Make An Impact Podcast

In this episode, Heidi Fisher is joined by Johnathan Parsons, Managing Director and Consultant Clinical Scientist at Chime Social Enterprise.Chime is an NHS Audiology Service that utilised the Government Right to Request scheme to spin out as a not-for-profit Social Enterprise, having spun out 12 years ago under the "right to request" legislation.  Owned by its staff, the organisation has a direct contract with the ICB for audiology services in the region.Heidi and Johnathan discuss the challenges, benefits, and ongoing success of Chime Audiology's transition to a social enterprise within the NHS. Their conversation also covers: Recognition of potential efficiencies beyond NHS supply chain protocols.The importance of flexibility, adaptation, and embracing change.Chime's impact report and its effectiveness in demonstrating the value of their services.What next?Visit Chime's website: www.chimehealth.co.ukNeed help with your Impact Measurement and Management? More about Heidi's work at  www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

In this episode, Heidi Fisher sits down with Rhonda Lovell, founder of Wellington Counselling, to explore Rhonda's journey from her early career in gender studies to becoming a therapist and establishing a community-focused counselling centre.Highlights from the discussion include:Organic growth of Wellington CounsellingCommunity support and collaborationPandemic Challenges and the surge in demand for counselling servicesOnline platforms for service delivery and adapting to the changing landscape of therapeutic supportBalancing grant dependency and traded incomeEstablishing a High Street Community Well-being CentreTune in to hear Rhonda's powerful message on the enduring challenges of expressing emotions in society, the urgency to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health and how to embrace genuine self-kindness as an essential practice.What next?Visit The  Wellington Counselling website: www.wellington-counselling.co.ukNeed help with your Impact Measurement and Management? More about Heidi's work at  www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

The Parenting Apart Programme is an early intervention that prevents long-term negative impacts on children’s emotional health and well-being when their parents separate or divorce.In this episode, Managing Director Claire Field and Parenting Apart Consultant Kam Kaur share their insights into their innovative approach with Heidi. From organisational development to logistics and challenges to positive outcomes, this conversation highlights the importance of bringing parents together to foster respectful post-separation relationships. Dive into the emotional aspects of co-parenting, embracing individuality, and the challenges of collaborating with statutory agencies. Learn about the role of mediation, practitioner training, and the funding challenges faced by this vital service. The Parenting Apart Programme's critical role in prioritising children's well-being and advocating for a collaborative, supportive approach. Tune in for a powerful conversation on transforming mindsets and creating and reporting on positive impacts for families.What next?Visit The Parenting Apart Programme website: https://www.parentingapartprogramme.co.uk/ Find Kam and Claire on LinkedInNeed help with your Impact Measurement and Management? More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

