Jack Follett, Associate, BeyondMe
After a fellowship on the Year Here programme, one of BeyondMe’s newest team members, Jack Follett is bringing his new-found experience to bear for other social sector new starters.
Come to this year’s BeyondMe Bootcamp (22nd October) and you’ll be able to write your own 5 additions to Jack’s list.
1. Start with what you love….
If you want to have a sustained impact, pick something close to your heart.
Is it fashion? Birdsong have started an ethical-only shop to help tackle the unethical fashion industry. Is it sport? Good Gym use sport to take on the physical jobs in your communities that need doing. Is it food? Fat Macy’s use food as a tool to help young Londoners in hostel accommodation move into their first place.
Whatever you love, to make an impact you’ll need to stay passionate, encourage others to help and turn your interests into someone else’s lifeline.
2. Take every opportunity to delight people
Now this phrase isn’t my own, I wish it was because it’s a pretty good model to live and work by. In person, online, through our products or services, through our content, the premise is simple: leave the person on the end of that interaction better off and delighted. Always.
When designing a social project or resource to help those in need, try to understand how they will experience it and take care to make it brilliant.
In the Year Here programme, I worked at Globe Academy Secondary School running a (quite small) STEM club where students had to complete practical engineering challenges. It might of only reached our regular attendees — just 8 people — but past the numbers they got a quality experience. I branded the club with a logo, made them all t-shirts and brought examples to every club. It’s the small things that make a big difference.
3. “Steal like an artist”
Another stolen phrase. This time from Austin Kleon.
Stealing like an artist is about discovering, studying, transforming and blending ideas that you find fascinating, or offensive or funny or smart and making something new.
We get a glimpse into the mind of someone when we come across an idea. Take TED talks. Your brain seems to sync with each speaker’s own as they assemble an idea on stage. They’ve put huge amounts of work into developing their project and its a privilege being able to … erm …. ‘steal it’. Build on it. Stand on the shoulders of giants.
For the social sector, this means studying and marvelling at new approaches to problems, applying ground breaking technologies to social issues and remixing multiple approaches into something that looks totally different.
4. It’s not what you’ve got, its what you can do
Contrary to popular belief, making an impact (however small) is not about what role you’re in, your financial situation or ‘being ready’. There will never be a perfect time. It’s about finding a positive action you can do now.
BeyondMe exemplifies this perfectly. Through our platform, hundreds of young professionals have worked on charity projects alongside their full time roles.
You don’t have to run 401 marathons in 401 days, work for a charity or have cash coming out your ears. There are opportunities everywhere and you already have everything you need to get started: you.
5. It’s a slog
Some sacrifice is always present. However you decide to make a difference in this confusing world: make sure you don’t give up. If you’re already trying to make a small difference, stick at it. Learn from others. Do it your own way and learn from your mistakes.
Ask anyone you consider an inspiration, making a real difference in society doesn’t happen over night. I’m 23 and at the start of my slog. But what better reason: there is nothing to lose and everything to gain.
If you’ve got ideas about how to do this I look forward to cheering your work and perhaps sharing your burdens. If you’d like to get connected with hundreds of people getting together to test out their ideas, I hope we’ll see you at BeyondMe’s Bootcamp on Saturday 22nd October.
