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“It’s opened doors”: Rebuild with Hope on rethinking what business partnerships can look like

Radius volunteers and Rebuild with Hope team members standing together in the warehouse, surrounded by rails of donated clothing.

Rebuild with Hope was established in 2021 to support ex-offenders back into their communities — providing employment opportunities, mentoring and wraparound support, and working to break down the stigma that still prevents many employers from giving people a second chance.

To fund that work, they run a fully operational warehouse, processing thousands of donated items weekly. As demand has grown, so has the pressure on their team.

Two projects posted on Wigan Council’s Match My Project helped — in ways that went further than expected.

We don’t just see businesses as donors. We see them as partners in infrastructure.

— Claire Taylor, Director of Community Engagement & Partnerships, Rebuild with Hope Foundation

The projects

Rebuild with Hope Foundation logo.
Radius Security Ltd Logo
ENV Graphics logo

Rebuild were in danger of reaching capacity with their current volunteer team and needed extra hands to keep the warehouse running.

Radius Security Ltd stepped in, delivering 133 volunteer hours sorting, quality-checking, pricing and preparing stock.

But they delivered more than that, approaching their volunteering with enthusiasm, generosity, a clear willingness to get stuck in and were a genuine pleasure to work alongside.

Rebuild with Hope’s feedback is everything we like to hear at Match My Project:

“This was not a tick-box exercise, but a group of people who truly cared about the impact of their time and effort. Their contribution has directly supported our ability to help people facing barriers to employment and those affected by the cost of living.”

The second project was about visibility.

Rebuild with Hope needed new signage for their community hub in the Grand Arcade shopping centre. The sign needed to communicate a space beyond retail, somewhere that invited people in, but they didn’t have the budget for it, a common theme with charity work — finding the funds for marketing, overhead, when the direct work is what people want to hear about. ENV Graphics matched and delivered it.

“Outstanding from start to finish,” said Rebuild with Hope. “High-quality, professional, and exactly what we needed.”

Two projects. Different in nature. Both business partnerships, as it turned out, more impactful than anyone anticipated.

It’s changed perception immediately — from ‘shop’ to ‘community space.’ That subtle shift changes how people walk through the door.”.

— Claire Taylor, Rebuild with Hope Foundation

What it’s meant in practice

Claire Taylor, Director of Community Engagement & Partnerships at Rebuild with Hope, is direct about what the platform has meant for them:

“It’s opened doors. We’ve built meaningful relationships with businesses we probably wouldn’t have connected with otherwise.”

The impact has been practical. Volunteer support from Radius in the warehouse meant more stock processed and more families served.

New signage, delivered through a partnership with ENV Graphics, did something she didn’t expect.

“It’s been more powerful than we expected. It’s changed perception immediately, from ‘shop’ to ‘community space.’ That subtle shift changes how people walk through the door. They’re not just browsing; they’re asking about workshops, wellbeing sessions, referrals, partnerships.”

The exterior of Rebuild with Hope's community hub in the Grand Arcade shopping centre, featuring new signage reading "Community Hub — Discover, Shop & Support" alongside the Rebuild with Hope Foundation logo, showing the potential of what business partnerships can do.

It’s also changed how Rebuild with Hope thinks about sustainability.

“We don’t just see businesses as donors anymore. We see them as partners in infrastructure. One might provide signage. Another provides skilled volunteers. Another supports logistics. When you stitch those contributions together, you build a much more resilient model.”

Package projects clearly, with timeframes and outcomes.

— Claire Taylor, Rebuild with Hope Foundation

Claire’s advice for others

For businesses unsure where they fit, Claire’s view is clear: “Don’t overthink it. A sign changes how a whole community perceives a space. A day in the warehouse means families get affordable clothing quicker.”

And for other community organisations on getting started, it’s a familiar phrase: “Be specific.” Businesses don’t respond well to ‘we need help’ but they do respond to ‘we need 4 volunteers for 6 hours to sort winter stock.’ Package projects clearly, with timeframes and outcomes.” 

What this tells us about Social Value done right

Community organisations are often the busiest people in the room, working at capacity in service of the people who need them most.

Claire’s advice isn’t about doing more — it’s about saying clearly what you need, so the right support finds you. That’s not bending to suppliers. That’s making the partnership work for you.

Our goal is to facilitate partnerships, not transactions.

The platform is designed to create conditions for relationships to form and grow — and what we see, time and again, is suppliers returning to support the same community organisations.