What's the sign of an organisation that wants to realise the best for patients?It's something Dr. Linda Harris, a GP and the founding CEO of Spectrum Community Health CIC sees in droves everyday.And if you want to magnify your impact, whether in health and wellbeing, in working with vulnerable communities or across the gamut of social enterprises' outcomes, this episode is a must-listen.Linda is candid about her biggest learnings since Spectrum launched over 12 years ago. Why is growth good? How do you balance impact and scaling up? What should a maturing organisation let go of – and what must it embrace?She tells Heidi about the 'golden threads' Spectrum pulls together to provide quality healthcare for people in vulnerable circumstances and the three areas this CQC-regulated provider focuses on, and why.There's more. How do you attract and retain high quality team members? Why is communicating impact internally so important? And how is Spectrum addressing health inequalities?Heidi and Linda also cover the balance between leadership and luck, natural curveballs that lead to a compete paradigm shift, and the role and use of AI in impact and healthcare.What next?Visit the Spectrum Community Health CIC website: https://spectrum-cic.org.uk/Find Linda on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dr-linda-harris-82379938Need help with your Impact Measurement and Management? More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Catch22 supports over 160,000 people every year. A social business, it has over 1,700 staff and volunteers and delivers services addressing child exploitation, children's social care, criminal justice, education, employment and training, and health and wellbeing.Naomi Hulston had worked in the organisation for 21 years before taking on her 15th role as its chief executive.  She describes her passion for levering organisational strategy to achieve and boost outcomes and how 'building resilience' is at the heart of its work.Being a philosopher at heart and 'quite nosy' is an asset to her work, says Naomi. She also tells Heidi about Catch22's approach to collecting qualitative and quantitative data and managing and measuring its impact.Plus: the art of storytelling in communicating impact; is criminal justice in need of complete reform?; how the corporate sector can invest more in social and community activity; Naomi's biggest bugbears; and how social mobility is at the heart of Catch22's work.What next?More about Catch22: https://www.catch-22.org.uk/Listen to the Catch22 podcastFind Naomi on LinkedIn:  https://uk.linkedin.com/in/naomi-hulston-78026b32Need help with your Impact Measurement and Management? More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Paul Zelizer is a social entrepreneur coach and the co-host of the Awarepreneurs Podcast.He spent 15 years working in community mental health and tells Heidi about his journey from "burned-out, broke social worker" through a reinvention 16 years ago. Now he offers consultancy and coaching for impact-focused leaders. In this episode he covers:Using large organisations to lever impact.Securing work-life balance for a holistic life.The four questions every social entrepreneur needs to know.Why Paul is "impact agnostic" – and loves social enterprise.The power of podcasting to catalyse collaboration and learning.How he measures his impact.Scaling high-impact teams and organisations.Balancing innovation, learning and collaboration.And much more.Heidi reflects on her and Make an Impact's approach to measuring and managing impact, why people might be "surveyed out" and avoiding generic impact measurements.What next?You can get Paul's free guide, 4 QUESTIONS TO GROW YOUR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR BUSINESS,  from his website https://www.paulzelizer.com/Find Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulzelizerListen to the Awarepreneurs Podcast: https://www.awarepreneurs.com/podcastNeed help with your Impact Measurement and Management? More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Here's a rollicking, rip-roaring marketing 101 with Ayo Abbas.Ayo specialises in B2B (business to business) marketing for the built environment.  And she believes marketing shouldn't be a weird, mystical art. We hear:why you should always remember you're marketing to peoplethe problem with customer avatars – "I hate them" says Ayo, and confusing funnelswhy Ayo finds marketing architecture, engineering and other built environment services so much more interesting (and more of a mental challenge) than consumer marketingthe biggest barrier to people marketing confidently and what you can do to address ithow to beat the blank page of no inspirationthe power of repurposing contentcreating relationships and networkstrends: AI and Chat GPT and how they will impact on marketingHeidi and Ayo also discuss diversity in the built environment industry: both progress to date and what's still needed, along with Ayo's career journey up to and including launching Abbas Marketing in 2020, just before the pandemic struck.Ayo is a board member for Make an Impact CIC, Heidi's social enterprise. "It's such a delight to listen to your wisdom on marketing" says Heidi. What next?Visit Abbas Marketing, Ayo Abbas' built environment marketing consultancy for architects, engineers and contractors: https://www.abbasmarketing.comFind Ayo on LinkedIn where she posts powerful tips: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ayoabbasDo you need help with your Impact Measurement and Management? More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Here's a horrifying statistic: 80% of toys are thrown away within two weeks, and they're packed with plastics and chemicals which damage the environment.Handmade wooden toys, so loved by so many, had been disappearing because of rapid industrialisation and the spread of cheap plastics.Arshad Khalid is the founder and director of Ethiqana, a social enterprise which works with toy producers – 'artisan heroes' – to create employment in India and around the world.Ethiqana's mission is to preserve traditional and, often, near-extinct art and craft forms – which are also sustainable and earth-friendly.Arshad started Ethiqana after 21 years in the IT industry. He explains why – and what it means for Ethiqana to be part of the Ebay for Change programme (it was selected for the first cohort).We learn more about how this 'accidental social entrepreneur' supports artisans to create sustainable livelihoods, how Ethiqana is bringing art-forms back to life, how it measures its impact and why we must look for products made from natural materials.What next?Visit the Ethiqana website https://ethiqana.com/  and find Ethiqana on Ebay for Change too https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/ethiqanaDo you need help with your Impact Measurement and Management? More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Alessandra Alonso is the founder and managing director of Women in Travel CIC, a social enterprise which focuses on the economic empowerment of women through employability and entrepreneurship in travel, tourism and hospitality.It provides all women, but especially marginalised, vulnerable and under-represented women with visibility, confidence, access to training, mentoring and allyship programmes.Alessandra covers Women in Travel's history, how it continued to support people through the pandemic, and an exciting partnership with Google.  And she describes how it has secured funding and revenue streams, her ambition to multiply its impact and how she will make this a reality.Responding to the needs of the market but doing it in a way that is inclusive and enables the industry to embrace a more progressive way of operating is at the heart of Alessandra's work.What next?Visit the Women in Travel CIC website www.womenintravelcic.com and find Alessandra on LinkedIn https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alessandraalonsoMore about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Remi Ray is a neurodivergent high-performance coach and the founder of The Diverse Creative CIC.She describes how she came to launch her social enterprise, which supports disabled entrepreneurs, and the multi-faceted approach she takes to coaching.After struggling through education because she had "shied away from discussing" her dyslexia until the age of 28, Remi realised she had not been honest about who she was (she received a diagnosis of dyslexia at the age of 19) – and felt a calling to help others.That set her on a journey navigating the challenges of funding and funders, heavy and tough work, and what to do if an idea you dreamed of also makes you tired.Remi tells us about The Diverse Creative's free programmes for disabled entrepreneurs, a forthcoming conference and why society still has much to do in EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) , especially when it comes to disability.Data and information hasn't always been used effectively. To address the gap, The Diverse Creative conducted  research to examine the extent to which ‘race’ and disability might work together or separately to determine black, neurodivergent individuals' experience of employment. This was published in The Homecoming Project and has had a world-wide impact.Also in this episode: tips on delegation, Remi's new mastermind community, The Shift, for women who run service-based businesses, and why funders need to be less rigid to cultivate organisations and innovation.What next?More about Remi and The Diverse Creative at https://www.thediversecreative.orgRemi is on LinkedIn at https://uk.linkedin.com/in/remiray and Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/iamremiray/More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Doing good in the world? Then it is incumbent on you to build the foundations of a sustainable business, says Yinka Ewuola. Get those right and you can maximise your impact.This episode is about those foundations: cashflow and mindset. Plus Heidi is honest and open about common pricing mistakes and Yinka has ideas and solutions. And:Why "knowing your worth" can be the most damaging advice for an entrepreneur.How to maximise individual superpowers and create a "houseful of love."Why do we either celebrate  or demonise wealth and the rich?A perfect description of legacy.Heidi's birthday revelation about learning which has already and aptly made an impact.Business and social entrepreneurship is a beautiful opportunity to make a difference, says Yinka, and she describes how to lean in to the longevity of the impact you create. It's a must-listen.What next?Yinka is on Linkedin,  Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram. Get in touch at hello@callasuccess.com or connect with Yinka and reach out in direct messages on LI, FB or IG to find out more about her upcoming Cashflow Fundamentals Course, or to join her Accelerator to help create consistent cashflow in your business.More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

