Neighbourly

Since starting the Neighbourly ‘In Conversation With’ series, we’ve been looking forward to speaking with Emma Sheron, ESG Manager at Gallagher Insurance, who has played a major role in shaping Gallagher’s corporate social responsibility programme, Gallagher Gives Back.

The programme, which launched in 2016, has seen remarkable growth: a 91% increase in volunteering hours, a 26% rise in community fund schemes, and a 33% boost in matched giving over the past two years. These figures represent the success of Gallagher's employee-led approach. 

The company empowers its workforce to support good causes in their local communities that are making a difference, resulting in connections with a diverse range of causes from around the UK, from schools to hospices, community centres to foodbanks. This strategy, alongside initiatives such as a network of passionate "charity champions", a programme for graduate joiners, buy-in from senior leadership, to note just a few, ensures that Gallagher's impact reaches far beyond its London headquarters to over 80 locations nationwide.

Watch the full video here to learn more about the strategy and key initiatives behind the success of Gallagher’s giving programme. 

Looking ahead, Gallagher is committed to its corporate community investment so that its employees can continue to make a difference in the communities they serve. As Emma aptly puts it, this drive to do more "raises my heart rate," but it's a challenge embraced with resounding success to date.

The Gallagher Gives Back programme represents the importance of aligning corporate values with employee passion and community needs. It's an example of how businesses can be a force for good, creating a lasting positive impact while fostering a culture of purpose and engagement among their workforce.

As areas of the UK have sadly experienced unacceptable anti-immigrant and far-right violence within our communities, testing the bonds that tie us together like never before... The uncertainty, fear and tension created can drive a wedge between us, yet it's precisely during these turbulent periods that the values of neighbourliness and community provide much needed stability and support. We stand together with those who face such adversity with the pursuit for unity, acceptance and above all peace.

Collaborative communities provide the backbone for societal resilience and, leveraging our collective strengths is crucial to advocate for the needs of those who are most vulnerable.

To our employees, clients, good causes and neighbours, particularly those who have been made to feel unsafe, we continue to build on our founding principles in our pursuit of a more equal, inclusive and connected society. We take inspiration from the tireless work of the individuals and community organisations who have been on the frontline.

We have co-signed, alongside other charity leaders, a statement from the Civil Society Group. If you are a good cause, and have been affected by the recent disturbances, and in need of support, please do get in contact via the link below. 

In 2022 the Lidl Community Fund was established to support small charities and community groups, helping to address food insecurity and hunger on a local level. Recognising that many people and organisations are struggling, Lidl teamed up with Neighbourly to provide targeted funding to those on the front lines that are supporting people in need.

A Growing Impact

Now entering its third year, the Lidl Community Fund has run nine funding rounds, opening a new application window each quarter. The programme has been extremely well-received and is highly sought after by its network of connected good causes across the UK.

The fund has provided grants ranging from £500 for emergency food provisions, to £5,000 for larger capacity-building projects, and up to £20,000 for transformational initiatives, delivering deeper, long-lasting impact into the community. 

To date, £1.17 million has been distributed, supporting more than 950 good causes and 288,000 people nationwide. With a particular focus on social welfare, the top Sustainable Development Goals supported by the fund are 1 (No poverty), 2 (Zero hunger) and 3 (Good heath and well-being).

Evolving to Meet Changing Needs

The Lidl Community Fund has evolved over the last three years to maximise impact, in particular by adjusting grant sizes in response to economic conditions and the needs of the local community. Key enhancements include:

• Introducing larger £20,000 grants in 2024 to deliver transformational, big-impact projects.
• Responding to inflationary pressures by removing the smaller £200 grant tier to concentrate resources on delivering more impact.
• Streamlining the application process to make it easier for organisations to apply.
• Updating reporting requirements to gather deeper insights on the difference the grants are making.

The flexibility to adapt the programme parameters is critical to ensuring the Fund can pivot to meet evolving community needs.

Neighbourly: Delivering Benefits Through Partnership

Delivering grant programmes with Neighbourly allows Lidl to efficiently support local communities nationally by leveraging technology to strengthen existing grassroots partnerships. The Neighbourly team provides end-to-end programme management, so support can be delivered to the heart of communities in a straightforward and timely manner.

By accessing Neighbourly’s network, Lidl is also able to tailor its funding rounds to target specific themes. This may relate to strategic drivers in different locations or on a nationwide scale, and has previously included priorities such as holiday hunger, hygiene products, and support for community gardens/allotments.

Community Impact in Action

The Lidl Community Fund has supported a diverse range of local causes, with some recipients having been awarded multiple grants over time, empowering them to continue improving service delivery and impact.

