Angie Allgood, Director of NewWay, a charity supporting people affected by homelessness in Newham, shares how receiving support from Lloyds Banking Group volunteers has helped the charity plan strategically for the future and opened up new opportunities to work with businesses.
19 June 2024
When our charity received funding from Lloyds Bank Foundation, they asked us if we would like to be part of a skilled volunteering programme over six months with employees from Lloyds Banking Group. Initially, we weren’t exactly sure what that meant in practice, but I’m so glad we decided to go for it as it’s been so helpful to our organisation.
The first thing we did was a SWOT analysis to identify where we needed support. As a result of that we were linked to several volunteers from Lloyds Banking Group who had the relevant skills to help us. We received a wide range of support, from strategy to finances and fundraising.
Angie Allgood, Director of NewWay
The volunteers helped us to identify our income streams and develop a fundraising strategy. I went into the process feeling anxious that a lot of our income was drying up, because it felt like we were overly reliant on commissioning, which was not as stable as I'd have hoped. But when we mapped it out, and I could visually see it, we were in a much healthier place with more varied income streams than I'd imagined.
The team helped me to identify where certain income streams may be at risk and how to work more strategically and have clear priorities. This formed part of our five-year strategy, which we've been able to focus our fundraising strategy around, and it’s been so helpful to have this all mapped out in a place that we can refer to.
I founded NewWay ten years ago, and we've really evolved and developed in an organic way. We’re working at the cutting edge of desperation and need and that can make it more challenging to work on long-term goals. The volunteer team helped me to step back and think strategically about the priorities for the next five years. We also discussed legacy planning, because I’m not going to be here forever. I felt really supported throughout the process and it helped to really dig deep into what it was that we could achieve together and to set some realistic goals.
The team helped us to see the opportunities in the corporate world and that we have something really valuable to offer businesses, as well as the potential to get something back. One of the things that we talked a lot about was how we can raise our profile in the corporate world so that we can expand our funding opportunities beyond trusts and grants and commissioning, which is our current income stream.
Our experience with corporate volunteers from Lloyds Banking Group has given us the confidence to approach other businesses for support. Charities and businesses might speak a slightly different language but we both use similar tools and skills, and I hadn't really appreciated that there's so much cross over. The enthusiasm of the volunteers was so encouraging; they were so positive about what we do, and I felt very empowered by their attitude towards us.
The biggest challenge for us was finding the time to meet with the volunteers and put their advice into action. As a small charity, we are often overwhelmed with demands and this could have easily dropped off our priority list. But it was worth making the intention and time commitment.
The tools that the volunteer team gave us really strengthened the way we work. Ultimately, when we spend time analysing what we do, making improvements and upskilling ourselves this will lead to improved outcomes for the people that we serve.
Overall, the experience has given me a lot of confidence, and provided me with some valuable strategic tools to take forward. Working with corporate volunteers opens your eyes to different worlds, and that's always healthy and helpful.
It was such an unexpected bonus to have that type of support. When you rely on grants, the money itself is always something to celebrate, but the volunteer support added so much value on top of the money that was received.
Find out more about NewWay by visiting their website: newwayproject.org
At Lloyds Bank Foundation, we have just launched a report sharing our learning from a decade of delivering skilled volunteering programmes so that other organisations can take up skills based volunteering, be it volunteers, employers or charities. Read the report here.
Find out more about the development support we offer charities with skills based volunteering.
