Our Charity Work
January 2021
I’m Chloe and I set up Executive Support Consultants over 5 years ago. The company has just one employee (me!) and I work with a number of sub-contractors to help deliver our business organising services.
As we start 2021, I have decided to make 2 big changes to my company.
Firstly, I have implemented a 4-day working week and secondly, with my extra time I have decided to volunteer my business skills to help small volunteer led charities deliver on their mission.
4-Day Working Week
I’ve been following the latest research and case studies of other organisations that have moved to a 4-day working week over the last couple of years. Looking at both the positives and negatives, it is something I have been mulling over for a while, and I have now decided to do it.
The positives should be increased productivity and a better work/life balance.
I believe by being such a small company I can navigate and work through any possible negatives without impacting the service I provide my clients. It will require discipline and continued learning and development in order to offer the best possible service.
For 2021 I am going to try it out. If I plan my time correctly, I hope that I will start to reap the benefits of a 4-day working week soon.
Some great articles and interviews have been done about the 4-day working week. Links below of just some if you are interested:
Volunteering my business skills
With the extra time a 4-day working week gives me, I plan to volunteer up to 10 hours per month of my business skills to help small charities deliver on their mission.
Why? Because I can. One of my main motivations for setting up my own business was to be my own boss and be able to decide when, how and for whom I work for. But as the business grew I became busier and busier and forgot that I could do this. I always wanted to do some form of “corporate responsibility” (though I don’t much like that phrasing as it feels too much like a branding exercise), and found that as well as financial donations, a lot of charities need actual business support. From a selfish perspective, it is also interesting and enjoyable to meet new people, learn about new charities and share my skills.
I already work with a lot of charities, most are well establish, and although money is always tight in the charity sector, I know I offer a cost effective service. As my overheads are low I can offer a competitive rate for high quality support. You can see how I have helped clients from my "Happy Customer" pages for business support, websites and events.
However, I also recognise that there are a lot of very small charities that don’t have the resources for business support, often run by volunteers only, yet able to have a significant impact in local communities or for specific causes. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us all the power of local community and charity.
If you are a small charity and need help with any of the business services that I offer, contact me today. We also look for opportunities to help small charities at Reach Volunteer.
Typically I help charities that;
- are volunteer led
- have a turnover of less than £25,000
I have a particular interest in charities with missions linked to supporting children, alleviating poverty, environmental concerns, Latin America and Afghanistan.
I have already supported the following charities in 2020/21.
- NHS Vaccine Volunteer - not technically volunteering my business skills, but helping at my local vaccine centre.
- Anglo Argentine Society - Promoting friendship and understanding between the people of Britain and Argentina. I helped the society set up a email newsletter system on Mailchimp, saving them a huge amount of time with communications to members.
- Bat for a Chance - Helping underprivileged children experience the joy of cricket. I helped advise and build a small website for Bat for A Chance. Bat For A Chance is a charitable initiative set up by 16 year old Will Gaffney. It aims to help underprivileged children experience the joy of cricket. It collects and sources clothing and equipment, both new and high-quality second hand, for dispatch to schools, clubs and academies all around the world.
- International Mathematics Masters (IMM) - Promoting mathematical excellence in developing countries. IMM initially hired me (paid service) for the larger project of building their website. I then offered a number of complimentary hours of website support as the charity launched and developed over its first year.
I look forward to building on this list as the volunteering programme develops.
