Urbana announces Sheffield Mind as its CHOSEN Charity of the Year
Urbana has partnered with Sheffield Mind as its charity of the year for 2022 and is aiming to exceed its target of raising over £1,500 for the organisation.
Urbanist Chloe Parmenter, said: “As Urbanists, it is pertinent that we plan our spaces and cities in a way that ensures people feel happy and healthy. One of the ways we do this at Urbana is by including and enhancing green spaces so people can meet, socialise, and enjoy the outdoors.
“It was an obvious choice to extend our support to Sheffield Mind as our charity of the year for 2022. They are a fantastic organisation, delivering real impact in our hometown, and we’re looking forward to working closely with them over the coming months.”
As part of their partnership, the Urbana team will taking part in the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge on Friday,
April 22 to raise money/awareness for the charity. The trek covers over 24 miles and 1585m of ascent of the three highest peaks in the Yorkshire Dales - Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough.
Sheffield Mind CEO, Margaret Lewis, thanked the team for their enthusiasm and said: “We rely on the generosity of supporters to sustain and develop our services. The support of local organisations such as Urbana is so important to us.”
Donate here: www.sheffieldmind.co.uk/fundraisers/urbana-and-friends-take-on-the-yorkshire-3-peaks
Henry Boot takes innovative new approach to charity collaboration
Based in Sheffield, Henry Boot, a group of companies creating sustainable value and long-term growth from land, property development and construction, has a strong reputation for supporting a range of charities, which in recent years has included charity of the year partnerships with St Luke’s Hospice, Dementia UK and Mind.
The group recently partnered with The Children’s Hospital Charity, with the partnership being extended to two years to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It proved to be an impactful partnership that engaged Henry Boot employees and saw support for the charity’s annual Snowflakes campaign and the Bears of Sheffield campaign.
The group has raised £33,000 to support the vital work performed by the charity. For 2022-23 the group will be supporting organisations that promote positive mental health, so they are delighted to announce that Place2Be will be its new group charity partner.
Place2Be work in schools to improve the social, emotional, and mental wellbeing of young people in the formative years of their lives. The charity prevents life-long mental health issues and helps children cope with challenges throughout their lives, ensuring they can achieve their full potential.
Enabling Hannah’s vision
I met Hannah Mounsey, founder and managing director of Enable Unity CIC, five years ago when Enable Unity existed only as an idea. Hannah was passionate about working with disabled families and envisioned setting up soft play areas with sensory equipment that were tailored to people with disabilities. When she was telling me all about her vision, I said ‘Woah - you go for it!’.
After being made redundant, Hannah had the opportunity to get Sensory Planet, a facility based in Thurnscoe, which was the first rung on the ladder for her. Following the inception of the pandemic 12 months after beginning her work with Sensory Planet, Hannah was able to turn her vision of a mobile sensory facility into a reality with my help. We started from scratch, and we had two businesses to build from the ground up.
Combining remote and in-person work, we collaborated on the strategy and planning side of the business, which Hannah subsequently put into practise. Together, we raised just shy of £100,000 through exploring various funding opportunities. We just had to find the right pots of funding that would support Hannah’s vision.
Hannah had the opportunity to seek expert advice from key industry contacts, of whom I know many thanks to being self-employed for 12 years. I pointed Hannah in the direction of people with expertise in the areas she needed support with, from accountants and bookkeepers to marketing with Laura Stead.
Hannah has done such a great job at being honest about her own capabilities and asking for help on the stuff that she either doesn't want to do or can’t or isn’t very good at; she identifies that quickly and she understands her own strengths and weaknesses.
I think it is the fact Hannah has been so inward thinking that has made it such a success, and that she’s really taken on board the input from the people around her.
Some buildings still lack access arrangements for disabled people. We’re in 2022, and this stuff should not be happening. You should be able to enjoy a leisure facility whether you have a disability or not. These issues highlight how influential Hannah’s business will be for reducing accessibility issues for disabled people.
For other organisations who are looking to develop their strategies and business plans in the same way Enable Unity has with such success, I would advise business owners to look at the finances and time available and note the importance of taking things back to basics. You have to go three or four steps backwards before you can jump forward. Don’t bypass due-diligence, business structure and safety, and find a ‘solid base’ to go from.
Enable Unity’s new Sensory Planetmobile, a one-of-a-kind vehicle designed to provide a unique sensory experience across South Yorkshire, will
be on the road early 2022.
Find out more here:
www.enableunitycic.org.uk.
Book your sensory experience by calling Hannah on: 07851 492 813 or email: hannah@enableunitycic.org.uk
Wendy Ward is a growth consultant, working specifically within the non-for-profit and charitable sector. She helps organisations with business planning and strategy, as well as grant funding and writing bid applications for emergency funds, the latter having been particularly crucial since the pandemic. For advice on how Wendy could help your organisation, email wendy@letssave.biz.
