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Can social data revolutionise healthcare? Join us as we uncover the incredible journey of Miranda Mapleton, CEO of White Swan, a charity that's leveraging anonymised social data and AI to transform patient care. Discover how a personal story involving the a friend's sister's rare condition ignited a movement to improve health outcomes through innovative technology. Miranda walks us through her transition from a marketing executive to leading a team of 130 passionate volunteers, all driven by the mission to make healthcare more effective and accessible.

We'll explore the ground-breaking work White Swan is doing in collaboration with universities, charities, and commercial organisations, and how their bespoke projects and reports are making a real impact. Learn about the rapid advancements in AI, specifically Large Language Models, and how they're enhancing data processes to benefit patient care. Miranda also shares White Swan's future ambitions to democratise their data for academic research and expand partnerships, emphasising the critical role of client feedback and returning clients. Tune in to be inspired by how data and technology are paving the way for a healthier future.

Welcome to Make an Impact podcast, where we dive deep into the stories, strategies, and solutions that drive real change. I'm Heidi Fisher and I work with organizations on a mission to tackle poverty, reduce health inequalities, and create lasting social impact. In each episode, I bring you inspiring conversations with change makers, social entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who are making a difference, whether you're looking to boost your impact measurement, learn from innovative projects or

Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Make an Impact podcast. I hope you found today's conversation as inspiring and thought provoking as I did. If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with others who want to create positive change. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and learn more about my work at Makeanimpactcic.co.uk.

Until next time, let's keep making an impact in the world.

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

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.uk
• Need help with your Impact Measurement and Management? More about Heidi's work at  www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Welcome to Make an Impact podcast, where we dive deep into the stories, strategies, and solutions that drive real change. I'm Heidi Fisher and I work with organizations on a mission to tackle poverty, reduce health inequalities, and create lasting social impact. In each episode, I bring you inspiring conversations with change makers, social entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who are making a difference, whether you're looking to boost your impact measurement, learn from innovative projects or

Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Make an Impact podcast. I hope you found today's conversation as inspiring and thought provoking as I did. If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with others who want to create positive change. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and learn more about my work at Makeanimpactcic.co.uk.

Until next time, let's keep making an impact in the world.

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

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.org
• Remi 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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

"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.uk
• Salad Money impact report: https://www.saladmoney.co.uk/news/salad-money-2021-2022-impact-report
• More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

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.com
• Dad La Soul impact report
• More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

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 people
• why Responsible Finance is like a 'coach' for its members
• mapping policy work to direct results, whether that's influencing Government, securing investment, working with partners and changing lives for 70,000 people every year
• how Responsible Finance measures its own and the sector's impact
• her 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.uk
• More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

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/impact
• More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

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 & Associates
• 4WardEverUK
• Catalyst 4 Change CIC
• Find FoodBanks Brum
• First Stop Design
• M.A.S.H. Hub
• The National Memorial Family Fund
• Red Alert HELP!
• United Families & Friends Campaign

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

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 Counselling
• Community support and collaboration
• Pandemic Challenges and the surge in demand for counselling services
• Online platforms for service delivery and adapting to the changing landscape of therapeutic support
• Balancing grant dependency and traded income
• Establishing a High Street Community Well-being Centre
  
  

Tune 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.uk
• Need help with your Impact Measurement and Management? More about Heidi's work at  www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Welcome to Make an Impact podcast, where we dive deep into the stories, strategies, and solutions that drive real change. I'm Heidi Fisher and I work with organizations on a mission to tackle poverty, reduce health inequalities, and create lasting social impact. In each episode, I bring you inspiring conversations with change makers, social entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who are making a difference, whether you're looking to boost your impact measurement, learn from innovative projects or

Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Make an Impact podcast. I hope you found today's conversation as inspiring and thought provoking as I did. If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with others who want to create positive change. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and learn more about my work at Makeanimpactcic.co.uk.

Until next time, let's keep making an impact in the world.

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

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 website
• Heidi'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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

"This is a model that can be taken anywhere in the world." Chris Roberts is the co-founder of North Wales Dragons, a social enterprise and community football team which raises money  for charities all over the UK and beyond. 

The idea was kicked off with a football match with a ten-nil defeat, but lots of money raised – and it snowballed from there, as Chris explains. He also describes:

• how the sponsorship and fundraising model works,
• ensuring the games are inclusive and collaborative,
• the vital importance of collecting data and statistics from day one of running any enterprise or project,
• what North Wales Dragons did during lockdown to support local hospitals, children's charities and foodbanks,
• why he uses the term "Human Social Responsibility."

 This interview also covers how Chris levered the connective power of social media during the lockdown to make connections with other people making an impact, all across the globe – and "spread the name of the Dragons worldwide." 

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

There are three key things ethical businesses must do when it comes to their marketing, according to Jane Shaw. Listen on to find out.

Conscious customers can be incredibly vocal, so if an ethical business can build a community which loves and believes in their product or service it can be a huge asset.

Jane describes the practical steps ethical businesses can take; how she helps entrepreneurs to bottle their "why" and her own routemap to make marketing affordable and effective for small, purpose-led businesses.

A former journalist and PR, Jane also runs The Happy Families Plan , giving families the tools to stop surviving and start thriving.

