Supporting The Community

Corporate Social Responsibility

At The Knowledge Partnership, we are passionate about promoting positive social and environmental change. We do this through our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, giving days in the office to help the community in some way.

Whilst having a positive impact on society, it is great fun and we have really enjoyed being involved with a variety of charities and a range of activities. We are always looking at new areas we can become involved in and maintaining an awareness of issues in the local community.

Some of the projects we have been involved in have included:

• Leeds Mind

Throughout 2019, TKP employees endeavoured to raise as much as possible to support Leeds and CPSL Mind, the two chosen charities of the year. Local Minds are invaluable within their communities, campaigning, raising awareness and promoting understanding of mental health, all whilst providing vital services to anyone who needs them. Over the past 12 months, staff have taken part in a number of active challenges, including the Orwell 10K, Kapow! 5K, and the Yorkshire Marathon. One member of staff was the lucky winner of a raffled extra day of annual leave, and we all enjoyed overindulging on baked goods in the TKP Bake Off. Our summer social was also hosted by Leeds Mind affiliate Inkwell Arts, where many creative talents were unearthed! TKP are incredibly proud to support such a worthwhile cause, raising £988.57 for Leeds Mind and £916.25 for CPSL Mind during 2019.

The support that we receive as a charity is vital to ensuring that our services can continue to help the people of Leeds in their time of need. The Knowledge Partnership have had a fantastic year of working alongside us in a number of fundraising and awareness-raising campaigns. We are extremely grateful for the time and effort that they have put into supporting Leeds Mind this year, and we wish them all the best for their future fundraising endeavours

- Leeds Mind

• The Real Junk Food Project

In November 2018 a team from TKP headed to Wakefield to volunteer at The Real Junk Food Project’s first social supermarket; Kindness, which receives food from a variety of streams that was originally bound for the landfill.

Throughout the morning our team volunteered Receiving food for the supermarket and tidying up the shop front, creating ‘food boxes’ of waste food sent out to the wider community (including families, a local church and their own community café) and logging any received food into the RJFP database. TKP staff also conducted some pro-bono marketing for their partner Fuel For Schools programme, creating a flyer that can be taken into local schools in the Leeds area.

• Leeds Mencap

In 2018, we took part in the Leeds Mencap Apprentice Challenge, a chance to take a creative and business-like approach to CSR. Given a small amount of cash to kickstart our fundraising activities, the team worked across the year to raise as much money as possible, competing against teams from other local companies. From street collections to the TKP Bake Off and tackling the Yorkshire Three Peaks, we raised an amazing £1,269.

• Friends of Wigton Moor

In December 2017, TKP staff headed to north Leeds to spend the day assisting the Friends of Wigton Moor in their conservation efforts. The team strapped on their hard hats and Hi-Vis vests before heading out onto the moor to help the organisation cut down marked trees. This is done to prevent overgrowth and excessive competition that leads to trees falling and causing damage to the woodland. In teams of two or three, staff spent the day cutting, sawing and tidying the logs while learning about felling, safety and conservation from the passionate organisation members.

• Voluntary Action Leeds

The Knowledge Partnership have been actively involved with a variety of projects across Leeds, focussing on young people and community food growing initiatives. They have shared their professional skills through supporting Young Lives Leeds, while also learning more about the challenges young people face who are not in work or employment. Their volunteering experiences not only benefit the charities and community groups they work with, but also provide unique and varied opportunities for personal and professional development.

- Sonja Woodcock - ESV Coordinator at Voluntary Action Leeds

The Knowledge Partnership provided Young Lives Leeds, at Voluntary Action Leeds, valuable support in undertaking a research project into young people experiences in Leeds of Not being in Employment, Education or Training (NEET). The Knowledge Partnership helped us in analysing transcriptions of discussions we had with young people, in providing facilitators at a feedback event we had with young people and in undertaking research for us around the support needs of young people. All the support has been extremely valuable, very professional and contributed significantly to our research work. Thank you The Knowledge Partnership.

- Gary Blake - Young Lives Leeds (Voluntary Action Leeds)   

• Growing Better (a social enterprise improving mental health)

Our annual Give and Gain Day in 2016 saw us helping Growing Better, a social enterprise which provides a therapeutic environment, growing edible produce, for people experiencing mental health challenges. It was a great day, helping build benches within the polytunnels, to raise the seed trays off the ground to enable better growth.

• National Citizenship Service - The Challenge (a programme boosting skills of 15-17 year olds)

In July 2016, two members of our team posed as Dragons in a Dragon's Den style challenge, in which young people design and present community volunteering projects. This is such a rewarding scheme and our team enjoyed playing a part, engaging with such passionate and motivated young people. 

• Luv2MeetU (friendship and dating agency for people with a learning disability)

In December 2015 we also volunteered at a friendship and dating event held by Luv2MeetU. The agency does some great work, helping provide opportunities for people with learning disabilities make new friends, share interests and develop relationships. We helped facilitate the event, helping things run smoothly and generally helping everybody to enjoy the wonderful event!

• Hawthorn Mill (retirement/sheltered housing)

In December 2015 we spent an afternoon at Hawthorn Mill, helping at a Christmas Party for elderly people. We assisted residents to their named tables, served drinks, and ran the Christmas Quiz, played Pass the Parcel and helped with the Raffle -  it was a fun and festive afternoon!

• St George’s Crypt (homeless charity)

Over the last several years we have provided support to St George’s Crypt, a charity who work with the homeless, the vulnerable and those suffering from addiction. We spent an afternoon purchasing clothes from charity shops to help provide warm clothing to those on the streets during the cold months. For our company’s 10th Birthday we also put on an art raffle in which all contributions went to St George’s Crypt.

• Hyde Park Source (an environmental project)

Hyde Park Source work with local communities to improve their surroundings, creating exciting, safe and useful places for people to live, work and play. We had our 2015 company Give and Gain Day with Hyde Park Source (teamed with fellow community growing charity Back2Front) helping “Grow Together” at Cross Green in East Leeds. It was a brilliant day helping to maintain some of the work that has already taken place – creating a wonderful garden for the community – helping weed and plant new bulbs. It was safe to say that the tomatoes grown there were the best we have ever tasted!

• Zest (a community health project)

Zest provide support people living in disadvantaged areas, addressing health inequalities and social isolation through activities which improve physical, mental, social and emotional wellbeing. In August 2015 we had much fun helping run a Family Fun Day – performing duties such as making fruit salad cups and arts/crafts.

• Cambridge City Food Bank (provision of emergency food to people in crisis)

The foodbank provides emergency food and support to local people in crisis. Our Cambridge office is currently involved in this ongoing cause, helping with public relations. Specifically, we have written a brochure for one of their main events and designed a flyer which was used to market the foodbank in local supermarkets.

• Incredible Edible Kirkstall (a community garden project)

Incredible Edible Kirkstall aims to provide free access to growing space, educational resources and facilities in a fun safe (and sustainable!) environment. We had a great afternoon (albeit wet!) gardening in Kirkstall, creating a communal growing space.

• Investigating the experience of NEETs in West Yorkshire (a research project by Young Lives Leeds)

The aim of the research was to raise awareness of the experiences of young NEETs (not in education, employment or training) to service providers, and improve services through recommendations on how to better engage with affected young people. We performed desk research, helped with the development of focus group script, analysed transcripts, and co-facilitated focus groups. We were very lucky to be involved on the project from the start and it’s been an honour to have helped. The report has now been published and is available to download.