The founder of a unique grassroots group in Brighton and Hove which has attracted more than 2,000 members hopes to revolutionise the way the city’s firms give back.
Toni Finnimore, who set up The Social Society in October 2018, is aiming to persuade more businesses to ditch the tick-box approach to corporate social responsibility.
The society’s mission is threefold:
• To raise funds via membership fees
• For members to share skills, pledge time and expertise to support local charities
• To run social events from beachside music pop-ups to workshops and meals out to reduce isolation locally.
And for 2020, Toni helps to convince companies to join the skills-sharing model as well as subscribing to offer financial support.
“Although it’s a great thing to do, it’s not enough to just hand over a big cheque once a year; many smaller local charities need regular support, or even just expertise in a certain area,” she says.
“Having a pool of experienced members the charities can tap into negates the need for formal recruitment, saving them further cost.
“If companies get involved with us, we’re helping them fulfill their targets for philanthropic giving and we help them retain their staff by creating opportunities to develop their skills with charitable projects.
“Evidence suggests that organisations that put purpose ahead of profit retain teams for longer. With 75% of the workforce being made up of millenials by 2025, businesses have to change their approach to charitable giving.
“We want to be THE platform for charitable giving – this is the way forward.”
Drawing on her background in charity management, Toni was inspired to set up a new model which could transform the way we support charities – and each other.
“Charities up and down the country are propping up core community services like mental health and children’s provisions, due to cuts to government funding, with over 51% of people in Brighton alone volunteering in 2019,” she explains.
“The horizon is bleak and, as communities, we need to do more. One day we may all need to access these services and if we don’t act, there won’t be a service to provide that support.
“We need to go back to basics and build our communities ourselves, and make sure no one is in need because we can’t rely on the government.”
Members, who pay a monthly subscription of £11.99, can be involved to varying degrees: there are the ‘quick wins’, like designing a logo for one of the six charities the club supports, helping out at an event for a few hours or lending a camera; the regular roles, like befriending an older person or volunteering as a Gig Buddy, accompanying people with learning disabilities to see live music; or the skills-based long-term projects, matching people who want to give their time with those who need expertise in a particular area, like accounting, design or coding.
“The skills swap in particular means members can be involved in a way that’s quick, responsive and unique – you can give a few hours or a few days and know that you have made a difference to an organisation that really needed that knowledge,” adds Toni.
“But we also have a number of members who just pay their monthly subscription, happy that a percentage of that is going to local good causes.”
And she’s keen to roll out the model nationally, kicking off with a pudding club which kicks off on Sunday, 1 March, at PLATF9RM Hove from 3pm to 5pm, and will be streamed to places around the country.
“We’re calling it ‘combatting loneliness through cake’: there will be a webcam set up so you can chat to someone in London, York, Liverpool and Manchester and share a cup of tea with them, without having to be physically present, whether that’s due to anxiety, physical ailments, loneliness or simply being elderly.”
Other upcoming events will include a Secret Cinema event at Copperdollar Studios in Kemptown on 29 February, as well as the regular monthly social sessions.
A social club for social good: changing Brighton from the ground up