What next?

• Find free practical guides and Jane's affordable marketing courses at EthicalBusinessMarketing.com
• The Happy Families Plan 
• Jane is on LinkedIn here
• Heidi'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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Marianne Moore launched Justice Studio in 2011 after becoming jaded with the values deficit in traditional management consulting. She  wanted to run a business  she'd like to work in: a consultancy where  people's purpose and interests are inflamed rather than dampened down.

Justice Studio has worked on projects addressing social, gender, child, criminal and climate justice, plus safeguarding, homelessness,  racism, domestic violence and  international aid. She  "The broader discriminations that people are facing, they all interlock," she says.

Its purpose as a social enterprise is to "create global social equality by assisting and challenging organisations, governments and ourselves to be the best we can be." Justice Studio's work has led to policy changes in international aid, as Marianne explains in this episode, which also covers the difference between earning income from intervention and prevention, how Justice Studio measures its impact and future plans.

What next?

• Justice Studio website, LinkedIn profile and twitter
• Heidi'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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Imagine not having to explain to people your mission to balance impact and profit. It's powerful and energising to work with people who get what you're doing and why .

Sara Osterholzer co-founded the Good Business Club, an alternative business network fostering "collaboration connection and confidence for small, good business owners and freelancers who want to make a difference, as well as a living. " She's on a mission to reach 2021 budding impact entrepreneurs this year so they can start and scale "businesses that the world needs."

In this episode she demystifies what good practice looks like, describes how she measures her impact and reveals her long-term goals. She also covers why she came to launch the Good Business Club and has advice for new entrepreneurs about mindset, purpose and direction.

What next:

• Here's the impact measurement tool Sara mentions in the podcast.
• Visit The Good Business Club online and on Twitter.
• Heidi'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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Saif Bhoja is founder of Huriah Hemp CIC, a youth-led organisation selling hemp and organic cotton products to businesses and consumers. It uses the sales to drive its social mission, empowering young people's creativity and self-esteem.

Social action helps young people position themselves in the world  and identify their purpose and the path they want to take, says Saif. When he was younger it was difficult to pursue his interests in creativity, environmental advocacy or any kind of voluntary or community work. So he created opportunities for himself and other young people.

This fascinating interview also covers creative design, the distinction between tangible gains and purpose, how social action helps people understand what's happening in the world, tools to measure impact, lessons learned in social enterprise, and the environmental benefits of using hemp for clothing.

What next

• Visit Huriah Hemp CIC online and on Instagram and Twitter
• Saif also mentioned Social Ark, which helps young people develop businesses
• Heidi'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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Marcella Tarable is the co founder of Food for Thought, an initiative which invites people from agencies to donate their skills to help a social enterprise or charity, in exchange for a nice lunch.

Marcella says she wanted to found ways to "redeem her soul" – her background is in advertising – and do something purposeful. But it was hard to find initiatives to support social enterprises which is why she launched Food for Thought.

She describes some of the social enterprises Food for Thought has worked with and just how much can be achieved during their two-hour sprints.

What next?

• Visit Food for Thought here
• Marcella is on Twitter here 
• Heidi'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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Video is like a match which starts the fire to cook a meal, says Ravinol Chambers. He's worked with numerous social enterprises, social investors and partners such as TedX London,  making stories which cross boundaries since 2009.

Ravinol's debut documentary Road to Vrindavan is a feature film examining the impact and importance of education for girls in India and what we must all do to make progress in gender equity.

Ravinol tells us more about this ‘heartbreaking yet incredibly hopeful’ film, and the personal journey to make it. This episode also covers his life for seven years as a monk, why he started Be Inspired Films (one of the UK's founding B Corps), and what makes film such a powerful and visceral medium (but what it shouldn't be used for).

What next?

• Pre-register to watch Road to Vrindavan  at its UK Premiere which will screen online between March 31st - April 4th here and learn more about the film or organise your own screening here
• Malala Yousafzai said of the film: “The voices of girls and young women in this movie remind us of the urge and urgency for equality and education right now. It also beautifully highlights working with men and boys as an important step towards change.”
• Visit Be Inspired Films
• Watch video highlights from the 2021 GenderSmart Global Investing Summit
• Heidi'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
  
  

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Amy Eleftheriades has worked with children, young people and vulnerable adults in social care, health and education for over twenty years.

A qualified teacher, Amy founded and runs Alpha Inclusion and Communication, which works with neurodivergent young people and adults. Amy describes how her business, a social enterprise, develops individuals' essential skills.

Alpha supports professionals and parents; enabling them to improve communication and education for children and young people. It also acts in the workplace, helping people reach their potential by enabling teams,  organisations and businesses to become more accessible for their clients and workforce.

Why and how did Amy get into this field? What made her set up Alpha Inclusion and Communication in 2012? And how can Lego support communication skills and language development?

Amy, author of three books including "Building Blocks for Communication - Activities for Promoting Language and Communication Skills in Children with Special Educational Needs," explains.

What next?

• Alpha Inclusion and Communication 
• Heidi'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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Tiny changes in how you use technology can make a profound impact on your carbon footprint.

By thinking about the entire life cycle of a product, from raw materials to what happens when it really can't serve its original purpose, social and purpose-driven entrepreneurs can re-evaluate what tools they use and when to replace them.

