Pilotlight

How much financial impact can volunteering generate for the UK economy? A report by Pro Bono Economics published today reveals that workplace volunteering could result in net productivity gains of between £1.6 billion and £2.85 billion for the UK economy. But wait, that’s not all. Other benefits include: ✅ £1.2 billion - £3.6 billion per year in employee wellbeing benefits ✅ Reduction in sickness absence days ✅ Increased income for those who volunteer. Pilotlight’s volunteering programmes, designed to offer staff experiential learning opportunities, generate between £1.50 and £3.60 in benefits for every £1 invested. Businesses - it’s time to realise that volunteering is not a cost, it’s an investment. Read on to see how: https://bit.ly/3WeNoJk #EmployeeWellbeing #HappinessAtWork

Interested in amplifying your charity's impact? For charities in Scotland we have an upcoming online event where you can find out more about the programmes on offer at Pilotlight, and have your questions answered. Register today: https://bit.ly/4dvIZHo

“The process was very useful for me. I was led to question my assumptions around different possibilities for our future.” Rowan Alba supports some of the most vulnerable people affected by homelessness in Edinburgh, many with complex, long term issues such as poor mental health, and drug and alcohol abuse. CEO Helen Carlin came to Setting Direction to explore a suitable investment model to attract new investors who share Rownn Alba’s values. Securing and managing its own property portfolio would enable it to create the long-term support needed to better service the most vulnerable homeless people in Edinburgh. Read to see how they achieved this: https://bit.ly/3AGphu0

Free pro bono support is here. Does your charity need help to thrive? We are offering a free package of support, worth up to an estimated £5,000 to charities based in Scotland across 2025. At Pilotlight we have a range of programmes designed to support your incredible work and amplify your impact. Our programmes see business experts share their expertise with charities, bringing new perspectives, diverse skills and vast experience to bear on the challenges they’re facing. Our support is free of charge to charities and social enterprises. 👉 Take a look at our programmes and how to apply here: https://bit.ly/4dsGFBh

How do we respond to the racist riots? Two suggestions were made to me today and each point in a very different direction for how we respond to the racist violence and riots of this month. The first was about standing up to condemn those involved, for the attack on the rights and dignity of people already marginalised in society. The second was about reaching out to the perpetrators, as people who may also be vulnerable and whose exclusion can only feed the divisions that underpin the unrest. Both suggestions are rooted in values, the wellspring of voluntary action, but in different interpretations of those values. Of course, there is no set script for the voluntary sector. Different charities can and will respond in different ways. We are also far from neutral – when charity buildings are targeted and set alight, we are part of the story. But there is also a tradition of courage in charities over time who serve and involve people who are stigmatised and marginalised by others in society. As one charity leader said to me “do we see the young people in court accused of participating in the riots as evil… or as children who we failed to reach in time?” Calling out the wrongs of the world, she goes on to say, has diminishing returns if ultimately no one listens, no one learns and no one belongs. Is there space for nurturing relationships that are based on understanding each other rather than changing the minds of each other? Richard Sennett, the great sociologist, calls these ‘dialogic’ processes and they are rooted in the informal co-operative exchanges of everyday life, with civil society playing a critical role. Just as a cadre of voluntary organisations like Involve has been a pioneer of new forms of civic participation over the last decade, so I see pioneers emerging in the practices of inclusion, not through performative action but by creating the conditions of safety and respect for courageous conversations. Charities working with trauma-informed approaches like Chance UK have much to teach us all. I have written before about the call of our times as one of tackling conflict and the scope in what Pilotlight does, and others do, for volunteering for peace. At a local level, through a local church, a few of us are helping to set up an open event next month to bring people together where I live, with a talk by the founder of a compelling local charity, Lewisham Donation Hub. Under the title of ‘After the Riots’, we want to explore how hardship harms us all. We are in a world of conflict and division. Our experience is edited by social media that feeds our fragmentation with stories to confirm what we already believe. Civil society is a rare space in which we can find contact, conversation and community that allows for difference. So, how do we best respond? I would love to hear your views. Debra Allcock Tyler Dr Lindsay Cordery-Bruce Sarah Castell   https://lnkd.in/epWtMwwX

Join us on 3 October 2024, at the Pilotlight Summit! Hear from inspiring figures from both for-profit and impact-driven organisations as they share practical examples of successful collaborations and pro bono action between the business and charity sectors. We have an exceptional lineup of speakers to share their insights and expertise, including two panel discussions chaired by Matt Sparkes, Sustainability Director at Linklaters and Richard Goff, Chair of The People Director Partnership. This is your chance to network with like-minded individuals and charity leaders to share ideas and build partnerships that can amplify your impact. Reserve your spot today: https://bit.ly/4dyCbbA More exciting speakers will be announced soon, so stay tuned! #PilotlightSummit #Networking #Collaboration #Impact

Brilliant opportunity for free consultancy to charity colleagues in Scotland: Are you looking for expert technical consultancy for your charity? Or in need of a bespoke practical, data management tool? Across 10 weeks, 6 cross-disciplinary technical managers from a business will consult, analyse, and design a bespoke data management tool and user guide to meet your charity's needs, on Pilotlight's Make an Impact Programme. It's completely free to charities (as all Pilotlight programmes are) and runs from early September this year. We still have a few places, so if we can help your charity in this area, please reach out directly to me via LinkedIn or by email at [email protected]. Apply soon to secure a spot. Not the right opportunity for you? No problem - please share with your networks to anyone you think would benefit.

It's truly inspiring to see business come together to support and empower charities in just one day. Thank you Deloitte for the partnership and the incredible work of the 382 skilled volunteers! 

“We’re clearer about the direction we want to go in. I’m taking control and it feels good. I have a better understanding of where to place our resources, both staff time and what contracts to go for.” Company Director of Just Psychology CIC, Dr Iyabo Fatimilehin came to Inclusive Leadership, a programme Pilotlight runs in partnership with Barclays, for support on how to create a sustainable business plan for growth. Read on to see the results six months after completing the programme: https://bit.ly/3xDToRX

Ever wondered how volunteering could change your life? ✨ For our Pilotlighter, Amelie Montague (née Busch) CFA, the experience was nothing short of impactful. In this blog, she shares her experience of Pilotlight 360 and how the programme kick-started her journey to become a trustee. Read her story here: https://lnkd.in/eJixDmfH