The value is in the connection, not just the one-off donation.

What Rebuild with Hope shows is that these contributions aren’t isolated acts of kindness. Getting support from multiple partners, each contributing according to their expertise, builds something more resilient than any single donation could. A sign. A team of volunteers. A logistics solution. Separately, each has impact. Together, they build infrastructure.

Donations may be the beginning. They are certainly not the end.

“Radius have set a high bar for what meaningful corporate volunteering looks like, and we would wholeheartedly welcome the opportunity to work with them again in the future.” — Rebuild with Hope

How you can help

Rebuild with Hope needs your support replacing the changing cubicles in their community hub — making a real difference to customers who rely on their services.

Ready to help? Search ‘Changing Rooms’ in Wigan Council’s Match My Project Directory.

Not your area of expertise? Volunteer just 10 hours in their warehouse — sorting, sizing, quality checking and packing uniforms for their families who can’t afford school essentials.

Search ‘School Uniform Support for Local Families and Schools‘ in the Directory.

Not yet registered? Sign up here — or if you’re already registered, simply add Wigan Council to your existing account: How to Register with Multiple Authorities.

Ready to bring your next project to life? It takes less than 15 minutes to sign up and post a project. Find your local authority at matchmyproject.org to get started.

Read more

🤝 Partners, not just funders: Linx Youth Project’s first Match My Project success

📣 How Buggies 4 Brum turned collaboration into powerful citywide support — and national BBC coverage

🏆 How 25 years of community expertise has shaped The Rotary Club of Chichester Harbour’s approach to rising demand

Got questions? Get in touch at hello@matchmyproject.org

Mahaba Café hosting A2 Dominion Social Value matching event, with suppliers and community organisations gathered in a venue that supports young people with special educational needs and autism.

In early February, housing association A2Dominion ran their first in-person matching event as part of their partnership with Match My Project, bringing together suppliers and community organisations from across London and the South East to build meaningful, long-term partnerships.

The venue set the tone.

Mahaba Café creates employment pathways for young people with special educational needs, disabilities and autism.

As Advanced Maintenance UK articulated, the setting perfectly epitomised the theme of the day: long-term impact over short-term fixes.

What happened in the room

A room full of suppliers and community organisation representatives watching presentations at A2 Dominion’s first Social Value matching event, focused on building meaningful local partnerships

The event brought together suppliers, those with time, skills and resources to give, and community organisations, those already powering our communities.

That’s the connection Match My Project is built on: linking the people who know where the gaps are with those who have the means to help close them, so that what results is meaningful and genuinely felt, rather than peripheral or transactional.

The community organisations in the room were already delivering: Bromley & Croydon Women’s Aid providing vital crisis support; Cycle Sisters, We Run Ealing and Zebra Sports building confidence through sport and creativity; The Garden Classroom connecting children to the outdoors; The Store Cupboard and SUFRA tackling food insecurity with dignity; Sylvia Beaufoy Youth & Community Hub creating safe spaces for young people; and Trailblazers helping people into employment, among many others.

They weren’t pitching.

They were there because they were already deep in the work.

What they needed were partners willing to step into that — on their terms, in service of what they’d already built, and genuinely curious about how to help it grow.

For suppliers, it was a chance to share what they’d been contributing through the platform, to meet the organisations they’d previously only connected with online, and to start conversations with new organisations about collaborating on future projects.

Small groups in conversation during A2 Dominion’s first matching event, building partnerships to deliver long-term Social Value in local communities.

What Match My Project is — and isn’t

The event showed the impact of connection: Social Value delivered together rather than in fragments.

The Match My Project platform is not about removing these opportunities for organic relationship-building, or systematising them so businesses can deliver their Social Value commitments in as low-effort a way as possible.

Far from it.

We built the platform to remove the heavy-lifting that can damage or hinder creating meaningful impact — funnelling effort, reducing the admin burden so when organisations come together, it’s a perfect fit. So community organisations get the support they need, not what has been assumed.

It’s about helping supplier commitments go beyond compliance, towards genuine, targeted outcomes felt by the local community.

The technology can’t replace what happened in that room: people understanding who they’re working with and why it matters.

The platform provides the foundation. Our partners — authorities, businesses, and community organisations — make it real.

Small groups in conversation during A2 Dominion’s first matching event, building partnerships to deliver long-term Social Value in local communities.

Ready to get involved? Find your local authority at matchmyproject.org to get started.