Alongside the fund, Lidl has also supported local causes through its festive Toy Bank Funds and a Hygiene Poverty Fund. Lidl has also worked with Neighbourly since 2017 on its back-of-store food surplus redistribution scheme ‘Feed It Back’, as well as the launch of its in-store Customer Donation Points through Neighbourly, with many other retailers following suit.

Looking ahead, the Lidl Community Fund will continue to deliver grants to frontline organisations tackling food insecurity through effective, tailored ways across the UK.

We’re at a pivotal time for UK politics. The past five days since the announcement of the Labour win have been awash with headlines and speculations about what the future now holds for the economy, foreign policy, the NHS, business, education, transport, environment and more. 

The current levels of poverty and hardship in the UK were no doubt a central factor in Labour’s election win, despite campaign groups pointing out a stark lack of focus from either side on the issue of hardship. Last week Neighbourly joined hundreds of charities in pushing for poverty to be top of the Prime Minister’s priorities from day one, in a campaign led by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Their research commissioned with Nuffield College Politics Research Centre showed that 39% of voters (18.5 million people) feel economically insecure with concerns over outgoings for housing, childcare and debt.

When Keir Starmer presented the Labour Party’s general election manifesto, there was an emphasis on a commitment to prioritising “wealth creation” and economic growth, with an aim to improve living standards for working people. We were interested in taking a closer look at how the proposed changes may affect our communities through some key policy areas:

Economic stability

• Labour's emphasis on economic stability through strict fiscal rules and the creation of the "Office for Value for Money" may lead to more targeted investments that directly benefit local economies

Education

• Investment in education, such as recruiting 6,500 new teachers, enhancing vocational training and updating the curriculum, and plans to open Technical Excellence Colleges aims to give people specialist skills in the fields their local area most requires

Energy and the environment

• The establishment of Great British Energy and investments in clean energy could bring new economic opportunities to small communities, particularly those in rural areas 
• The focus on renewable energy may also reduce energy costs, contributing to overall economic resilience​

Law and Order 

• Recruiting 13,000 more neighbourhood police and setting up youth hubs aims to combat antisocial behaviour and improve community safety 

Employment

• A new combined national jobs and careers service would bring together Jobcentre Plus and the careers service –to help people find better-paid work
• The “growth and skills levy” aims to give companies more freedom to use up to half of government funding to cover apprenticeships or provide training for existing staff

The vision laid out offers a glimpse into a future aimed at inclusive growth and sustainable development for local communities. In the Chancellor’s first speech on Monday the clear message was one of growth in order to fix the foundations, with Reeves saying ‘Our manifesto was clear: sustained economic growth is the only route to improving the prosperity of our country and the living standards of working people.’

But what about the pressing issue of poverty? The Labour manifesto pledged to ”develop an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty", including introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school. It also says it wants “to end mass dependence on emergency food parcels", albeit with a lack of specifics on how this would be achieved. 

The promise to balance the economy in favour of working people, combined with expectations of a forthcoming solid poverty strategy is creating optimism for many. There’s no doubt that funding shortfalls and underinvestment inherited from previous years mean there will still be a critical need in communities for months to come, but there’s good reason to remain positive. Moreover, the business case for corporations to support and build thriving communities where all stakeholders benefit remains clear.

The past year has brought immense challenges for communities across the UK and Ireland. From the persistent cost-of-living crisis to funding constraints, local charities and good causes have been at the forefront, tirelessly supporting those in need. Neighbourly's May 2024 Community Survey provides a vital snapshot into the realities on the ground.

Hearing about these challenges can seem overwhelming, but we also hear many stories of great local resilience and success. We gather and present these insights to aid our understanding of the challenges and the ways that we can collaboratively support.

The Increasing tide of need

Nearly 4 out of 5 respondents (78%) report a surge in demand over the past three months. On average, each charity or community group is supporting 374 people per week, which is tracking fairly consistently from previous quarters. However, in this survey we found out that due to capacity and funding limitations, 47% are being forced to turn individuals away, unable to meet the growing needs.

For food banks and other food-aid organisations specifically, the numbers are particularly interesting - showing that an average of 45 people per week are going unsupported. Across Neighbourly's network of over 5,000 such causes, an estimated 225,000 people are going unsupported each week due to lack of resources - equivalent to the entire population of Westminster. Extrapolated up nationally, these figures are potentially huge. As the Leg Up Foundation in Doncaster told us, "Foodbank demand remains strong, with people from all walks of life – employed and unemployed looking for help."

