Helping charities as a volunteer is a great way for people to give to the community. This is particularly the case for skilled volunteering – where you are using your workplace or professional skills to make a difference. Seven out of ten charities are looking for support in the form of professional skills, but only four out of ten find it. Charities need skilled support.
In today’s fast-paced business environment, having a skilled workforce isn’t enough to guarantee success. Companies invest heavily in training and development programmes to enhance the technical skills, but these hard skills alone are not enough to guarantee success.
As a social enterprise focused on supporting charities, Pilotlight is sometimes perceived as an outlier in the corporate learning and development sector. This year we’ve challenged ourselves to better understand the impact of our programmes on employees and the return on investment for their employers.
Little did I know that a seemingly simple email was about to change my perspective in a big way. It was from Pilotlight. Thanking their ‘Pilotlighters’, both past and present, for their contribution to the skills-based volunteering programmes they run in partnership with Barclays. And whilst reading it, the thought struck me that I actually had a lot to thank Pilotlight for.
Diversity and inclusion are key components of any successful business. Not only does a diverse workforce foster a culture of innovation and creativity, but it also allows a company to tap into a wider pool of talent and perspectives.
For those looking to give more to charity, running a marathon is a popular choice. Having experienced it I now understand why: it’s not only fundraising for a cause that’s important to you but also incredible personal development.
Learning and Talent teams are more focused than ever on employee engagement and retention. So how can business better engage its people and provide compelling learning opportunities that address shifting strategic priorities?
Pilotlight’s PMs are skilled facilitators, cultural translators and experts in charity governance and strategic planning. They create the space in which trust relationships can grow and set the tone for open, honest and respectful communication.
My first leadership experience was when I was quite young. Soon after leaving university, I found myself leading a small grassroots project in South Africa providing training to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS. I knew very little about running a project, and equally little about leadership. I had the job title of a leader and people to be led but really, I didn’t know what to do.
One of the first questions a charity should ask of itself is whether it can achieve its charitable objects on its own, or whether doing so requires co-operation.
When we worked with Kathy Verges in 2010, she was CEO at Crossroads Care Havering, which had a turnover of around £600k. Kathy retired as Chief Officer in January 2022. After a series of mergers Kathy led the charity on to re-brand to create TuVida, which had national reach and a turnover of £14m. She reflects on her work with Pilotlight.
This September is a special one in our house, our little boy waves goodbye to nursery, and we’re preparing ourselves for his first day at school.