Huge thanks to the team at A2Dominion for organising such an inspiring event, and to every organisation across the voluntary and private sector who came along and made it the opportunity it became — for sparking conversations and new connections around making our neighbourhoods better, more resilient places.

Congratulations to AD Construction Group, Advanced Maintenance UK, Mitie & AkzoNobel Dulux, Mulalley and Rose Property Services on their well-deserved award wins!

Discover more

Bromley & Croydon Women’s Aid | Cycle Sisters | The Garden Classroom | Mahaba Café | The Store Cupboard | SUFRA | Sylvia Beaufoy Youth & Community Centre | Trailblazers Mentoring | We Run Ealing | Zebra Sports

Got questions? Get in touch at hello@matchmyproject.org

Linx Youth Project team and three young people stand together in the new kitchen.

What happens when businesses stop seeing community organisations as beneficiaries and start seeing them as partners?

The story of Linx Youth Project’s new kitchen shows exactly what’s possible when organisations align around shared purpose rather than simply a transaction.

Meet Linx Youth Project

Linx Youth Project has been supporting young people for over 30 years, helping them in their personal, social and educational development through access to and involvement in new opportunities and experiences.

In light of widespread cuts to youth services, the Middlesbrough-based charity aims to provide opportunities outside education and the home for young people to have fun with their friends, be creative and make positive change in their communities, shaping the place where they live for their futures.

The scale of their impact is significant.

Between September 2024 and September 2025:

  • 375 sessions were delivered
  • 919 individual young people engaged in their youth club
  • 6,134 young people attended their open access sessions

Working with an organisation like ours requires trust, clear communication, and a shared commitment to sustainable impact.

— Linx Youth Project

The challenge: a 20-year-old kitchen

Linx Youth Project is a hub of constant activity. From helping with homework to hosting coding and photography workshops and enabling young people to take part in climate action, the team provides a vital safety net and launchpad for the community.

Central to this mission is providing hot, nutritious meals in some of Middlesbrough’s most deprived areas, alongside cooking classes that teach young people valuable life skills like nutrition.

However, their kitchen was 20 years old. Despite careful maintenance, it was no longer fit for purpose and showed significant wear and tear.

With limited funding options available, a full renovation felt out of reach.

A man in a black polo shirt and dark work trousers stands on a small step stool in a kitchen under renovation. He is smiling and holding a long, yellow spirit level vertically. In the background, a section of the wall is painted light blue, and various tools—including open toolboxes, a drill, and a sealant gun—are scattered across a wooden countertop and open white shelving units.

This project was so much more than cupboards and worktops – it’s a place where youngsters can learn, start conversations, build confidence and form lasting friendships.

— TT Installations

How the partnership came together

When the need was posted on Match My Project, Equans, an energy and technical services provider, offered an ex-display kitchen that would have otherwise gone unused. Local family-run business, TT Installations, then stepped up to fit the kitchen at no cost to the charity.

This partnership marked a first. It kicked off Thirteen Housing‘s journey with Match My Project, launching in the autumn of last year. For Linx Youth Project, it opened their eyes to a new way of working:

“This initiative has genuinely helped us to shape how we think about working with local businesses. It has shown us that businesses are not just potential funders, but skilled partners who can bring expertise, problem-solving, and long-term value.

The collaboration with Match My Project, Thirteen Housing, Equans and TT Installations (and our staff) demonstrated what is possible when organisations align around a shared social purpose.”

— Wayne Mason, Chief Executive Officer, Linx Youth Project

More than just a kitchen

When asked about the impact, the team at Linx were clear about what this new space will mean:

“This kitchen will strengthen how we support young people at Linx. It is not just a physical upgrade; it is a functional tool that enables us to deliver practical life-skills work around cooking, nutrition, budgeting, and independence.

It also allows us to better support young people who may be experiencing food insecurity, anxiety around shared spaces, or even barriers to engagement. The kitchen will become a safe, purposeful environment where meaningful conversations and learning can happen naturally.”

— Wayne Mason

Why the space matters

Two younger individuals wear black aprons with "Cooking Together". One is holding a bag of grated cheese over a pizza base on the counter, while the other looks on.

The impact goes beyond the practical or aesthetics. The team knows that a high-quality environment directly fosters engagement and a sense of self-worth:

“A high-quality environment significantly changes how young people engage. When a space is well-designed, modern, and clearly valued, it sends a strong message that they are valued too. 

We hope to see higher levels of respect for the space, an increased willingness to participate, and deeper engagement in both 1-to-1 support sessions and group workshops. The kitchen feels professional and welcoming, which helps young people take the activities (and themselves) more seriously.”

