Collaborative Working
They say caring is sharing and recently, we felt the power of sharing our experiences of making an impact in our own community with another like-minded local business.
Naylor Wintersgill, the largest independent firm of chartered accountants in Bradford and with offices in Leeds, specialises in supporting cross-sector owner managed SMEs and adds true value through services such as enhanced financial direction, its payroll bureau, taxation support and strategic planning.
But the Naylor Wintersgill culture and values mean that giving back to the communities in which it is based is a crucial part of its business presence and purpose. The team is known for taking part in feats of endurance to raise money for charity, for its training and support of staff, its commitment to the environment and for local initiatives such as helping children in the Bradford district to read and learn.
My team, here at Approach PR, has for 18 years ‘given back’ to the local community and national and local charities including the National Eczema Society, Deafness Research UK, Bradford and Airedale Cancer Support, and most recently, the Cellar Trust in Bradford. We’re a team which specialises in delivering PR and social media campaigns for clients in all areas of business and industry. However our social responsibility includes working with local schools, developing our team outside of the office and offering our PR services to local groups and organisations to help their growth and reputation management such as Soroptimists International and Ilkley Carnival, the town’s annual event which ploughs all of its profits back into the community.
Between our two businesses, we are making a difference externally. But we saw an opportunity to share our experiences together and combine our socially aware minds and intentions to make an even bigger difference.
Approach account executive Betty Adams met Naylor Wintersgill’s head of business development Rebecca Farhall in January to skill share and brainstorm ways of planning a year of social impact.
“We knew the practical benefits of getting together but we hadn’t expected the emotional support and engagement we’d feel in meeting and talking. I’m new to managing the Approach social impact calendar so to meet Rebecca who has been doing it for years provided a crucial insight and a really unexpected boost to my confidence!
Betty Adams
“Looking at how Rebecca plans and structures the team’s activities but importantly, how she logs the results and records the activities as they happen was really useful, practical observations I made. We hit it off really well and hopefully, my thoughts on maximising awareness of the charities Naylor Wintersgill supports – just like we do here at Approach – was useful to Rebecca too.”
Rebecca, who manages the Naylor Wintersgill social impact activity added: Meeting up with Betty was so rewarding! As a firm, we are incredibly proud of our on-going commitment to the local community and it felt great to share my experiences with Betty and chat about how both our organisations were making in difference and acting socially responsibly in our own ways.
“We got on really well and Betty’s enthusiasm was infectious. I came away from the catch up full of new ideas and inspiration on how we can have an even greater impact on the charities and initiatives we work with. For me, it was a really valuable skills sharing opportunity that helped me to see things from a different perspective. From Betty’s thoughts, I’m now looking at different ways I can help to maximise the exposure of the local charities we support and the community projects we are involved in. I’d highly recommend the experience and I hope to meet with Betty again soon.”
Rebecca Farhall