"Everyone has had a financial bump in the road at some point in their life, but I don't think they should be punished for that," say Tim Rooney, CEO of "Fintech for Good" Award-winner, Salad Money.Salad is a social enterprise and community development finance institution (CDFI) which focuses on lending and tailored financial education, support and signposting for NHS and Public Sector workers.Many people are punished by widespread use of credit scores to make decisions in the consumer credit market.  Tim, formerly of Big Issue Invest, has been with Salad since it launched and describes "empirical evidence that credit scores don't work for people in the sub and near prime sector as defined by the credit scoring industry. "A much better way of assessing affordability and appropriateness is through Open Banking, he explains. So what is Open Banking? How does it lead to all sorts of positive outcomes for far more applicants than Salad's customers alone? Tim explains.With at research showing millions of people in the UK “risk being excluded from accessing affordable financial services because of flaws in credit scoring,”  Salad Money is much needed. About 40% of its borrowers have a CCJ, but reliably repay their loans. Nearly half have children in their households. Many would automatically be turned down by lenders which use credit scores, leaving them with limited options when they need credit, which 9 out of 10 in the UK do from time to time. Tim goes through the why, who, how and even what next for Salad Money with Heidi.  What next?Salad Money website: https://www.saladmoney.co.ukSalad Money impact report: https://www.saladmoney.co.uk/news/salad-money-2021-2022-impact-reportMore about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