— Wayne Mason

A strategic shift: lessons for the future

Don’t underestimate the value you bring to the table. Businesses are often looking for meaningful ways to contribute and need your insight to do so effectively. Be clear about your needs, set boundaries, and seek partners who respect your values and your community.

— Wayne Mason, Linx Youth Project

This partnership has changed Linx’s long-term strategy for approaching their resource needs:

“It has reinforced the value of partnership-led solutions rather than relying solely on grants or donations.

We can now become more confident in articulating our needs clearly, engaging businesses early, and co-designing solutions that meet both community needs and partner objectives.”

— Wayne Mason

Ready to bring your next project to life? It takes less than 15 minutes to sign up and post a project. Find your local authority at matchmyproject.org to get started.

Advice for businesses:

For businesses hoping to move past one-off donations toward community partnerships, Linx offers these insights:

  • Approach community organisations as partners, not beneficiaries
  • Understand their mission, constraints and long-term goals
  • Be open to dialogue and flexibility in approach
  • Be prepared to invest more than just money; skills, time, and relationships matter!

Advice for community leaders:

  • Don’t underestimate your value. Businesses need your insight to create local impact
  • Be clear about your needs and set boundaries
  • Seek partners who respect your values and your community

Maximise your impact on the platform.
Book a free 15-minute session with Susanna or email hello@matchmyproject.org to troubleshoot issues and learn expert tips to boost your performance.

Read more

📣 How Buggies 4 Brum turned collaboration into powerful citywide support — and national BBC coverage

🏆 How 25 years of community expertise has shaped The Rotary Club of Chichester Harbour’s approach to rising demand

Match My Project spray-painted logo, with a festive Christmas hat and snowflakes
Match My Project 2025 Wrapped

A year of building Social Value in practice

By the time December rolls around, it’s tempting to reduce a year to a handful of metrics. Numbers are neat. They give the impression of clarity. But anyone who works in Social Value knows the real story is rarely that simple.

This year, more than anything else, reminded us that Social Value is not delivered by platforms, policies or promises alone. It’s delivered by people.

By community organisations doing the essential work every day to hold communities together.

By businesses showing up with time, skills and resources.

By procurement teams trying to do the right thing under pressure.

This is a Match My Project 2025 Wrapped: a look back at what we built together in 2025. Not as a highlight reel, but as a reflection on what worked, what improved, and what we learned along the way.

The year in context

2025 was not an easy year for anyone working in the public or social sector. Budgets remained tight. Expectations around transparency and accountability continued to rise. Social Value requirements became more established, but not necessarily easier to deliver in practice.

What we saw across authorities, housing associations, suppliers and community partners was a shared challenge: moving Social Value from intent to action, and from action to evidence.

Our role in the ecosystem remained the same. To support practical collaboration between those groups, and to make Social Value delivery more visible, manageable and real.

What the year looked like, in numbers

Across the Match My Project community in 2025:

  • Almost 2,000 community organisations were active on the platform

  • More than 1,900 suppliers engaged in Social Value activity

  • Around 1,600 connections were made between businesses and community partners

  • 646 community projects were supported or delivered

  • Businesses contributed approximately 9910 hours of time

  • An estimated £761,000 in funding, resources and in-kind support were unlocked

These numbers matter, but only because of what sits behind them. Each connection represents a conversation that might not otherwise have happened. Each project represents a local need being met in a tangible way.

Where we saw real progress

1. Stronger local networks

One of the most encouraging shifts this year was how local networks became stronger. In many areas, Social Value activity moved from one-off engagements to more sustained relationships.

We saw suppliers returning to support multiple projects, community organisations became more confident in articulating what support they needed and authorities developed clearer expectations and processes around delivery.

That sense of continuity made a real difference. It reduced friction. It built trust. And it allowed Social Value to feel less transactional and more embedded.

2. Better visibility for delivery teams

A recurring theme we heard from procurement and Social Value teams was the need for visibility. Not just at contract award stage, but throughout delivery.

This year, more teams used the platform to keep track of what was actually happening on the ground. That meant fewer spreadsheets, fewer follow-up emails, and more confidence when it came time to report internally or externally.

Importantly, this wasn’t about creating more admin. It was about making existing activity easier to see, understand and evidence.

3. Businesses showing up differently

We also noticed a shift in how businesses engaged. More suppliers moved beyond viewing Social Value as a compliance exercise and started treating it as a chance to contribute meaningfully in the places they operate.

