Making a meaningful impact in local communities
We aim to add value wherever we work, which sometimes means relying on the knowledge and reach of expert partners.
In 2021, we agreed a five-year contract for our NEC Housing solution with Hammersmith & Fulham Council and identified H&F Giving as our Social Value partner. We then extended our partnership to May 2027 when we signed a separate contract for our planning software, NEC Assure.
Forming a new partnership
Founded in 2018, H&F Giving is an independent charity that connects those in need with organisations and people that want to help. Active across Hammersmith & Fulham, sometimes in partnership with the council as their place-based giving partner, it provides grant funding, runs local appeals, creates connections and matches resources with causes so that support reaches the right places and stretches further when it gets there.
This partnership is part of our commitment to add social value wherever we work. It’s an activity that falls under the Community pillar of our Responsible Actions framework, which guides how we form meaningful partnerships and operate sustainably.
Unlike other companies that offer hands-on volunteering, our contribution comes in the form of a financial donation, which over the lifetime of the partnership will run into tens of thousands of pounds. And unlike some funding sources, we don’t ring-fence our donations, which means H&F Giving can decide where the funds are needed most.
The importance of flexibility
We know from experience that charities sometimes find it hard to administer issue-specific funding. It can complicate decision making and leave some smaller organisations unable to access support.
Louise Wilson is H&F Giving’s Executive Director, and she explains the benefits of funding that comes with fewer strings attached:
“We work at a hyper-local level, helping the smallest charities and even informal grassroots networks to access the funds they need to make a difference. NEC’s approach gives us the flex to respond quickly to what communities actually need. It means that organisations that have an outsized impact can keep doing what they’re doing rather than change it to tick a box.”
Even though the funding isn’t ring fenced, Louise was keen create a well-aligned partnership that could grow over time, so some of our donation is helping organisations and residents to make better use of the digital world.
Digital Support Fund for devices and more
Some of H&F Giving’s Digital Support Fund, which is partly funded by NEC, is being used to buy devices for Fulham Good Neighbours so they can help elderly residents to get online. It’s also being used to provide devices for This New Ground, a community interest company that’s helping to train people with learning disabilities. In total, 11 projects have been awarded funds so far, with more in the pipeline.
We talk to Louise once a quarter to check in about where the need is coming from and discuss opportunities we can support. In the digital space, possible projects could include providing replacements for end-of-life laptops issued during the pandemic and testing ‘fix it’ sessions for all kinds of broken devices.
What’s important is that the funding makes the biggest impact it can. Here’s Louise again:
“NEC’s approach is very much impact-first, and that’s hugely welcome. They trust us to use their donation wisely rather than dictate the terms. We also benefit from having a big-name tech company involved with our Digital Support Fund, because it helps us to build awareness of what we do and also build our credibility with our own funders. It’s a win-win partnership and I look forward to seeing where it goes.”
Louise Wilson
Executive Director, H&F Giving