There are six million dads in the UK and when Dan Flanagan's  own father passed away he re-evaluated his own life. "It can be lonely to be a dad but men don't like to talk about that."The consequences are profound and tragic. Isolation, loneliness, mental ill-health. For some men, suicide – horrifyingly, 96 men under 45 are lost to suicide each week in the UK. And the emotional availability of fathers has both an immediate and long-lasting impact on children.A few years ago Dan started blogging about fathers and parenting and – to his great surprise – his posts became hugely popular. They resonated with many men who were frustrated they couldn't share their feelings with others, suffering in silence, or struggling with stereotyping.He launched Dad La Soul, a "revolutionary grassroots movement that uses art, tech, music and play to battle social isolation and loneliness." The more we can do to get dads talking the better, he says.Dad La Soul is a not-for-profit community interest company. It's now globally recognised, has been mentioned in the UK's parliament and featured in numerous media articles.Its impact report has unlocked numerous opportunities for the social enterprise, and been recognised as an exemplary piece of storytelling and impact communication.Dan tells Heidi how he came to launch and develop Dad La Soul and build communities where dads support each other.He  describes how it has worked with many organisations, from football clubs to social housing providers to local authorities to big brands  – but it's also turned down numerous partnerships if they weren't right.And he covers how he shook up impact reporting by necessity.What next?Dad La Soul website: www.dadlasoul.comDad La Soul impact reportMore about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Finance and credit play a big part in our lives. Removing or preventing access to them is hugely disruptive, as today's guest explains.Without fit-for-purpose finance on fair terms, businesses and social enterprises can't grow, create jobs or deliver vital frontline services, and millions of households are prey for loan sharks.Community development finance institutions (CDFIs) address the damaging lack of appropriate finance faced by many people, businesses and social enterprises. Responsible Finance represents CDFIs, and CEO Theodora Hadjimichael describes the uneven financial landscape in the UK, and:how her members work to get the right finance to under-served businesses and financially excluded peoplewhy Responsible Finance is like a 'coach' for its membersmapping policy work to direct results, whether that's influencing Government, securing investment, working with partners and changing lives for 70,000 people every yearhow Responsible Finance measures its own and the sector's impacther own journey to becoming CEO of the organisation.What next?Responsible Finance's website is www.responsiblefinance.org.uk  Its latest impact report is at https://responsiblefinance.org.uk/2022/05/changing-lives  Its members are listed in full and with geographical and sector-specific (eg social enterprise, business, personal) filters at www.findingfinance.org.ukMore about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

We have never faced such scrutiny of our bodies, or been under as much pressure to conform to a narrow definition of 'beauty.'Ldn Dares Drama Company supports people with low confidence, self-esteem and body image issues through performing arts.The social enterprise works with commissioners in mental health. It helps people develop and understand their self worth, build confidence and more, and has been nominated for the Innovation in Healthcare Lammy Award.Founder and CEO Ursula struggled herself for a period with her own mental health and talks us through what its 'dares' involve, how it measures and manages its impact, and how its varied progammes help people grow in confidence and self worth and create community value.What's an immersive treasure hunt? How do challenges and performance build confidence, self acceptance and behaviour change? How is Ldn Dares led by participants in some of its sessions? What sort of changes does that lead to? And how does it translate its impact in terms in building participants' confidence in its programmes, workshops and sessions into their day-to-day lives? Listen to find out.Links:Ldn Dares – https://www.ldndares.co.uk/ and its Impact report https://www.ldndares.co.uk/impactMore about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