That showed up in practical ways: skills-based volunteering rather than generic donations, longer-term commitments to community partners, and more thoughtful alignment between business capability and community need.

Those changes don’t happen overnight, but they do compound over time.

The people and organisations behind the work

None of this happens in isolation. This year’s progress was shaped by hundreds of organisations working together.

We saw particularly strong engagement from partners across housing associations and local authorities, including A2 Dominion, Birmingham City Council & Birmingham and Solihull ICS, Hackney Giving, Hyde Housing Association, MTVH, Onward Homes, Peabody, Royal Borough of Greenwich, Solihull, SNG (Sovereign Network Group), Stockport, and Wigan, alongside many others.

Equally important were the many community organisations who consistently showed up with clarity, openness and resilience, while navigating their own funding and capacity pressures.

Including Alder Trust, Birmingham PlayCare Network, The Children’s Storehouse, The Garden Classroom, Henry Fawcett Primary, Jimmy’s Cambridge, Migrant Help UK, The Rotary Club of Chichester Harbour, and Unity Support Network CIC, among many others.

And of course, the many suppliers who invested time, skills and resources well beyond what was contractually required.

Including but not limited to Alphatrack Systems, CLM Fireproofing, Greenmount Projects, Just Ask Estate Services Ltd, McConnell Group, Mulalley, Novus Property Solutions, and Pinnacle Group.

This work only functions because of that collective effort.

What we learned (and where we’re still improving)

2025 also made some things very clear.

  • Timing matters. Not every organisation is ready to move at the same pace, and that’s okay. Social Value delivery needs to accommodate different starting points.
  • Clarity beats complexity. The simpler the process, the more likely people are to engage meaningfully.
  • Evidence should follow activity, not drive it. The best outcomes come from focusing on real needs first, then capturing the impact that follows.

We also know there’s more to do. Not every connection leads to a successful project. Not every authority has the internal capacity they’d like. Not every supplier feels confident navigating the space yet.

Acknowledging that, is part of doing this work honestly.

Looking ahead

As we move into 2026, our focus remains the same. Supporting practical, community-led Social Value delivery that has a real impact in local communities.

That means continuing to learn from partners, refining how we support different stages of the journey, staying grounded in what actually helps people do their jobs better. Because the ongoing challenge isn’t just delivering Social Value — it’s understanding what good Social Value actually looks like in practice.

If 2025 showed us anything, it’s that progress is possible when collaboration is treated as a shared responsibility rather than a box to tick.

Thank you to everyone who played a part this year. We’re proud of what we’ve built together, and grateful for the trust placed in us along the way.

Are you a business looking to make an impact and deliver on your Social Value commitments? Find out how you can support community projects in your area. Sign up here.

Want to see your organisation in our list of authorities? You can explore everything the platform offers with a free demo account here, or reach out to us at hello@matchmyproject.org

Match My Project 2025 Wrapped: Blue graphic with the text ‘Social Value 2025 Wrapped’ and ‘A year of impact delivered through Match My Project.’ Decorative yellow star icons appear in the top right, the Match My Project ‘M’ logo is in the bottom right, and the hashtag ‘#MMP2025WRAPPED’ is shown near the bottom

Buggies 4 Brum Campaign Launch. Photo: Samuel Singer
The Buggies 4 Brum campaign was launched after the Safe Sleep Scheme which provides sleeping equipment to families with children under 5 who are living in crisis situations.

“One mother had to use a shopping trolley to take her child to a medical appointment.”

In January 2024, Birmingham PlayCare Network launched its Safe Sleep Scheme with Thrive Together Birmingham, Spurgeons and Barnardo’s to give families cots and Moses baskets.

While working on that project, their Business Development Manager, Emma Martin, realised the need for pushchairs, with many families struggling without.

During harsh winter months, there was a concern that some families without cars would feel “trapped at home“, isolated from the local community, and without easy access to essential appointments for their children.

One mum had to use a shopping trolley to take her child to a health appointment.

“We have many families currently living in crisis who can’t afford the basics to support their children. To be able to access a pram could be life-changing — simply by being able to take your child to appointments, get a sibling to school on time, whilst your baby is warm and dry in a lovely new buggy.”

The mission was simple but urgent: help families access the basic equipment they need to keep their children warm, safe, and mobile.

This was the launch of the Buggies 4 Brum appeal, asking businesses and individuals for donations of preloved or new buggies and prams.

