In October we were proud to hold our third Charities Engagement Evening at Haberdashers’ Hall. We were joined by many of our awe inspiring charity partners, as well as Haberdasher volunteers and friends across the Livery for an enlightening evening of solidarity and support.
Why £5,000 is just the beginning of meaningful collaboration
“Rarely does a day seem normal. Rarely does a week pass without some emergency or challenge.”
These words stopped me in my tracks as I scrolled through LinkedIn last week, just a day before the annual Charities Engagement Evening. They were written by the CEO of one of our partner charities, New Horizon Youth Centre.
After five years in this role, learning from and working alongside our charity partners, this single observation reminded me – once more – that leading small charities is becoming ever challenging.
On that day I had the privilege of spending time with the brilliant, passionate, and driven CEOs of our Small Grant holders at our Charities RoundTable. Each organisation represented has received a £5,000 grant within the last year—an award we’re proud to offer, but one we know has its limitations.
The Reality of Small Grants
Let’s be honest: £5,000 of unrestricted funds is valuable, but it’s not going to create dramatic transformation—especially when these organizations are managing endless demands with diminishing resources. We can’t flatter ourselves into thinking otherwise.
That’s why we, as a Company, made a deliberate decision to lean in further. We asked ourselves three critical questions:
- Where are the points of collaboration with our grant holders?
- How can we support our charity partners beyond the financial award?
- How can the Company and its membership work in partnership to affect greater change for the young people in and around our schools?
A Shared Mission
Each charity represented at the Charities Engagement Evening is completely unique in its approach and focus. Yet their missions and visions reflect common threads; a shared language of purpose that binds them together:
- Promoting confidence, discipline, self-belief, and resilience
- Supporting social, economic, and mental wellbeing
- Building character and skills, fostering the next generation of leaders
- Improving educational outcomes and creating brighter futures
All of these charities operate on the doorsteps of our schools and churches. All of them face the same challenges: running small organisations with limited resources and infrastructure.
And yet, they consistently punch above their weight in terms of the impact they have on the lives of young people—the students in our schools, their families, and the wider community.
An Invitation to Build Partnerships
The call to action at the Charities Engagement Evening was to learn more about the work of the Company’s charity partners. Members were asked to consider how their time, professional experience, and expertise might benefit them in ways that money alone cannot.
Yes, rarely does a day seem normal for these organisations. Rarely does a week pass without some emergency or challenge. But together, in partnership and collaboration, we can create meaningful, lasting change.
Our Partner Organisations
We’re proud to work alongside charity partners who support the children, young people and families in our schools and their wider communities:
- Parent Skills 2 Go
- Dynamic Coaching
- Esports Youth Club
- Finding Rhythms
- Hackney Playbus
- NNECL
- Sports Fun 4 All
- Southside Young Leaders Academy
- Construction Youth Trust
- Tutors United
- No Going Back
- Adult Literacy Trust
The work continues. The challenges remain. But together, we’re building something stronger than any single grant could achieve—a network of support, expertise, and shared commitment to the young people in our schools and their communities.
If you’d like to find out more about the philanthropic work of the Company, speak to Director for Charities, Susan Barry.
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