In this episode, Heidi covers proactive and realistic steps you can take right away to ensure you don't just consume and create for the sake of it. 

And she examines issues to consider when it comes to the economic impact of your activities.

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

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 LinkedIn
• Need help with your Impact Measurement and Management? More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Welcome to Make an Impact podcast, where we dive deep into the stories, strategies, and solutions that drive real change. I'm Heidi Fisher and I work with organizations on a mission to tackle poverty, reduce health inequalities, and create lasting social impact. In each episode, I bring you inspiring conversations with change makers, social entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who are making a difference, whether you're looking to boost your impact measurement, learn from innovative projects or

Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Make an Impact podcast. I hope you found today's conversation as inspiring and thought provoking as I did. If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with others who want to create positive change. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and learn more about my work at Makeanimpactcic.co.uk.

Until next time, let's keep making an impact in the world.

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Cath Harris runs One World Women, a social enterprise connecting experienced business women with ambitious female entrepreneurs from developing countries.

Cath experienced burnout after growing her first business which she sold in 2016. On a holiday to the Gambia she met Ida Cham, an ' extraordinary woman' who runs her own cooking school and makes micro-loans to help women run their own businesses. That conversation and the gaps in support Ida outlined to Cath, became the spark for One World Women.

Its programmes take place in-country and online, catalysing real impact for all and unlocking entrepreneurship. What changes for participants as a result? Cath explains.

Entrepreneurs have differing resources available to manage their businesses in different places and it's important for mentors to understand this context; Cath gives examples. The programmes have needed to adapt this year and Cath explains how. And she describes who becomes mentors and why.

What Cath originally thought would be a simple idea when she launched One World Women has become much bigger. She covers its ambitious plans to scale for the long-term and how its programmes will create opportunities for women the world over to flourish and help their communities grow.

What next?

• One World Women CIC on LinkedIn. Also here on Twitter and Facebook
• Heidi'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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Embedding social impact into your supply chain is much wider than just 'buying from social enterprises.' 

It's possible to unlock enormous and complementary social, environmental and economic impacts  through social procurement and Heidi describes how, with examples, in this episode.

We go into depth about what to think about, how to start, and how to measure supplier-generated impact. There are numerous baby steps you can take, which Heidi describes. And we look at emerging areas of social impact such as the climate impact of technology and cloud-computing.

This practical episode is essential listening for social entrepreneurs wanting to support and encourage suppliers to create social impact.

Also in this episode:

• the implications of social value becoming a 'requirement' rather than a 'consideration' in central government contracts
• how to avoid being 'tender-fodder' and exploited by larger contractors for the impact you can deliver
• why over-prescriptive commissioning can destroy innovation
• a hard-won lesson learned

Heidi's new book explains everything you need to know about impact measurement and management and how to implement it in your organisation.

Get your copy first! Pre-order one of the limited number of hardback versions 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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Tina Chen is the founder and chief tea officer at HumaniTea which sells ready-to-drink cold tea latte drinks made with natural and ethically-sourced ingredients.

HumaniTea is a social enterprise and commits 5% of profits to support wellbeing and sustainability initiatives. Tina was originally inspired by the Taiwanese bubble tea concept and the British tea drinking culture while studying her MBA at Imperial College London.

She tells Heidi about HumaniTea's journey from idea to brand to a need to rebrand because of trade mark opposition. Then, agains the odds, Tina ran a successful crowdfunding campaign securing over £13,100 from over 100 backers earlier in 2020.

Tina also covers how she's found suppliers and sourced her ingredients,  HumaniTea's wellbeing and sustainability fund and getting her products to market. Support from Cambridge Social Ventures and from Heidi herself has been invaluable too and Tina describes why.

What next?

• HumaniTea
• Heidi'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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

We've run through the five stages of the LEAN social impact approach in earlier episodes. Three themes are common to every stage: being impact-led, communication, and embedding impact.

A social enterprise with an impact-led strategy is led by the impact it wants to create. This means being your purpose, rather than having a purpose.

Why bother? Many organisations get bogged down in a cycle of continuing to exist – which means chasing funding and contracts to continue delivering the same services and keeping their employees in jobs.  This approach doesn’t always address whether the real mission is being delivered properly, or at all.

An impact led strategy is not a short-term approach. It flips much traditional business planning on its head, and asks how you can create the most impact for the people you work with (or for the environment). Heidi explains more.

When it comes to communicating impact, there are nine essential questions to address – otherwise you risk miscommunication or excluding people. Heidi has great ideas for communication channels and outputs for different stakeholders.

When impact is truly embedded, everyone in your organisation knows what impact you’re trying to create, why you’re measuring it, and is confident about how they contribute to creating it  Heidi talks through the macro and micro elements of this, from culture to everyday actions.

The five stages of Heidi's LEAN social impact approach are Define, Plan, Measure, Analyse and Learn, and it's important to progress through each stage before moving to the next.

Heidi's new book explains everything you need to know about impact measurement and management and how to implement it in your organisation.

Get your copy first! Pre-order one of the limited number of hardback versions 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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

There's a lot of anger about asking questions or fear of being 'cancelled' nowadays. Yet how are you going to educate an 11 or 15 year old about their human rights if they can't or don't ask searching questions?

