign up to Match My Project, an important question is – how does Match My Project work alongside the National TOMs?

The National TOMs framework is a set of financial proxies that provides a financial value for Social Value requirements – often specified in government tender documents.

They were introduced in 2016 by the Local Government Association but are owned by the Social Value Portal. Currently, to access the TOMs you have to sign up to the Social Value Portal.

There are alternatives. For example HACT, Loop, Thrive and the Social Value Engine. The approach set out below can apply to these frameworks as well.

There is currently no technical integration between Match My Project and any of the products mentioned above, including the Social Value Portal.

A general process for using the TOMs alongside Match My Project

Many authorities start by adapting the TOMs to make them specific for their own places.

For example, our colleagues in Stockport have ‘Stockportified’ a number of the outcomes and are using about 40, which reflect Stockport’s priorities.

Once the outcomes are identified, the measures linked to those outcomes are shared with suppliers in tender documentation.

Most commonly, these are:

NT7 – Hours supporting unemployed people into work
NT8 – Local school and college visits
NT15 – Expert business advice to VCSEs
NT16 – Equipment or resources donated to VCSEs
NT17 – Voluntary hours donated to VCSEs
NT28 – Donations or in kind contributions to local community projects
NT29 – No of hours volunteering to support community projects

Suppliers are then signposted, in the tender documents, to Match My Project to find corresponding Social Value projects to deliver.

Within contract meetings, the contract manager cross references between the Social Value projects found on Match My Project and the TOMs to ensure they align, to see whether suppliers have met their targets and / or to calculate the financial proxies.

What if there isn’t alignment between the TOMs and Social Value projects found on Match My Project?

If a supplier can’t find a Social Value project to support, the supplier can post the Social Value commitment on Match My Project and wait for a community organisation to pick up the offer (or refer in a local person to, for example, access an apprenticeship opportunity).

Is the current situation ideal?

No!

From an operational point of view, suppliers have to use two systems. So far, this isn’t proving a problem, but it’s not ‘optimal’. Full technical integration via an API would solve this.

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And we are very aware of the wider debate about the limitations of using a measurement framework like the TOMs.

Pure descriptions of every Social Value projects – like those found on Match My Project – may be true to reality, but would be difficult to compare, generalise and therefore learn from.

At the other end of the spectrum, financial values based on simplifying assumptions allow comparisons to be made while sacrificing some validity of those comparisons.

Match My Project is a Social Value delivery platform

Our primary focus is to get Social Value delivered in communities, where it’s needed most. Our matchmaking tools facilitate connections between suppliers and community partners – of whom we now have approximately 900 registered on Match My Project.

But we also include an annual SROI evaluation, which provides a more robust assessment of the impact delivered.

Meanwhile, our government, business and community partners can see the tangible Social Value being delivered on Match My Project, because it is verified by community beneficiaries.

Come along to our next online event: ‘Match My Project – By the Numbers’ where take a closer look at the impact being created by the platform.

In recent years, businesses worldwide are becoming more aware of their social responsibility towards the communities they operate in. With this shift in mindset, a growing number of companies are taking initiatives to help their local community through various means. Such efforts not only help businesses establish themselves as socially responsible entities, but also increase their social value and give back to their local communities. Let’s take a closer look at how companies are helping their local community and why it matters.

Local Volunteering

Companies encourage their employees to participate in local volunteering activities. Volunteering opportunities such as cleaning public spaces, conducting awareness drives, and helping out at local nonprofits are becoming more accessible. By offering these opportunities to their employees, companies help to bridge gaps between the community, promote a sense of belonging and increase employee wellbeing… and productivity.

Providing Apprenticeships and Jobs

By investing in local talent, businesses can create a workforce that is not only skilled but also loyal to the company. This way, businesses can become a part of the community and develop a positive image that attracts potential customers and employees. Moreover, by providing jobs, businesses can contribute to reducing poverty and promoting economic growth in the area. It’s a win-win for business and community.

