Testimonials

Society Foundation Testimonials

2022 grant funding round

Articulate Cultural Trust: Eona Craig

“Articulate is a small Scottish arts charity, relatively new but with relentless drive and high ambitions for the young people we represent. We have been trying to become ‘established’ (since 2017) firstly against the backdrop of the pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis, so it has been tricky to keep the balance between the short-term needs of our beneficiaries and long-term goals and aspirations of a niche but national organisation. That’s why we were so delighted to see the opportunity to work with The Society Foundation on a little, but pivotal, piece of mapping and modelling work around employability that we simply could not find the time or headspace to prioritise whilst juggling everything else. With the grant funding we have bought in the time and expertise of an external specialist and unblocked the strategic bottleneck we had been frustrated by. The process, the people and the purpose of the Foundation could not be more supportive and encouraging. Don’t hesitate to apply …”

Swansea MAD: Rachel Benson

“Funding has supported Swansea MAD to undertake capacity building activities around the phased implementation of our Quality Assurance Plan and Staff Training and Development Policy/Procedures; supporting us to improve the quality of our employability projects and services and outcomes for people we work with.

Aligned with our Quality Assurance Plan, Swansea MAD are currently developing/improving our quality management system in accordance with the principles of the latest ISO 9001 standard, enabling us to have an audit performed by a Certified Body to assess the performance of our QMS against the latest ISO 9001 standard. To gain the accreditation we will demonstrate our dedication/commitment to meeting people’s needs, operating efficient management processes and delivering consistent, high-quality services. ”

NE14 TV: Ollie and Liam

“Funding has allowed us to create a fully functional and well-equipped podcasting studio, complete with soundproof curtain and recording equipment. Now, as testing comes to an end, we are able to start recording. We have made it our mission to invite those who may not usually be able to access such facilities into the fold.

So far, we have worked with local young people with autism, who are developing a D&D podcast. Most excitingly, we have connected with a Sound Engineer who is willing to provide training to the participants, offering them the chance to learn valuable employability skills. Similarly, we will soon be working with our friends at Holding Hands CIC, a local organization that empowers marginalized and racialized women, providing community, mentorship and opportunity. We plan to produce a short series of recorded sessions in which women from Holding Hands discuss their lived experience, whilst also receiving professional mentorship.

We are so excited to make a start on more projects, with the potential of creating ongoing work which engages directly with the communities we serve. NE14 Digital Suite will be paramount in creating opportunity in our region for those who have been traditionally excluded from the arts.

Many thanks for giving us the opportunity to give to others.”