Sandy AbdelRahman is the co-founder of Skaped, a platform which encourages young people to engage with their human rights through the creative arts including drama, writing and more.  An activist since the age of 19, Sandy describes why art is such an effective tool for engagement and why it's vital our young people are taught to question everything.

She also covers the pros and cons of creating its impact as a charity or social enterprise, how talking about lived and personal experiences helps young people to open up,  how Black Lives Matter impacts on Skaped's work, and addressing discrimination and expectations.

Timings:

• 1:00 What is Skaped and how does it run in practice?
• 2:31 Skaped's sessions are fun, creative and don't use impenetrable legal language
• 3:00 Sandy's background and how it gave her the idea for Skaped
• 4:35 Why art is so effective
• 5:09 Skaped is registering as a charity and Sandy describes this process
• 7:15 Its programmes include gender equality and cancelling culture, delivered online and available globally
• 10:00 Young people do care
• 12:45 Will Skaped extend the age-range of people it works with?
• 13:55 How Black Lives Matter impacts on the work Skaped does
• 15:50 Activism and campaigning: priorities and dealing with loneliness
• 18:15 What's been the hardest part of Sandy's journey?
• 20:50 Finding out more about Skaped's work

What next?

• Skaped
• Heidi'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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Stage five of the LEAN social impact approach is LEARN. Heidi explains how this is when your organisation makes improvements, based on data, to maximise your impact.

Heidi uses another real-life example, this time a community hub. Segmenting and being more specific about their "wellbeing" outcomes improved their impact and gave them more detailed evidence, more precise data and a more powerful story.

This episode also covers SROI – social return on investment. People either love or hate SROI and Heidi runs through the pros and cons of assigning financial values to your impact and  specific circumstances in which it is particularly worthwhile.

The "LEARN" stage is typically done annually or perhaps every six months. If you take an impact-led approach to running your organisation then looking at your impact is a fundamental part of your business planning approach.

The five stages of Heidi's LEAN social impact approach are Define, Plan, Measure, Analyse and Learn, and it's important to progress through each stage before moving to the next.

Heidi's new book explains everything you need to know about impact measurement and management and how to implement it in your organisation.

Get your copy first! Pre-order one of the limited number of hardback versions 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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Genia Mineeva is a former journalist who moved from covering politics and international affairs to communicating impact and campaigning.

She went on to launch BEEN London after getting angry about waste which doesn’t get recycled.

In this episode Genia talks about creating fantastic and high quality handbags entirely from waste; the circular economy; her biggest challenges and achievements to date and some exciting future developments for BEEN London.

When Genia was told "we would recycle more if someone was buying the materials" the gauntlet was thrown. She researched, studied sustainability, tested and wouldn't give up (even when it was hard as a startup to get potential partners to reply to her emails).

Her products look the same (or much nicer!) than ordinary products; perform just as well – and have a real, measurable impact on the fashion industry by proving that waste can become beautiful, inside and out.

Listen to learn more about the fascinating processes turning tannery (leather) waste,  recycled plastic bottles and cotton into material for bags. BEEN London also uses a vegan leather made from apple peels and one made from pineapple leaves.

Genia isn't shy to express her opinion on carbon offsetting, the idea that 'growth is good', the conflict between making products and sustainability, and effective impact measurement.

Collaboration and thoughtfulness about every aspect of the carbon footprint is central to BEEN London, as Genia describes, showing how waste can become beautiful bags, laptop cases and accessories which look amazing and solve a problem.

What next?

• BEEN London
• Heidi'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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

The fourth stage of the LEAN social impact approach is 'Analyse.' Heidi explains how effective analysis enabled a housing association with range of projects to capture better data, understand more about what worked best, and make changes to improve their impacts.

The five stages of Heidi's LEAN social impact approach are Define, Plan, Measure, Analyse and Learn, and it's important to progress through each stage before moving to the next. If you do, the Analyse stage provides immediate and valuable feedback which can reshape your planning and measurement too.

Heidi explains how the housing association tweaked questions used in data capture and ultimately shifted priorities for its project budget thanks to the 'Analyse' stage. This boosted its impact.

She explores the difference between the Analyse and the Learn stages, describes what can go wrong when it comes to impact analysis and how to avoid this, and has an update about progress with her new book – and a health update too.

Heidi's new book explains everything you need to know about impact measurement and management and how to implement it in your organisation.

Get your copy first! Pre-order one of the limited number of hardback versions 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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Abbie Morris is co-founder and CEO of Compare Ethics, a platform which connects conscious shoppers with brands which are ethical and sustainable, rather than brands pretending to be.

She launched Compare Ethics because of her own lack of trust at many brands' claims and her frustration about greenwashing and purpose-washing.

Compare Ethics measures claims about sustainability, environmental impact and other frequently-championed areas of responsible business.

It assesses each claim against 10 categories including products' supply chains, resource-use, workers' rights and even the circular economy, and calls out false claims.

In this episode Abbie explains how Compare Ethics' assessment and verification process works; its approach to data; how it measures its own impact and its campaigning plans and ambitions.