A perfect storm of challenges

The cost-of-living crisis continues to be a primary driver, with 79% of respondents anticipating it will persist or worsen throughout the year. Compounding this are cuts to local authority funding, with 88% of organisations already feeling the impact and prompting concerns from groups like Southampton Street Pastors, who have seen their council funding slashed, with more cuts looming; “The local authority has traditionally made up 40% of our funding. This sum has just been slashed by 25% for this financial year and will be halved again the following year. In 26/27 it will cease.” Limited financial resilience adds further precarity, as 38% report their financial position has deteriorated. The toll is evident, with 80% worried about the health and wellbeing of staff and volunteers due to the unrelenting workload.

A shortage of resources

Paradoxically, while needs have spiked, 44% of causes cite a decrease in food and product donations over the past three months. The most requested items illuminate the breadth of community needs with food being the most needed item, followed by toiletries and personal care items, household products, baby care products and kitchen/cooking items. From pet supplies and children's toys to clothing and craft materials, the list continues, underscoring the diverse array of support needs.

On the volunteering front, demands for delivery drivers, gardeners, administrators, and marketing assistance topped the rankings. Remote-friendly roles like befriending services, financial guidance and programme delivery were also areas of need.

The AI frontier

As new technologies like generative AI emerge, 64% of respondents admitted being unsure of where to start or having not yet explored its potential. This highlights a knowledge gap that may hinder these organisations from harnessing innovations to bolster efficiency and impact. Our new DigitalBridge remote volunteering campaign aims to help tackle the digital divide, by facilitating the transfer of digital expertise and beginner AI knowledge from employee volunteers at multiple partner companies into Neighbourly's charity network, supported by online resources curated by Microsoft. Last year’s Charity Digital Skills report shows that charities increasingly have a growing interest in leveraging emerging technologies like AI and ChatGPT, enabling them to reduce administrative workloads and spend more time on strategy.

A call for collaborative action

The findings from this survey are a rallying cry for collective efforts. Local charities and community groups are the backbone of support systems, and increased awareness, resourcefulness and creative solutions will be critical to their ongoing sustainability.

Political decisions will also determine the economic landscape they operate in. This week Neighbourly joined hundreds of charities in pushing for hardship to be top of the Prime Minister’s priorities from day one, in a campaign led by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Their research commissioned with Nuffield College Politics Research Centre shows voters' worries about economic insecurity are set to play a pivotal role in how they vote in the upcoming election - 39% of voters (18.5 million people) feel economically insecure with concerns over outgoings for housing, childcare and debt.

Whether the incoming government will set out a plan to help provide immediate relief to struggling families and commit to an ambitious strategy for the improvement of living standards remains to be seen. As businesses, we can continue to support through responsible resource allocation, volunteer mobilisation and partnerships that will champion grassroots organisations and empower them to continue their vital work.

Watch the whole video here.

Since joining the Neighbourly community, Hays, the global recruitment agency has committed themselves to their core mission of making a positive impact on the communities they operate in, fostering a culture of social responsibility and “doing the right thing” among their employees.

As part of Hays’ Social and Environmental Purpose programme and in partnership with Neighbourly, the global recruiter has set up a thriving employee volunteering programme, “Hays Gets Neighbourly”. With over 3,000 employees participating in over 90 different locations, they’ve been able to make a huge difference not only on a national level, but more importantly, on a local one too.

Having now clocked in almost 16,000 volunteer hours and run two successful volunteering campaigns over consecutive years, we thought it was about time we sat down with Director and social and environmental purpose lead, Karen Young to find out more.

In conversation with Neighbourly CEO Steve Butterworth, Karen provides insight into topics such as Gen Z motivations for volunteering, capturing human stories as well as impact metrics to inspire others and creating local volunteer opportunities on a national scale.

In the excerpt above, Karen delves into how Hays continue to successfully motivate employees to volunteer, including:

• Planning a robust internal comms plan, prioritising the delivery of a consistent and steady stream of reminders to employees about the opportunities available to them
• Collecting testimonials and quotes from employees after they’ve volunteered to promote the programme
• Complete backing from the C-suite
• Encouraging individuals at management level sign up to and attend volunteer events

When we launched our surplus food redistribution service in 2015, we had a simple but ambitious goal - to make it easy for businesses to donate their surplus food to those in need close by, rather than see it go to waste. Nearly nine years on, we've grown that initial vision into a nationwide network matching businesses with unsold food to thousands of local charities, community centres, food banks and other organisations working to fight hunger and food insecurity. This week we saw our 200 millionth meal donated through the programme.