When serial technology entrepreneur Bashir Khairy had a lightening bolt realisation of the cumulative effects of our shopping habits, he overhauled his lifestyle.But there was a problem.  Bashir and his family couldn't find enough sustainable products in one place. "There were fundamental questions about how we vote with our money," he says, and directed his focus to creating a marketplace featuring ethical products from conscious merchants.The Green Wallet app is now in use UK-Europe wide making it easy for social entrepreneurs to access conscious customers. Bashir and his team of tech enthusiasts have also launched a payment processing gateway, and plant a tree every time they process a payment. With 35 billion transactions  processed online in the UK alone last year, that could be a lot of trees.Bashir, founder and CEO at Green Wallet, is a former officer with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and ran a substantial portfolio at BT Wholesale. Heidi was so impressed with Green Wallet's services (and its forthcoming launch of ethical banking services, something she is asked about frequently) that Make an Impact and Green Wallet launched an exciting partnership this month. In this episode Heidi quizzes Bashir about:• How Green Wallet came to be• Bashir has committed to planting a billion trees – that sounds like a lot! How will they get there, and are Bashir and team really planting that many?• Is planting a tree the only solution, and does it accurately reflect the carbon involved in a transaction?• The biggest highs and lows in the business so far• How the team recruited its tech experts• The new partnership and how Make an Impact podcast listeners can benefit and enable hundreds of trees to be planted every year – what a fantastic way of harnessing technology for good.What next?• For more information visit www.greenwallet.com/paymentprocessing Use the code IMPACT to enable 10 trees to be planted on registration and a halved commission fee for the first 6 months if you sell in the Green Wallet marketplace.• More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Karis Gill was already a serial entrepreneur when she discovered social enterprise. She figured gifts are a wonderful way to introduce people to what she, like Heidi, believes is the future of business.Social Stories Club, a social enterprise Karis co-founded, offers gifts (wonderful products which make a difference) accompanied by engaging, powerful stories.Karis describes how it maps and manages its impacts; how it uses stories; and how she and her team decide what products to include.The business gives opportunities to people with barriers to employment and is going from strength to strength – but how did it weather the storms of the pandemic, an enormous fall in orders from corporate clients, and a cardboard packaging shortage? Karis explains and tells us the story of Social Stories Club.Links:Social Stories Club.More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Does your work create social change and are you an extraordinary business leader? If so, you could apply for the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize, which offers a £10,000 cash award to up to four winners for their personal and professional development alongside expert mentoring support.It's an exciting opportunity to accelerate your impact and today's guest Nicole Helwig explains more about the Prize, its purpose and impact, how to apply, and gives a vital piece of advice if you're thinking of applying.Nicole took up her role as Programme Director, Cambridge Social Ventures in the middle of the pandemic. What was that like, and how does Cambridge Social Ventures measure its impact? What programmes and support does it offer social innovators and impactful business leaders and how have these evolved? How did Nicole and colleagues ensure the "moments when the magic happens" weren't lost?Nicole also explains how she become involved with social enterprise, why she wanted to lead Cambridge Social Ventures, and reflects on social enterprise ecosystems and innovation with an international perspective (Nicole was brought up in Newfoundland).From ballet to business for social change, via Canada, South East Asia and Cambridge: Nicole is a fascinating guest for season 5's first episode.Links:Cambridge Social Ventures – https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/faculty-research/centres/social-innovation/cambridge-social-ventures/More details about the Cambridge Social Innovation Prize – the application deadline is Friday 8 April 2022  https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/faculty-research/centres/social-innovation/cambridge-social-innovation-prize/More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Tippa Naphtali doesn't only use enterprise for business, but also to address political and social issues and make society better.He's been a community activist for over four decades, working in Birmingham, London and internationally.  Entrepreneurial since the playground he's supported, developed and led a huge range of community development and social justice projects and organisations.Tippa is well known for his campaigning work, calling for penal, police and mental health reforms to end deaths and abuse in custody, wrongful convictions and torture.  Tippa's cousin, Mikey Powell, died in police custody having been failed by multiple agencies. Tippa explains how he's worked with some of those agencies to influence and bring about real changes.One of Heidi's oldest friends in the sector, Tippa gives a riveting interview. This episode includes shocking, distressing content which must never be ignored alongside inspiration, laughter, hope and real impact. Tippa's entrepreneurial activities power and support his work in mental health, with food banks, and in social justice.  Tippa's ability to get things done and influence change continues to inspire Heidi and many people and organisations.Links to websites and resources mentioned in this episode:Naphtali & Associates4WardEverUKCatalyst 4 Change CICFind FoodBanks BrumFirst Stop DesignM.A.S.H. HubThe National Memorial Family FundRed Alert HELP!United Families & Friends Campaign

Dave  Linton is the first ever guest to be invited onto the Make an Impact podcast for a follow-up interview. He launched Madlug in 2015 as he was heartbroken to learn that most children in care transport their worldly belongings in bin bags. Madlug’s 'Buy one, give one' approach addresses this.But what’s happened since Dave was last on the show? Masses, it turns out, and Dave describes Madlug’s resilience in the face of a social media hack, the decisions it made to deal with Covid, the value and importance of a great board,  the importance of trusting your gut and how he and his crew responded to an astonishing phone call from IKEA.Dave also gives his KEY advice to help social entrepreneurs find your niche and avoid mission drift. It’s a powerful tale of a social enterprise which started with just £480 and is making an astonishing impact. What next?Madlug's websiteHeidi's new book shares everything she knows about impact measurement and management – and how to implement it in your organisation. Order your copy of Impact First – The Social Entrepreneur's Guide to Measuring, Managing and Growing Your Impact at https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk/my-book-impact-first