Since their launch, in mid-November at the Fort Shopping Centre, Birmingham, with support from Birmingham City Council, Birmingham Voluntary Service Council and partners, the appeal has gained national attention through a BBC feature.

To maximise impact, Birmingham PlayCare Network posted their request for buggies on the Match My Project platform, along with a second request for a photographer to capture the launch of the Buggies 4 Brum campaign.

Local supplier BSN Group Construction stepped in and supported both.

We spoke to Emma about how the Match My Project platform has supported the campaign.

PlayCare Network's Emma Martin at the Buggies 4 Brum campaign launch. Photo: Samuel Singer

“Five minutes to load up a project was easy.”

Discovering Match My Project

Emma first heard about Match My Project (MMP) through PlayCare Network’s reuse project The Scrapstore, but it was a conference last year — highlighting collaboration between charities and private businesses via Social Value — that prompted her to give the platform a try.

“I’m an optimist and thought I had nothing to lose. Five minutes to load up a project was easy, and I knew our work was impactful. I was hopeful that businesses would want to support what we were trying to achieve.”

“MMP has definitely made my work easier — without question.”

How Match My Project Changed Their Approach

Using Match My Project has transformed the way Birmingham PlayCare Network secures support.

Emma shares:

“MMP has definitely made my work easier — without question. Whereas before I could spend hours writing a funding bid which could be rejected with no feedback, now if there is something I need to support the centre or a new campaign, I can put it on MMP. Our requests can be supported by multiple partners and we can really develop relationships with those businesses.”

Instead of laborious fundraising applications, Match My Project allows for quick resource requests that build genuine working relationships with businesses.

“Businesses can directly see how their support is helping our local community.”

“It’s all about building relationships with businesses.”

A Platform for Partnership

Beyond donations, Match My Project has opened the door to ongoing relationships with volunteers and businesses.

“We’ve met quite a few businesses who said it was hard to find places to volunteer or support. Those people are now regularly in contact with us, looking to see when they can do their next volunteering day.”

For other community organisations looking to get support, Emma’s advice is simple:

“It’s all about building relationships with businesses, and making the requests achievable, not complicated, and if financial asks — realistic.”

A Message to Future Business Partners

“It’s great to meet new partners. They’re genuinely interested in what we do and respect us for it. People are often surprised by how much we achieve with very limited resource. For those operating in the charity sector, to have our work valued and recognised across the business world is important.”

#Toys4Bham is running in 2025 after last year’s successful campaign.

How you can help Buggies 4 Brum

  • Donate a Preloved Buggy or Pram — Double buggies and newborn prams are especially needed. Don’t worry, charity partners will repair and refresh it if necessary.

  • Make a Financial Contribution — Help us buy new buggies in bulk. Your donation also supports jobs for people back into employment.

  • Spread the word — get your employees, volunteers, customers or supporters on board. Download the flyer here.

Making a Difference for Birmingham Families this Christmas

Birmingham Playcare Network runs a range of schemes to support families — from collecting and redistributing craft supplies as part of The Scrapstore, to donating toys to children at Christmas through Toys4Bham, running coffee mornings in their Warm Welcome community space, and helping mothers connect through Brummie Mummies.

Together with their community partner, Thrive Together Birmingham, they are always looking for more support. As we count down to Christmas, Toys4Bham is up and running for 2025, aiming to make the festive period as special for as many vulnerable children as possible.

Are you a business that can help?
Head to the Match My Project platform and offer your support.

🔗 You can read the BBC piece here: Charity’s appeal to give pushchairs to families

💡 Top 5 Tips for Community-Based Organisations to Maximise Social Value through Match My Project

At the start of November, Oxford City Council welcomed more than 30 local organisations at Oxford Town Hall for a Match My Project networking event designed to strengthen connections between businesses and community groups for Social Value collaboration.

Setting the Scene: Why Match My Project Matters

The event opened with Oxford City Council’s Head of Economy, City Centre and Green Transport, who set the tone by highlighting the city’s commitment to building a fairer, more inclusive local economy.

Our CEO, Dan Ebanks, and our delivery manager, Susanna, followed with an introduction to Match My Project — why the platform exists, how it works, and how it helps local businesses and community organisations connect to deliver meaningful, targeted and community-led Social Value. In turn, this supports the community organisations that strengthen our local areas and help drive a more inclusive society.

Photo of attendees gathered for the Oxford City Council matching event, facing a presenter and screen at the front of the room.

