COLLABORATION has become something of a buzzword recently, perhaps due to increasing alliances in the energy industry as it strives to remain resilient in the face of continuing low oil prices.
Yet collaboration – to achieve efficient and streamlined processes – is something that the third sector has been practising for decades.
Charities frequently have to join with others – including funders, public bodies, corporate supporters and fellow third sector organisations – to sustain their services and deliver projects.
One of our latest significant collaborative projects involved a major oil operator, three other charities and a group of undergraduates.
A team of current and former employees from energy giant BP had set themselves the challenge of raising a cumulative £1million for good causes via their eighth 250-mile Coast to Coast cycle.
The selected beneficiary charities – of which Home-Start Aberdeen was one – worked closely with them to plan and support the fundraising effort.
The main thrust of our collaborative working was to raise awareness of the challenge and the £1million target.
This activity was organised via regular meetings over a five-month period.
Together, we co-ordinated public relations and social media campaigns and ensured that all the additional mini fundraising efforts, including an in-house raffle and online auction, were well supported.
Window displays in Home-Start Aberdeen’s offices overlooking Holburn junction augmented the effort.
Given the significance of the 2016 cycle, an additional group was brought into the project.
Three RGU multimedia students were commissioned via the university’s Talent Exchange programme to capture the activity in the lead up to, and during, the challenge.
This provided a memento for riders and gave the students a meaningful real-life filming project to work on.
Another key project goal was to provide all 70 riders with a genuine insight into the work of the four charities.
Each charity presented at the official challenge launch in February and on the eve of the final day of cycling to boost morale.
The charities also came out in force to welcome the riders back at an organised homecoming event involving participants’ families and friends.
And the results of all these efforts?
The Coast to Coast riders claim that organising and participating in the challenge allowed them to develop new networks, both internally and externally.
Fresh skills were gained, some of which can be put to good use in their daily jobs.
All – whether new or accomplished cyclists – have the satisfaction of achieving a physical goal that has benefited several worthy causes.
The young people involved in filming have a genuinely exciting showcase for their portfolios – and have met many new personalities from the energy and third sectors.
For our own part, Home-Start Aberdeen is delighted that the Coast to Coast riders have maintained contact, with some expressing an interest in deepening their involvement as volunteers. The four charities worked immensely well together and will undoubtedly continue to share knowledge and experience in the future.
Not forgetting the attainment of that £1million target…