Double Whammy Networking is the fundraising arm of ORB, currently operational only in Southend* (but with plans to expand – see below.) DW events are ad hoc business networking events, so called because:
a) They provide good quality business networking; and
b) They raise funds for the local community.
To ensure good networking we don’t normally include any raffles or auctions at the event but a minimum of 80% of the net ticket price goes to our “charity pot.”
Our most recent event was slightly different as it was in conjunction with Cllr Andrew Moring, the Mayor of Southend. Rather than using a booking system we collected donations at the door which ALL went to The Mayors Fund to support Southend Samaritans and the Southend Community fund, which in turn provides funds for a number of small local charities. We raised £327 on the day with several people promising to make further donations direct to The Mayor’s Fund bank account.
But it was definitely a Triple Whammy because the Mayor also presented two local companies with Southend Business and Community Charter Awards for their contributions to the local community.
Left to right: Jill Poet, Managing Director of ORB; Ben and Natalie Scarsbrook of Blatella Films, The Worshipful The Mayor of Southend Cllr Andrew Moring; Dr. Raja, Managing Director of SummerCare
SummerCare, a social care provider with approximately 140 staff across their Southend sites, received a prestigious Gold Charter Award. SummerCare is the main sponsor for the Southend Carnival but the company doesn’t just fund the event; it actively encourages all staff to get involved with the procession itself, all ancillary Carnival events and other community events throughout the year. The company also supports young people by providing apprenticeship and work experience opportunities.
Managing Director Dr Raja recognises that such engagement not only benefits the wider community but also up skills and motivates the staff team. On receiving a Gold Charter Award certificate from Cllr Andrew Moring, the Mayor of Southend, Dr Raja said:
“As an organisation we strive to support some of the most vulnerable in our society, but we have always adopted the ethos of going above and beyond the norm and pro-actively giving back to society ensuring that the most vulnerable are truly included within the local community. We are delighted to receive this award at the prestigious gold level to acknowledge the contribution we have made to our local community in the past twelve months.”
Blatella Films, a small but flourishing two-person film and video partnership operated by husband and wife team Ben and Natalie Scarsbrook received a very robust Silver Charter Award. Ben and Natalie were delighted with their Silver Award but are quite determined to upgrade to gold. Showing another great example of how ‘Doing Good is Good for Business,’ Ben said:
“We have really enjoyed the pro bono filming work we have done over the last twelve months with a number of local charities. It’s been great fun working with them and finding out more about what they do, but it’s also been fantastic for our business as it has really increased our profile and reputation.”
The event was an afternoon event aptly titled: Coffee and Cake at Porters with event sponsors Fiona Leon providing unique Organo Gold Coffee (their great tasting products contain a Chinese herb called Ganoderma Lucidum;) and Tim, Paul and Nick Scoxton of Relish Cafe and Restaurant in Leigh-on-Sea providing scrumptious cakes and scones.
One of the benefits of our Double Whammy events is not only the business to business networking and the funds that we raise for good causes, but the relationships we help build with the third sector and the education sector. One of the highlights of this event was the number of businesses that were keen to provide work experience opportunities for young people after hearing a very short presentation from Jeremy Cook, the Work Experience Co-ordinator for the Essex County Youth Service. Expressing how much he enjoyed the event and how productive it was for him, Jeremy said:
“As a first time attendee, I was not too sure what to expect but I was pleased by both the volume and quality of the engagements I achieved. The two minute slot you gave me to introduce myself and the work the council is doing to provide Work Experience Placements for the County’s young people, was a great ice breaker and at one point after the Achievement Awards were presented and the networking began in earnest, I had people queuing up to speak with me.”
*Double Whammy Networking works in conjunction with our Business and Community Charter Awards. Whilst the core of our business, our Membership and our certification, the Responsible Business Standard, operate nationally, DW and Charter Awards work in a local authority area on a franchise basis, currently only in Southend and Castle Point in Essex. We have franchise opportunities across the UK and looking for the right calibre of people to take on the exciting opportunity. For more information, contact Jill Poet