From those first tentative surplus pickups in 2015, the Neighbourly food redistribution programme has grown at an incredible pace. We went from facilitating 100,000 meal donations in our first year, to over 1 million meals by 2017, 5 million the year after that, and have seen donations multiply year-on-year. Reaching this 200 millionth meal marker is a testament to the power of businesses and communities working together towards the common goal of reducing food waste while getting good surplus food to those who need it most.

This accomplishment represents 200,000,000 individual moments of helping put food on the table for someone struggling with food insecurity. It's 200 million parts of making good use of food that would have otherwise been thrown away. And it's 318k tonnes of CO2 saved in the process.

None of this would be possible without the incredible work and commitment of our food donors and charity partners. Our gratitude goes to the thousands of store teams across the country from businesses like M&S, Lidl, Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Pret, Southern Coop and GAIL’s, who’ve made donations through Neighbourly's platform. From the smallest cafe to the largest supermarket, each and every donation has made a difference.

And to our network of amazing charitable organisations - food banks, soup kitchens, community centres, youth charities, shelters, schools and many more - thank you for being on the front lines, day in and day out, getting this food out to your communities. 

As we mark this incredible 200 million meal moment, we also look ahead to the important work still to be done. Food insecurity remains widespread, good food continues to be wasted, and the effects of climate change make reducing food waste all the more critical. Neighbourly will continue to grow our food redistribution programme, adding more donor businesses and recipient organisations to our nationwide food recovery network, whilst we also call for key policy changes that could facilitate redistribution on an even greater scale.

We hope you'll join us in this mission, and in our wider goal to deliver £1bn of impact in the UK & Ireland by 2025. Together we can build more sustainable communities where no good food goes to waste.

In 2023, the Royal Bank of Scotland partnered with Neighbourly to deliver their Royal Bank Regenerate Fund, a £150,000 community grant fund aimed at supporting causes who are making positive changes to the environment across Scotland. The fund provided 50 grants of £3,000 each to community organisations and charities with projects focused on a range of sustainability and environmental protection themes.

As experts in community giving, facilitating over £30,000,000 of donations into the community and running large scale grant programmes including the 2023 M&S Gifts that Give campaign, Neighbourly was brought on board to deliver and manage the programme, working closely with the Royal Bank team. It was recommended that grants of £3,000 would be the optimal amount to empower community organisations to create impactful change through their environmental projects, as a large number of causes could receive a grant whilst ensuring that the amount was large enough to deliver a tangible benefit.

“The overarching goal was to help organisations or individuals in society make a positive environmental impact.”

Good causes with a focus on one of four categories - Energy and Buildings, Biodiversity and Natural Environment, Water and Waste, or Mobility and Transport - were invited to take part. This ensured that the programme was focused and communications were simple and clear. The overarching goal was to help organisations or individuals in society make a positive environmental impact.

Managing the programme from application to delivery 

Applications for the fund opened in June 2023 and remained open for 10 weeks, giving sufficient time for a wide range of applications to be submitted. Having promoted the fund through a marketing campaign including video, radio, billboards and social media ads, to drive awareness and applications, word of mouth also proved to be an important driver, creating momentum around the programme.

Hundreds of applications were received, which Neighbourly then assessed and shortlisted via our thorough vetting process with strict due diligence to ensure that the good causes put forward were legitimate and acting with a strong social purpose. Following this the Royal Bank team brought together internal and external experts to judge each category and 50 recipient causes were selected with the funds distributed throughout November and December 2023. In total, £150,000 has been distributed across 50 projects, less than 9 months since the applications first opened.

Utilising Neighbourly's network to drive local impact

Through Neighbourly's network and expertise in the sector, the Royal Bank Scotland was able to reach many grassroots charities and community groups that may have been otherwise inaccessible. This enabled the fund to create genuine local impact in communities across Scotland, as evidenced by the wide regional spread of projects over every postcode region, and support more than 58,000 beneficiaries. Some of the local projects included; the installation of solar panels on a village hall roof; expanding a bee apiary to provide more opportunities for local schools to engage with bee keeping; installing loft insulation at 19 Dementia Resource Centres; and upgrading buildings to be carbon neutral & more efficient.

For grant recipients joining Neighourly, being part of the network also creates opportunities for further support beyond this one programme. Many causes supported were new to the platform and will now be invited to access other funding, volunteer support and partnership opportunities available.

Grant recipients lead local environmental change

Each of the 50 good causes that were selected to receive a grant as part of the Regenerate Fund had a goal to make a positive environmental impact. We’re so pleased to already have some great feedback from the recipients on the impact it has had within their communities, demonstrating the importance of grant programmes like this one:

“It has been another busy winter period. We are still operating in an energy crisis, although high energy bills are now normal. We have been able to help more vulnerable people than we expected because so many residents have come to us for support in the last few months. Clients tell us that speaking with an experienced energy officer gives them peace of mind.” 