Real stories, real impact: two successful matches

One of the highlights of the afternoon came from organisations already using the platform to collaborate:

Both case studies highlighted the practical benefits of using a matching platform to build structured, outcome-focused collaborations.

Live Pitches From Local VCFSE Organisations

Three Oxford charities delivered short pitches to showcase their current needs:

These pitches helped businesses quickly understand where their skills, resources, or capacity could make a tangible difference.

Jenny Bowley, CEO of OCVA, with Match My Project CEO & Co-founder, Dan Ebanks during the Oxford City Council Matching Event.

Closing reflections

The event concluded with a focused networking session that enabled attendees to form new connections and explore ideas for future collaboration. It was a clear demonstration of the value of bringing organisations together in a structured setting.

The high level of engagement, from lively conversations to genuine enthusiasm, highlighted how effective these environments can be for building relationships and supporting meaningful knowledge-sharing.

One week later, the momentum continued with a Match My Project webinar hosted by Jenny (pictured above) from OCVA, an organisation that supports and empowers volunteers, networks, partnerships, and non-profit organisations of all size. Her session provided practical guidance for local community organisations wanting to get started on the platform.

You can read OCVA’s full write-up here: Match My Project: Answering the questions and spreading the word

Get involved

Are you a supplier or community organisation based in Oxford?

Sign up to Oxford City Council’s site here. It’s free, quick and connects community projects with local suppliers.

Have questions? Reach out at hello@matchmyproject.org 💌

In mid-November, the Match My Project team headed down to South London to take part in Croydon Council’s Procurement Act and Social Value event and to celebrate the official launch of their Match My Project platform — another win for connecting communities.

The session spotlighted the Procurement Act 2023 — which gave a greater share of public sector supply opportunities to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) — and highlighted its impact on Croydon Council’s approach to Social Value, ensuring that procurement serves all levels of the community.

Photo of attendees gathered for the Croydon Council launch event, facing a presenter and screen at the front of the room.

A personal connection to Croydon

For our Co-founder and CEO, Dan Ebanks, the launch carried extra significance. Dan grew up in Croydon, attending school just 10 minutes from East Croydon station, and spent his teenage years hanging out in the town centre.

At university, when he’d tell people he was from Croydon, he recalled the subtle snobbery he’d sometimes sense, especially from those also from London but another borough. Even now, despite two decades of investment, excellent transport links, strong schools, and the richness of its local communities, some people still underestimate the town.

That’s why launching Match My Project there felt meaningful: the platform is about celebrating and supporting communities like these, and helping them to build even stronger, more resilient local networks.

Event Highlights

The event featured a series of presentations and Q&A discussions, including contributions from Dan himself, Natalie White, Strategic Procurement Manager for Adults, Children and Health at Croydon Council; and Mayor Jason Perry, who reflected on the importance of Social Value in the council’s work and the potential impact of Match My Project for Croydon.

Speaking about the importance of embedding Social Value in procurement processes, Mayor Perry emphasised:

“Social Value is not a tick-box exercise; it is a true purpose and responsibility to deliver and give back to Croydon residents and businesses.”

The session concluded with the Croydon Commitment Community Awards, marking the 20th anniversary of the council’s Social Value programme. Croydon Commitment trustees and CEO, as well as a number of community organisations shared their experiences and achievements in supporting Croydon’s residents amid an increasingly challenging financial and political climate. The commitment, optimism, and care for the borough made clear in their stories was genuinely inspiring.

A huge congratulations to Melinda Ashford, Partnerships and Programmes Director at Croydon Commitment, along with her team, the trustees, and all the organisations who took home an award. Here’s to the next 20 years of Social Value and community impact in Croydon!

Screen displaying the text 'We're celebrating 20 years in Croydon', with party bunting above, at the Croydon Procurement and Social Value event celebrating 20 years of Croydon's Social Value Programme, Croydon Commitment.

Get involved

Are you a supplier or community organisation based in London?

Sign up to Croydon’s site here. It’s free, quick and connects community projects with local suppliers.

Have questions? Reach out at hello@matchmyproject.org 💌

Thirteen Group launch event in Middlesbrough. The photo shows a conference room prepared for attendees, with Match My Project tote bags placed on each chair.

Thirteen Group Launch: Our first initiative in the North East

Thirteen Group is a housing association that provides around 100,000 people in the North East, Yorkshire and Humber region with homes, support and opportunities to grow. In mid-October, we attended the Thirteen Group launch event in Middlesbrough, alongside Julie Hollins and Cheryl Hodds from Thirteen, as well as community leaders, local authorities, and businesses.

