Working with Others

If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” – Isaac Newton

However large or small we think we are; we all have something unique to bring to new conversations. People inspire people every day, and we believe it is this inspiration and passion for change that allows us to have interesting conversations that lead to high impact projects.

PNE is an example of this. On a superficial level, the two organisations appear as competitors: both working with communities to build entrepreneurial skills. However, a conversation between the two business leaders, Charlotte Windebank from FIRST and Tracey Moore from PNE, ignited a mutual passion to work with the region’s young people, engaging them in sustainable business activities.

Lucy Batley delved into this relationship with a ‘warts and all’ panel discussion at last month’s Dynamo conference to talk about the success of their joint project Green for Go!. Lucy explored the partnership journey shared by FIRST, a six-year-old company and PNE, a successful forty-year-old enterprise agency. Clearly defining each partner’s area of expertise, clear communication and sharing values meant the project had real impact. The inter-college competition saw 271% increase in students reporting they felt very empowered to help solve problems like climate change.

Working together generates creativity and innovation as seen in the entrepreneurial partnership between Peter Woods and the University of Sunderland. The collaboration meant Peter could start his new business designing and developing edible labels. With high levels of obesity in the region,and thanks to the support of the Sunderland University graduates, Peter is heading in the right direction to drastically change the way we buy food.

More recently, Durham based DVC roofing and Tyneside based GiveToLocal have joined forces to secure a positive future for the region’s community sport clubs, at a time when grassroots sport needs it the most. GiveToLocal, with the support of their partners, aim to put an additional £10 million into grassroots sport annually helping the region be healthier.

Alongside food labels and community sport, Teesside based Rounton Coffee pledged to provide the NHS with 20,000 cups of coffee with the support of Endeavour Partnership. The goal was achieved by the end of July 2020 alongside the creation of a new blend of coffee, purely for NHS key workers across Teesside.

Working with others who have the same value systems creates wider impact, knowledge transfers and more value for customers.