Social Impact at InvestIN

Who are Mind? Mind are a charity striving to make mental health an everyday priority across the UK. Even though 1 in 4 people face mental health problems, most don’t get the help and respect needed. The charity is aiming to change this by providing support through information and local services, and by standing up to the injustices that make life harder for those with mental health problems. You can find out more about Mind and the amazing work they do here.

How did we support? We launched a Charity Competition in honour of World Kindness Day to our InvestIN community which received over 500 entries! Students were invited to participate in our Young Photographer challenge, where they were asked to submit a photo they had taken of an act of kindness, alongside a caption explaining their image. For every submission we made a donation to Mind and you can see the winner and shortlist here.

Who are WaterAid? WaterAid is an international non-profit based in London. Their mission is to help bring clean drinking water, decent toilets and good hygiene to those who need it most. Access to clean water is a basic right that many of us take for granted, but there are 771 million people across the world — about 1 in 10 — that can’t access clean water close to home. Since 1981, they’ve reached more than 28 million people across 28 countries. You can find out more about WaterAid and the amazing work they do here.

How did we support? Our Charity Day that month involved a Lunch & Learn with a WaterAid volunteer, who educated the team on the fantastic work of the charity, plus we hosted a “Walk for Water” challenge, where we smashed our target to collectively walk 100k in a day! Alongside this, we encouraged the team to donate a drink, with the amount we would have otherwise spent on a coffee going directly to WaterAid.

Who are Whitechapel Mission? This charity has been helping people who are rough sleeping since 1876, meeting the specific needs of anyone who walks through their doors, from providing food and shelter through to running recovery programmes that help address deeper needs of key life skills and training. They are a volunteer led group with very few staff, but open their doors from 6am each day and often see as many as 300 people. You can find out more about Whitechapel Mission and the amazing work they do here.

How did we support? Our festive charity initiative included a fantastic food and clothes collection, which we then transported in trolleys across the Underground to the brilliant volunteers at Whitechapel Mission. We then asked the team to throw on their best festive jumpers in exchange for a donation, to ensure they were aptly dressed for our Socks ‘n’ Choc Wrap during lunchtime. This idea means that those most in need turning up to Whitechapel could also receive a little gift and message from us, just in time for Christmas.

Who are British Youth Council? The British Youth Council are a UK-based non-profit operating in the domestic and international political sphere. They aim to empower young people aged 25 and under to influence and inform the decisions that affect their lives, by supporting those who want to get involved in their communities and democracy locally, nationally and internationally, making a difference as volunteers, campaigners, decision-makers and leaders. You can find out more about BYC and the amazing work they do here.

How did we support? BYC run a virtual Run31 Challenge throughout January, where they encourage people to run or walk 31 miles in the 31 days of the month, so we jumped on the bandwagon and raised some money at the same time! We also hosted a coffee morning to kick off the New Year, where all proceeds were donated to their cause and rounded off our exploration of this charity with a Lunch & Learn, hosted by a BYC trustee.

Who are CreateArts? Create is the UK’s leading charity empowering lives through the creative arts. Their focus is on engaging the most marginalised participants in inspiring, sustainable arts programmes in areas where provision is poor and engagement in the arts is therefore low. They aim to advocate and give a voice to participants, empowering them to develop their creativity to enrich their lives. You can find out more about CreateArts and the amazing work they do here.

How are we supporting? This month, we are running an Art Afternoon at InvestIN HQ, where our very own Artist programme curator, Saffron, will be hosting a life drawing session for the team to allow us to flex our creativity. Alongside this, we are running our own Auction of Promises, where all funds raised through bids will go to CreateArts. Key prizes included a TV, wardrobe clear-out and baked goods so we are expecting the bids to come flying in!