The Power of Partnerships

United in our shared ambition to maximise the social impact we deliver, we recently welcomed our colleagues, partners, and industry experts to the second annual ‘Socius Impact Showcase’, which explored the importance of making connections and the power of our networks.

Attendees heard from an inspiring array of speakers, including the CEO of Social Value UK, Isabelle Parasram OBE, Regeneration Lead at Aviva, Sophie White, MD of Meeting Place, Nikki Davies and Long Road Sixth Form College’s Employment and Skills Lead, Tariq Sadiq.

The annual event, which aims to inspire, inform and initiate social impact emphasised the importance of businesses investing in their local communities, in order to maximise outcomes and leave long-term legacies.

The three key takeaways, according to Director of Ramboll UK, Gavin White were:

• Impact - The 'Pebble in the Pond' aspect. By doing one simple thing we can invite others to collaborate and amplify our impact.
• Voice - Don't underestimate the allyship and support that just adding your voice to a cause can have.
• Legacy – Social value should have long lasting impact beyond the initial piece of support / work.

Here’s what some of our attendees had to say…

“Really enjoyed listening to all the great partnerships and careers projects at Long Road Sixth Form College - really brings the impact to life when you can see evidence of how this benefits young people.”

Amy Mason, Head of Marketing at Bidwells

“Lots more the built environment sector could be doing to build networks with communities to grow the impact potential - let’s keep the conversations going.”

George Beard, Deputy Managing Director / Head of PR at Meeting Place

“Last night's conversations on purpose, partnerships, and doing good through businesses was refreshing and inspiring! My kind of event!”

Rachel Hales, Get Synergised Consultancy Services

“My take away from the evening was, 'seek out the communities that our schemes will impact upon that don’t yet have a voice and make sure they are heard, and importantly, listened to!”

Nick Thursby, Chapman Taylor Bristol Studio

“It’s refreshing to hear the range of ideas and commitments from all those involved in development, and the real impacts seen in the education sector.”

Joanne Sainsbury, Associate Director at Arup

“Remember, whether consciously or not, every action influences social value. By collaborating and measuring our impact, we can optimise our collective efforts for a better future. Let's continue to innovate, collaborate, and amplify our impact together.”

Isabelle Parasram OBE, CEO of Social Value UK

Today, we’re proud to publish our Socius Impact Report 2023, and we look forward to supporting all of our connections to do more, grow their networks even further and to make a big difference.

Read our latest report here