Offering Free Services to Local Community Organisations

Whether it’s fixing a broken window or providing 10 laptops, working closely with community organisations gives companies the chance to provide the exact support needed, when it is needed. Community organisations are already doing the best they can with limited funds, so a little extra help from companies goes a long way.

As businesses continue to expand and become more influential, it is becoming increasingly important for them to play a socially responsible role. By helping their local community, companies can enhance their social value, build their reputation, source local talent, and benefit society as a whole.

MatchMyProject can support all of the above by connecting companies directly with community organisations and local jobseekers. Join now to boost your social value

At Onward, we are committed to making the most positive impact we can for the people and communities we serve. We want our investment to stretch beyond bricks and mortar. Our Director of Strategy, Rob Loughenbury, tells us more…

Our Corporate Plan ‘The Onward Difference’ sets out our commitment to make a positive difference by enabling people and communities to be their best. We will do this by providing homes that people love, in places they are proud of, and by working with our partners to do more. When it comes to making The Onward Difference, we know we can’t do this alone, but by working in partnership.

MatchMyProject has provided us with the tools to do just that by giving more back to our local community through our supply chain, helping all parties achieve meaningful social value outcomes. The platform has allowed us to adjust our approach to better measure and report on social value activity, ensuring we are delivering on our Corporate Plan commitments.

Since joining, our supply chain has supported 14 key projects, donated 259 hours of volunteer time, and pledged a further 259 hours in supporting local community groups. Onward’s largest repair contractor, Fortem Solutions, currently sits at the top of the platform’s leader board after giving 176 hours of their colleagues’ time and donating over £2,300 in materials to community groups that work with us.

Our Procurement Strategy aims to put ‘our customers and neighbourhoods at the heart of purchasing decisions’. MatchMyProject therefore plays a vital role in enabling our community groups to directly access the support they need from our supply chain to deliver things such as training and work experience to gain meaningful employment. We are now in the process of embedding MatchMyProject into our procurement plans for 2023-24, whereby bidders will be able to gain access to existing Social Value opportunities published by our community groups and Onward. We already have 38 communities registered and 37 suppliers. By continuing to encourage our supply chain to sign up to MatchMyProject, we are creating the network we have long needed to make our Social Value impact more sustainable.

We also have plans in place to use the platform to develop our Onward Academy programme, which is currently being piloted in partnership with The Learning Foundry in Merseyside.

The Onward Academy is a new network of organisations we are working to build that will collaborate and use their individual expertise to deliver employment and training for our customers. This network will enable us to facilitate apprenticeships, training and work experience opportunities for our customers that will lead them into good work, and help our own colleagues develop new skills and qualifications. Overall, the Academy will increase the Social Value we offer, help deliver our sustainability strategy and growth plans, and tackle some of the challenges and skills gaps the sector faces such as retrofit.

During our first pilot programme, we have been supporting a small group of 16–24-year-olds across Liverpool to gain valuable work experience as part of a Housing Traineeship. The students have already completed their CIH Level 2 qualification in housing delivered through the Learning Foundry and are now 8 weeks into gaining valuable work experience.

This pilot has been a great opportunity to explore how Onward can support our residents by providing them with the qualifications, skills, and experience to gain valuable employment. By working with some of our partners such as the Learning Foundry who have access to funding and training, this has helped Onward to deliver this at no extra cost. This is just 1 of 3 pilots Onward are currently engaged in under the Onward Academy, whereby we are looking to maximise our partnership working to deliver more employment and training opportunities for our customers and residents within our Neighbourhoods.

Once the pilots have been completed, we will move on to phase two of the programme and conduct a scoping exercise to identify and engage with new delivery partners, rolling out the Onward Academy to expand across our North West geography. MatchMyProject will help us to advertise these opportunities to our communities and connect our supply chain to support work experience.

If you’d like to stay up to date with the latest from MatchMyProject, please get in touch.

Email: hello@matchmyproject.org

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