BD Giving Notes #53 – What Does Participation Look Like?

Participation is a word that we often hear in various contexts, such as education, work, politics, sports, and social activities. But what does it mean to participate? And who gets to decide how we participate? Our Head of Learning and Participation, Cameron Bray, looks to their past for an example of why we do not […]
BD Giving Notes #51 – Counting the Days

Instead of enforcing rigid hour-monitoring systems, we prioritise trusting our colleagues to maintain professionalism and deliver their finest work. Géraud de Ville With the first Note of 2024, our CEO looks back on one of the most radical changes BD Giving adopted last year, the 4-Day Week. Serving as a companion piece to Jack and […]
BD Giving Notes #44 – ‘’All Good Things Come To An End (when to step away and how to do it well)‘’

As I dive into other projects, I will think about everything I have learnt with the Working Group – the bestowed wisdom I have from being a part of the process but more importantly from the powerful connections I have forged with some of the Barking and Dagenham community. Jack Webb In this Note our […]
BD Giving Notes #40 – “My weapon of choice‘’

A few weeks ago, our Head of Learning & Participation finally finished their Level 4 training in Lewis Deep Democracy (LDD), marking the culmination of a development process that started in September 2020. Here, Cameron, reflects on what they’ve learned and what this means for their work.
BD Giving Notes #36 – “Reaching out to local businesses about the GROW Fund‘’

We have already started to adapt our outreach strategy to ensure that information about the GROW Fund is available in local community hubs, places of worship and local businesses on the high street. Adeshola Adejare On Monday 30 January 2023, we launched the GROW Fund. This blog is about how we reached local business owners […]
BD Giving Notes #34 – ‘’Democratising Finance‘’

With new players moving in and supporting local communities, it will be important not to repeat past errors. People must have a say over what happens where they live. That’s why we strongly believe that those most affected by funding decisions should be the ones in charge of making them. Géraud de Ville de Goyet […]
BD Giving Notes #27 – ‘Working for a smaller charity’

There is magic in small charities – something special, and being place-based means that we see what is happening locally. Cláudia Ramalhosa I’d like to use this Note to talk about how I’ve adapted to life at a small charity. Working for a smaller charity has proven to be a learning opportunity for me. It has […]
BD Giving Notes #24 – ‘Six good eggs’

As we pick out our preferred chairs and desk lamps, it feels right to reflect on the values and shared experiences that have led us to such an effective team bond. The BD Giving Team In his Note in May, Géraud reflected on his managerial role by stating “[It is] my duty to recruit a […]
BD Giving Notes – #21 ‘A Reality Check’

The question is, do we need to consider ‘professionalising’ our Board or our Community Steering Group to access more of the impact investing market?…. Our challenge ahead is in managing this tension and achieving a fine balance between the two. Géraud de Ville de Goyet Last week a colleague and I had an enlightening meeting […]
BD Giving Notes – #20 ‘We’re not exactly in fun territory but things certainly are not mundane.’

We will admit we were overly optimistic with our timeline. Summer holidays and more time-sensitive projects got in the way. Nonetheless, we’re almost there! Cláudia Ramalhosa Kate and Cláudia are here once again to share our adventures in CRM land. In case you missed it, we are well on our way to integrating Salesforce. We […]