It was an inspiring launch that showcased Thirteen’s commitment to Social Value and local collaboration. We’d like to thank Julie and Cheryl for their hard work. Their dedication to their local residents and community organisations was evident throughout the event.

Our co-founder, Dan, introduced Match My Project and gave a live demo, showing how the platform can directly support social impact.

Local voices: Linx Youth Project

The event also featured presentations from local partners, including a thought-provoking talk by Wayne Mason, Chief Executive at the Linx Youth Project. Representing one half of Thirteen’s very first match during the pilot phase, Wayne highlighted the importance of creating a space where community organisations can share what they need and businesses can easily step in to support those requirements.

Wayne humbly described his organisation’s work as providing three fundamental provisions for local children: a safe space, engaging activities, and an environment where they feel acknowledged and valued.

It was a sobering realisation for many of us present that while our own children may be fortunate enough to experience these things, many children in the North East – and throughout the country – do not.

Wayne emphasised how investing in young people supports long-term economic growth. By fostering a sense of belonging, the Linx Youth Project helps young people stay, work, and build futures in their local area.

“Every young person we meet is a story still being written. Sometimes, they just need someone to hand them a pen. At Linx, that’s what we do. We help them write better chapters; for themselves, their families, and their communities.”

Why our work matters

For us at Match My Project, it was a reminder of why our work matters. Beyond the technology and processes behind the platform, our mission is to help individuals and organisations create lasting, positive change in their own communities. While we focus on developing features that make collaboration easier, our purpose begins and ends with the community.

This marks Match My Project’s first initiative in the North East, and we’re optimistic about its progress. With Julie and Cheryl guiding its launch, we are confident about its potential to drive a more connected, measurable and impactful approach to Social Value delivery.

Photo shows a room full of people attending the Thirteen Group launch event in Middlesborough

Are you a supplier or community organisation based in the North East?

Sign up to Thirteen’s site here. It’s free, quick and connects community projects with local suppliers ready to give back.

Have questions? Drop us a line at hello@matchmyproject.org 💌


The sky was blue on the day we visited Nottingham, and the outlook for cross-sector collaboration across the East Midlands was equally bright.

We were delighted to attend the official launch of the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) Match My Project site in early September.

The launch marked an important milestone for both the region and our platform.

Mayor Claire Ward introduced Match My Project to attendees, emphasising its significance for the East Midlands.

As she explained, the authority’s investment in Match My Project represents a commitment to a region that “hasn’t had investment opportunities quite as much as it should have over the last few years.”


A regional rollout

This is the first time Match My Project has been rolled out by a Combined Authority. 

Mayor Ward articulated why this moment matters: 

“What I’m particularly delighted about is that this is the very first opportunity to do so on a regional scale, to bring together our councils: Nottinghamshire County Council, Derbyshire County Council, Nottingham City and Derby City, and to make each component part, and the relationships they have within our region, much greater, so we become much greater than the sum of our parts – that’s essentially what devolution and regional authority is all about.”

Match My Project doesn’t create Social Value – we build technology that enables its delivery. This regional approach represents a significant step forward in supporting public sector bodies to build more resilient and connected communities at scale.


A successful match

A local charity and a construction company shared how Match My Project helped them achieve tangible results during EMCCA’s pilot phase.

Marc Wade from Just Good Friends Club – a charity supporting people with learning disabilities – posted a request for volunteers to help with their community garden and coffee shack. 

Just a few days later, Terri Walker from Lovell Partnerships Ltd, a construction company, spotted the opportunity and offered their support –  it was a match!

But the story doesn’t end there. 

After this positive start, Lovell used the platform again to offer seven brand-new kitchen sets, complete with base and wall units and worktops. These kitchens were surplus stock from a recently completed contract that had never been used or installed.

 Walker said: 

“We’ve got rid of seven kitchens that probably would have gone to landfill, so there’s so many outputs there. It’s just been a really easy platform to use, and it’s been great to connect with smaller organisations that we wouldn’t have known about prior.”


Looking forward

Since the event, there’s been a significant surge in sign-ups to the platform. We’re thrilled to see organisations across the East Midlands embracing the platform, and look forward to working closely with local authorities, community organisations and businesses to maximise social value delivery in the region.

Interested in joining the network?

Sign up to EMCCA’s site here or get in touch at hello@matchmyproject.org.

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