Today we look back at one of our earliest blogs, from 2015. We’re proud to say that when it comes to first principles, we haven’t changed…

For us, the long game is resourcing people in their communities to shape the spaces they live in. Here are three things that have fuelled us in our time as a start-up.

3. Creating partnerships for local good

At the Social Value Exchange our wider community is a melting pot of councils, suppliers and community organisations. Our aim is to help councils save money and make their resources go further. We believe that creating Social Value through commissioning can deliver this aim. We also want to help government suppliers deliver Social Value, reducing the effort suppliers have to make by partnering with local community based organisations while at the same time making their impact as powerful as it can be.

Whether it’s helping councils or supporting suppliers, ultimately this is all about strengthening local communities.

That’s the story behind the Social Value Exchange.

2. Helping each other reach our potential

We’ve been part of two working spaces Brixton Impact Hub network and Makerversity (while on Bethnal Green Ventures, a social tech accelerator). We’ve been fortunate enough to have people in our network share with us their time and expertise. One of my most rewarding moments at Brixton Impact Hub was finding out someone I had met in passing was on the course I’d mentioned and bringing her own business idea to life.

1. It’s about individual people rather than an abstract idea

For almost a year our base was Brixton Impact Hub, a co-working space for start-ups, small businesses, social entrepreneurs and freelancers. We also went to visit charities in working in Lambeth to understand what their needs were and the barriers they face. One of these was Mosaic Clubhouse on Effra Road in Brixton.

Mosaic Clubhouse provides people with mental illnesses a place to meet others and gain skills for work. Their work is based on the powerful belief that ‘being part of a community that encourages everyone to participate and re-discover their talents, dreams and skills is key to supporting individuals on their recovery journey.’

Patrick is a member of the Mosaic community and showed us around. Meeting Patrick stands out as a moment that reconnected us with Firesouls’ mission. His confidence and sense of purpose had changed so much as a result of Mosaic, because of their way of embracing people into the community and being interested in who they are. Our job is to help resource charities like Mosaic to continue doing what they do.

Even in a world of spending cuts we know there are lots of organisations taking the initiative at a local level — whether they’re getting more trees planted, showcasing young musicians, transforming derelict sites into gardens, or providing support, structure and an opportunity to work for people with mental illness. Our mission is to help them get the resources they need so that they can grow.