Timings:

• 0 - 1:00 Introduction
• 1:00 What is Compare Ethics and why Abbie launched it
• 3:01 How does its verification product work and some of the categories it maps
• 4:00 How the categories are weighted and what it means if a brand scores well
• 6:52 Are consumers influencing brands to make these changes? What about the 'David Attenborough effect'?
• 8:01 Sometimes Abbie is shocked when data or evidence isn't available – but this can become an opportunity to improve and build value
• 10:05 One of Abbie’s biggest highs (so far) in Compare Ethics' journey was being selected for Google's female founders programme
• 11:16 How Compare Ethics measures its own impact
• 12:17 A question Heidi always asks when helping to develop a Theory of Change
• 13:28 How Compare Ethics assesses brands’ supply chains and approach to modern-day slavery
• 15:34 Campaigning work and plans
• 18:30 Abbie's key advice for consumers

What next?

• Compare Ethics
• Heidi'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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

When are your prime opportunities to capture data? In part three of The Impact Diaries, Heidi Fisher describes her approach to measuring your impact – the central stage of the LEAN social impact approach.

If you've planned effectively then measuring your impact is easy, she says – but if you haven't this is where everything goes wrong.

Heidi describes how a client sought to measure six key outcomes – having both defined and planned well. This organisation provides multiple services for adults with physical or learning difficulties.

She explains how her 'brick wall' philosophy means impact measurement is embedded into everything an organisation does – and what that looks like in reality for this organisation.

She covers how using the 'Impact Pitch' makes you focus on the crucial questions to ask to capture your impact.

And she describes three common ways in which measuring and capturing your impact can go wrong and how to avoid them.

• 1:00 Quick recap: why you must complete stages one and two before you start measuring
• 1:40 Heidi worked with a client running adult day care centres and home help for adults with physical or learning difficulties and providing a range of diverse services
• 2:15 What was the biggest issue for this client in terms of measurement? How did the organisation address this?
• 3:00 This client's stakeholders and key outcomes
• 5:04 Heidi's approach to physical measurement
• 5:50 The Brick Wall Philosophy, how it applies to this specific organisation, and enables staff members to measure the right things
• 8:00 What is the Impact Pitch?
• 9:57 Aside from skipping the planning stage, what are the most common mistakes made in the 'Measure' stage? Heidi explains how to avoid these pitfalls
• 12:04 How this process helped this particular organisation and its stakeholders
• 13:50 The five stages of Heidi's LEAN social impact approach are Define, Plan, Measure, Analyse and Learn

Heidi's new book, out in Autumn 2020, shares everything she knows about impact measurement and management – and how to implement it in your organisation.

Get your copy first! Pre-order one of the limited number of hardback versions 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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

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-82379938
• Need help with your Impact Measurement and Management? More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

It's disappointing if an important cause is let down by a poor product. Bryn Frere-Smith's coffee contributes to addressing terrible issues – but he’s emphatic it must taste amazing too.

Bryn is founder of Blue Bear Coffee which uses its profits and profile to support organisations fighting human trafficking and caring for survivors.

After leaving the Metropolitan Police he worked in 'close protection' for some of the richest people in the world. But he needed to find his purpose. This took him to 12 challenging months with the International Justice Mission, an organisation fighting modern-day slavery and human trafficking.

We can't all be charity workers supporting survivors of horrific exploitation. But we can contribute through every day purchases, and Bryn's experience led ultimately to launching Blue Bear, the trading name of The Justice Business Community Interest Company.

Why coffee? It's a product notorious for poor treatment of its supply chain. Blue Bear also works to support growers and farmers. Bryn explains how.

Also in this interview: what's the worst thing anyone could say to Heidi?

ADVISORY: This interview includes content about working with survivors of exploitation and abuse which some listeners may find distressing.

Timings:

• 0 - 1:00 Introduction
• 1:00 Bryn’s background and why he left the Metropolitan Police Service
• 2:15 Running Norfolk’s least successful security company then becoming a bodyguard 'for the 0.1%'
• 3:15 Feeling lost and looking for a purpose
• 3:45 What is the International Justice Mission?
• 4:22 Off to the Dominican Republic for a particularly difficult project investigating the sexual exploitation of children
• 6:00 A six-year old girl's horrifying experiences and her teddy-bear tale led Bryn to start a teddy-bear fund
• 10:00 Keeping the momentum and launching Blue Bear, now two years old in September 2020
• 12:00 Why coffee? Bryn wanted to demonstrate it was possible to run a coffee business which doesn't exploit people
• 15:07 How Blue Bear is sold
• 16:30 Breaking the disparity between good cause and pants product
• 17:45 A confession and the worst thing Blake could ever say to Heidi…
• 18:41 Heidi finds a solution
• 19:34 Why and how Bryn plans to scale-up Blue Bear
• 21:00 Other organisations addressing human slavery and trafficking
• 22:11 How to buy Blue Bear coffee

What next?

• The International Justice Mission
• Blue Bear Coffee
• Bryn’s own Justice and Coffee podcast
• Heidi's new book shares everything she knows about impact measurement and management – and how to implement it in your organisation. Order you

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Stage two of the LEAN social impact approach is planning. If you miss this stage you risk measuring the wrong things in the wrong way, a mistake many social enterprises make.