South Seeds, Glasgow

“Having new LED lighting installed in our care home has brightened up areas within the home that are windowless. These have made a tremendous difference to the mood of our residents who live with dementia.”

Greenock Medical Aid Society, Greenock

“This funding has been instrumental in our most recent phase of works retrofitting our facilities to become sustainable, energy positive spaces that can withstand the pressures of any forthcoming climate and economic impact. The commitment to energy positivity across both buildings is part of our long term ambition to champion the possibility of energy positive public spaces and the journey towards locally owned renewable energy generation.”

Agile City CIC, Glasgow

The Regenerate Fund enabled good causes across Scotland to deliver impactful community-level environmental projects by distributing grants efficiently through the Neighbourly platform. To learn more visit https://www.rbs.co.uk/regenerate-fund.html.

As technology increasingly impacts every aspect of our lives, a significant digital divide threatens to leave disadvantaged communities behind. In a rapidly evolving landscape where efficiency and innovation are paramount, small charities which support these communities often lack the resources and skills to capitalise on digital tools. This growing knowledge gap risks hampering their ability to create meaningful societal change.

At Neighbourly, we recognise the urgency of addressing this issue and have joined forces with Microsoft to launch DigitalBridge - an innovative volunteering campaign designed for grassroots charities to build knowledge through digital skills training.

Recent research revealed that two-thirds of charities are eager to benefit from emerging technologies like ChatGPT to streamline operations. However, a significant 64% admitted being unsure of where to begin with Generative AI. This knowledge gap represents a major hurdle preventing organisations from harnessing technology's full potential.

In the words of Bev Sykes, Founder of Just Good Friends, "Our small charity would be really interested in learning more about AI and chat tools...we're struggling to move forward in certain areas because of our lack of knowledge." 

DigitalBridge is our commitment to unlocking new opportunities for our network, channelling corporate volunteers' expertise directly into local charities across sectors like youth development, poverty relief and community enrichment. Through this, participating good causes will gain training in digital tools to drive more efficiencies.

Our hope is that charities can fully embrace AI as a catalyst for creativity, strategic thinking, and accelerating positive impacts. Microsoft's comprehensive online training resources have been tailored specifically for the programme and will provide a launchpad for charity staff to build AI proficiencies and understand the opportunities. Armed with greater knowledge, charity teams can not only improve their core operations but also pay that knowledge forward; they'll be equipped to provide essential digital literacy training to the beneficiaries they support – a powerful tool for fostering inclusivity and opportunity.

As we celebrate major volunteering milestones like Volunteers Week and The Big Help Out this June, DigitalBridge harnesses the spirit of collective action. Through the involvement of corporate partners like Virgin Media O2, Hays, Overbury and Morgan Lovell, Motability, and Redcliffe & Temple BID and their workforces, we can ensure that smaller charities aren’t left behind as society embraces the next great technological leap.

DigitalBridge Business Enquiries

Neighbourly is delighted to be part of The Big Help Out 2024, an initiative dedicated to mobilising volunteers across the UK to make a positive difference in their communities. As a leading platform for corporate social responsibility and community engagement, we’re excited to join forces with The Big Help Out to amplify the impact of volunteering activities and empower individuals and businesses to give back in meaningful ways.

The Big Help Out 2024, organised by The /together coalition, is a nationwide campaign that aims to inspire individuals and businesses to dedicate their time, skills, and resources to support local causes and charities. With a focus on addressing pressing social and environmental challenges, The Big Help Out encourages volunteers to get involved in a wide range of activities, from mentoring and tutoring to environmental conservation and community outreach.

At Neighbourly, we believe in the power of collective action and the importance of building strong, connected communities. That's why we're thrilled to be part of this year’s campaign, where we can leverage our platform to facilitate volunteering opportunities and drive positive change at the grassroots level.

One of the key features of our collaboration with The Big Help Out is the integration of volunteering activity on the Neighbourly platform with the campaign.

Any volunteering activity logged on Neighbourly during the campaign period will be recognised as part of The Big Help Out, allowing employee volunteers to contribute to the collective impact of the campaign while supporting local initiatives that align with their interests, skills, and availability.

As part of our commitment to communities, we’re actively encouraging businesses to get involved, to help address critical needs, foster social cohesion, and create lasting positive change. Whether it's mentoring a young person, planting trees in a local park, or helping out at a food bank, every act of kindness and generosity counts.