Heidi explains how an organisation which works with young people with Special Educational Needs planned what to measure – and how to do so effectively.

Many organisations fall back on the easy option of questionnaires to capture data, instead of adopting a flexible approach. Surveys and questionnaires aren't always fit for purpose and would not have worked in this case. 

Heidi describes several flexible and interactive ways to capture data. These powerful and effective ideas could work for your social enterprise too.

She explains what this client planned to measure and how they did it – plus why it is vital to focus on measuring a small number of key outcomes.

In The Impact Diaries Heidi gives real-life examples of the five stage LEAN social impact approach in action.

"Once you've defined your ultimate goal it's crucial NOT to jump straight to stage three, when you start measuring." Find out how to plan most effectively in this episode.

Timings:

• 0 - 1:15 Introduction
• 1:15 The organisation featured in this episode works with young people with special educational needs to provide them with employability skills and work experience
• 1:55 Why surveys would not be appropriate or effective in this situation
• 2:30 Heidi explains several ways to capture data at workshops and events (physical and virtual)
• 9:11 Are people ever self-conscious about participating in these activities?
• 11:40 Planning helps to capture evidence – what happened next with Heidi's client working with young people?
• 15:45 Heidi explains how planning is fundamental to effective impact measurement and is distinct from the measurement stage
• 17:20 Other crucial elements of the planning stage of the LEAN social impact approach and why it's important to focus tightly

The five stages of Heidi's LEAN social impact approach are Define, Plan, Measure, Analyse and Learn. Heidi's new book, out in Autumn 2020, shares everything she knows about impact measurement and management – and how to implement it in your organisation.

Get your copy first! Pre-order one of the limited number of hardback versions 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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Denise Brown launched 4YoungMinds in October 2018. Over several years as a youth worker for The Prince's Trust she had witnessed just how much young people struggle with mental health and well-being, no matter what their background.

How does social media influence young people's mental health and what are its pros and cons? What positives have come out of Black Lives Matter? And how does her own experience of anxiety help Denise relate to people she now supports?

In this episode, Denise covers why she launched 4YoungMinds, its multiple and varied streams of activities and how it works with young people.

She addresses the distinction between the increase in awareness that people experience issues affecting their mental health and well-being, and the availability of programmes to address mental ill-health and support wellbeing. Early intervention is key, she explains, and 4 Young Minds doesn't only support young people – it offers support and programmes for teachers, parents, carers and educators too.

And Denise is frank about her own experiences "struggling with anxiety since the age of 14 and learning tools and techniques to manage it." 

The episode also covers self-awareness, "retraining the brain", the pros and cons of social media, anti-racist education and Denise's plans for 4YoungMinds for the future.

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

What would your ultimate goal be if you were trying to maximise your impact? Would it be different to your current goal?

In The Impact Diaries Heidi gives real-life examples of the five stage LEAN social impact approach in action.

Its first stage is "define" and in this episode Heidi covers work with a health and social care organisation, three key questions board members can use to be creative about the future, and how the define stage is crucial for boards to identify impact goals, appropriate outcomes and activities.

If there are tensions between what your social enterprise wants to achieve and what it's been commissioned to achieve, you need to listen to this episode.

"Very often boards will be approaching their strategy from the basics of business planning where you start with what you currently do and add to it incrementally. Taking an impact-led approach is very different."

• 0 - 1:00 Introduction,
• 1:00 Heidi's role was to work with the Board to develop a three-year strategy, with an outline strategy for 10 years
• 2:20 Conflicts often occur in health and social care organisations between meeting numbers rather than achieving impact on people's lives. How Heidi started to enable this organisation, its CEO and board to address this and move towards an impact-led strategy.
• 5:59 What if different board members have different ideas of an organisation's mission?
• 6:41 How this exercise supports the LEAN Impact approach.
• 7:12 Three questions Heidi uses to help people think about what their ultimate goal is.
• 10:15 Did the health and care organisation in this example redefine or reframe their ultimate goal? Why?
• 11:51 Once you have your ultimate goal what's next?
• 13:37 After identifying outcomes, how to identify and map activities. 
• 15:45 The "Define" stage can be hard. Some advice for sole founders.
• 16:44 What if this stage uncovers difficulties and tensions?
• 19:00 What happened next with the health and social care organisation?

The five stages of Heidi's LEAN social impact approach are Define, Plan, Measure, Analyse and Learn. Heidi's new book, out in Autumn 2020, shares everything she knows about impact measurement and management – and how to implement it in your organisation.

Get your copy first! Pre-order one of the limited number of hardback versions 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

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Manny Ebokosia is a multi-genre and multilingual recording artist, songwriter, and the founder of music business social enterprise, True Cadence.

You can't push a natural born leader into working for someone else, he says. So True Cadence provides learning, mentoring and artistic development to young people from under-resourced communities.

Manny launched True Cadence when he realised plenty of programmes gave young people access to recording and music-making facilities – but there was little access to music-specific business skills development.

He tells Heidi how music was his own escape when growing up, but to really make it, people need to know how the industry works and develop those sector-specific entrepreneurial skills. That's where True Cadence can help.

Through its tailored music business training and engagement activities True Cadence supports people one note at a time.

Everyone connects to music differently, says Manny, and developing music business skills  has numerous positive outcomes for young people – for their mental health, self-worth, confidence and ability to contribute to the economy.

And the social enterprise has adapted to address 2020's lockdown restrictions. Its "Kidz Create" programme has helped children to virtually create and record songs during Covid-19.

Manny also describes how True Cadence seeks to grow its impact, why he sees Heidi as the "queen of impact" and his other future plans in this, the first episode of season three of the Make An Impact podcast – which will feature interviews with a range of young social entrepreneurs.

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

It's a disgusting and expensive mess. Fly tipping is the illegal dumping of rubbish and a costly scourge. Local authorities dealt with over a million incidents of fly tipping in England alone last year.

But Elliott Lancaster is on a clean-up mission. Utter Rubbish is a social enterprise he created while studying at Keele University (he gained a first-class degree in accounting and finance and is now taking a PhD there).

Elliott set up Utter Rubbish to communicate more effectively about what can and can't be recycled. He wanted to address the problem of contamination within waste materials which could and should be recycled. And during his research he twigged on to just how much fly tipping occurs.

Now, Elliott's app – which is already being piloted by a local authority – helps councils save money while they address the issue of fly tipping.

Elliott describes how the app works, how Utter Rubbish seeks to change perceptions and behaviour, its impact, and its plans to scale nationally in this episode of the Making an Impact Podcast.

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

"Our values are to help the world run better and improve people's lives," says Frank Omare, a senior director within the global value advisory team at SAP. 

He works with customers to help them understand how technology can solve critical business problems, transform their businesses – and enable their organisations to achieve sustainability-related goals.

Sustainability and social enterprise are central, not only to Frank's role, but to how SAP does business, he tells Heidi.

Frank talks about technology as a force for good (with a positive impact on the environment) and covers

• How the Ariba Network can connect social enterprises and minority-owned businesses with corporate organisations, opening a "world of opportunities" for all
• Why accessibility to corporate organisations supported by promotion in the network allows social enterprises to scale massively.
• SAP's technology and automated workflows to highlight social enterprises to corporate buyers.
• Partnerships and sponsorships with organisations such as Social Enterprise UK and the Social Enterprise World Forum.
• SAP's working culture and commitment to social enterprise.
• How SAP measures its own impact – and how it helps customers and suppliers to measure and increase their impact too.
• Exciting plans and emerging technologies and how these might support social enterprises.
• Other sustainability and social enterprise solutions within and across SAP.

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

"The trouble with being successful is you're in demand." When Jonny Kinross took the helm as CEO of Grassmarket Community Project, the Edinburgh-based social enterprise worked with around 70 people each year. Now that figure is around 500.

With a background in social work, Jonny set up a social enterprise 12 years ago before joining – and "totally falling in love with" – the Grassmarket Community Project, which gives people the opportunity to contribute more to society.

Grassmarket Community Project runs catering, woodwork, textiles and tartan businesses and engagement activities to support vulnerable people. Its turnover has increased from £300,000 to £1.2m in the last few years.

How has the Covid-19 crisis affected how it delivers its services? And how will it sustain its work now and for the future?

Heidi finds out in this episode, in which Jonny also covers:

• how the organisation is sustaining itself financially by figuring out what it can safely do and what it can afford to do;
• flexibility and adapting to unexpected events;
• how Grassmarket has grown by focusing on supporting people and generating profit to support its social objectives;
• future plans – including building a three-quarter-million-pound extension;
• and super tips for other social entrepreneurs about funding, decision making, and accessing advice.

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Angela Clements is Chief Executive of Fair for You Enterprise Community Interest Company, an ethical alternative to high cost weekly payment and "rent to own" stores.

Fair for You is a lending company, wholly owned by a charity, providing small loans for people to buy essential items for they homes. It does not give cash loans, it gives access to affordable credit.

On an average Fair for You loan, a borrower will save £500 in interest compared with rent-to-own stores, according to research by the The Centre for Responsible Credit. With an average loan size of £300 this is a staggering amount.

Running this multiple-award-winning social enterprise is Angela's dream job despite the initial "battle for survival and fight for funds" and other challenges competing with huge, well-resourced competitors.

She believes all and any credit should benefit a household, not create legacy debt.

In this episode, Angela describes:

• After working in a bank she ran one of the UK's largest Credit Unions for 10 years.
• When high cost credit expanded it made a huge impact on poverty.
• The path to launching Fair for You, including the most effective research, why the business plan had to be thrown away, and securing regulatory compliance.
• Competing with high cost, high interest lenders with enormous marketing budgets.
• How social investors support Fair for You.
• The five most important things she learned from market research about people who are vulnerable and need credit for essential purchases. 
• How Fair for You measures its impact and the difference it makes.
• Making ethical credit mainstream and commercially sustainable.

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

InPower Academy uses mixed martial arts as a vehicle for transformative personal and community improvements.

Daryl Chambers is the founder and CEO of this Wolverhampton-based social enterprise which specialises in working with young people 'regardless of circumstance, environment or current standing.'

In this episode, Daryl tells Heidi about:

• how and why martial arts can help young people realise and achieve their potential – based on both philosophy and practice,
• writing a life-plan at the age of 11 when he dreamt of running a business,
• a crossroad moment when, aged 17, he was arrested,
• InPower's specific intervention programmes, 'The Unbreakables' and 'The Warriors of Wellbeing.'
• introducing young people to the benefits of journaling,
• developing and measuring resilience.

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

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 podcast
• Find Naomi on LinkedIn:  https://uk.linkedin.com/in/naomi-hulston-78026b32
• Need help with your Impact Measurement and Management? More about Heidi's work at  https://www.makeanimpactcic.co.uk

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

It's a crisis the like of which we've never faced before, exerting a dreadful toll on humanity, health and the economy. And social enterprises are especially vulnerable.

What support is available to social enterprises and to the people running and working for them?

In this episode Heidi runs through a few measures which have been announced. Some have had lots of media coverage, but others have not – including one which could make the difference in business survival for some social enterprises.

Heidi covers:

• The Business Interruption Loan Scheme. This is not only being delivered by banks, but also through some community development finance institutions, themselves social enterprises. Details here.
• If you have salaried employees who would otherwise have been laid off during this crisis you can apply to HMRC for 80% of their wages to be reimbursed (up to £2,500) through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
• A (yet to be announced when this podcast was recorded) scheme to support self-employed people).
• If your social enterprise supplies the public, a procurement note published on 20th March has told commissioners to support its suppliers through payment up front and other measures. Do check whether this is relevant to you. Details in the podcast and here.
• An initiative to support social enterprises, especially focusing on the 'forgotten vulnerable' which Heidi is about to launch on Crowdfunder. Details soon here.
• Emergency resilience funding from the Arts Council.
• And other funding is available, often focusing on charities and community groups rather than social enterprises, including National Emergencies Trust, London Community Response Fund, Heart of England Community Foundation Resilience Fund, and Martin Lewis' charity fund.
• Heidi also gives in insight into not one, but two new books she's tasked herself with completing while holed up and social distancing.

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

"Partnerships are vital to our existence...We all should be working a lot more in collaboration...and I think we can do a lot more," says Richard Collins, creative director of Sortified.

Sortified aims to improve lives and reduce social inequality. It produces toolkits, runs projects, and works around people and place through co-production.

In this episode, Richard covers why launching Sortified was an "escape plan" allowing him to put something back into the Lincolnshire community.

He describes how co-production can work in practical terms (without being tokenistic). People can be involved in the delivery of local services through a place-based social economy, he says, and there's a move away from a traditional perspective when it comes to commissioning and top-down service delivery.

The episode also covers:

• the results and impact of Sortified's work. He's candid: "sometimes it's really difficult" to measure, but there are other outcomes and impacts they can measure.
• the key area Sortified wants to improve on in terms of impact measurement, and the metrics they measure well.
• Sortified's plans for 2020: "we're going to change the world!"
• Recent work in Gainsborough, supporting a successful bid for social investment to the Local Access Programme.
• The impact of budget cuts on collaboration and working in partnership.
• Why "blended finance" is the way forward, in Richard's view, for social businesses.
• Where the Sortified name came from.

Enjoy this interview with Richard - and please leave a rating or review and share the episode so other people can find it.

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

Music isn't just a "nice thing to have" - it has become an integral part of many care plans for people living with dementia.

Rosie Mead is the founder and MD of Musica Community Interest Company, a social enterprise which supports the dementia journey through music. It runs music workshops and meaningful music activities, mainly in care homes, and has been running for over a decade.

Rosie has combined her academic research with her interest in music and dementia into what seems to be a life-calling.

She tells us about why and how she launched Musica and the many immediate and longer-lasting benefits of listening to and interacting with live music for people with dementia, their carers and their families.

She describes how Musica measures its impact, too, including through a triangulated observational approach. Plus we learn what a dementia-friendly environment is, and how Musica helps to create it.

Musica's work is underpinned by extensive research and Rosie describes how she believes more and more care homes will embed music into care plans.

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.

Send us a text

A scientist with a corporate background, Dr. Wayne Wright is the Chairman of Maidstone Warriors Basketball Club - and an interviewee with a passion to help people live with meaning and purpose.

In this episode Wayne discusses:

- avoiding the 'boom and bust' two-year cycles which trap many social enterprises.
- how by focusing on one human being means you can support many.
- why businesses should play a part in shaping society.
- the importance of making a profit and how Maidstone Warriors uses surpluses from some business activities to support impacts.
- what basketball for all means in terms of participation, and why the entry point to basketball with Maidstone Warriors is not-competitive.
- a heart-warming story of the team's impact.
- succession planning, building resilience and organisational capacity.
- how to align your passion, skills and purpose.

Support the show

Hi, I'm Heidi Fisher, the host of the Make an Impact Podcast. I'm an impact measurement expert, passionate about helping you make a bigger impact in the world by maximising the impact your services have.

I can help you to measure, manage and communicate the impact you have better to funders, investors, commissioners and other stakeholders, and to systemise your data collection and analysis so that it frees up time and doesn't become an additional burden.

I love helping you to measure social and economic impacts, including Social Return on Investment or value for money assessments, as part of understanding the change you make to peoples' lives.

You can get in touch via LinkedIn or the website makeanimpactcic.co.uk if you'd like to find out more about working with me.