22 December 2022. By Isabela Palancean. 2022…what a storm of a year you have been: from the war outbreak in Ukraine in late February to the highly controversial World Cup in Qatar recently concluded. Against such humanitarian crises globally, it is easy to feel swallowed up.
However, if there is anything that this year has taught us, is that we don’t have to feel small if we work TOGETHER. Collectively we can use our individual brilliance to expose injustices and offer innovative solutions.
It is the values our team at Work Better Innovations share: an unwavering commitment to equality worldwide and to sustainable progress built upon the UN SDGs, which empowers us to rise above the enormity of global challenges by trying to make a positive impact.
What we’ve realized as a result of our socially-focused work is that it doesn’t take too much to make a difference. It is often the seemingly ordinary acts of kindness that have the most profound impact.
We were incredibly humbled to be awarded the Community Innovation Award by The News Portsmouth in October this year for the innovative changes we have already made in the community.
[From left to right: Community Engagement Director Anita David, Portsmouth Hospitals University Inequality Lead Shipa Ahmed Khan and Executive Director Dr Bonny Ling at the Innovation Awards 2022)
One of the projects we funded – “Welcome Wheels” – is the perfect example, where something as simple as a bicycle could be harnessed to significantly improve the wellbeing and standard of living of migrants.
All the community projects we championed this year were run hand in hand alongside a host of other amazing charities, organisations, local leaders and business enterprises.
[Migrants and asylum-seekers outside Southsea Cycles sharing a moment of joy with Jenni Jones (SUSTrans), Alan Saunders and Liam]
As a community interest company, Work Better Innovations’ driving core is collaboration and the mutual support of one another in order to see our local area thrive. We believe that change for the better starts locally and it will eventually ripple out into the wider ecosystem.
This year only served to confirm our founding principle.
Other close collaborators we would like to take the opportunity to thank are Workers’ Educational Association and City of Portsmouth College, whose invaluable expert mentoring has been crucial to the successful delivery of our Migrant Employment Support Workshop.
[‘How to boost your confidence’ session, as part of the ‘Migrant Employment Support Workshop’ facilitated by WEA]
Consecutively run three times this year, the program was very popular. It offers targeted help to migrants, introducing them to the job culture in the UK, writing a professional CV, and interviewing skills.
We are extremely grateful to Portsmouth City Council for the financial support for the causes that we care about. With the aid of the Portsmouth Inclusion Grant, we are able to double the funding available by matching the grant from our own proceeds. Our newest community project, “Food with Friends,” organizes a get-together meal for refugees and asylum-seekers during a time of winter hardship, mentally and financially for many families across the UK.
[Presentation delivered by a tutor from the University of Portsmouth Dental Institute at our first ‘Food with Friends’ event in December]
“Food with Friends” is a unique community initiative, combining a free food gathering with an educational workshop around health issues. This aims not only to reduce the rates of loneliness and hunger amongst migrants, but also to close the health gap disproportionately affecting people from a BAME background, by leveraging public-private funding and collaboration.
Besides the community work which kept us going throughout this year, Work Better Innovations delivered a high-profile project focusing on forced labour education and prevention.
We were commissioned by an international Fortune 500 Brand to produce a practical guidebook for SMEs in Taiwan on forced labour: how to identify, prevent and provide effective remedy.
This guidebook is free to download and beautifully illustrated by the talented Taiwanese cartoonist Stellina Chen. The guidebook addresses the complexity of the issues at stake in a way that is easily accessible and user-friendly for businesses. The book will be the basis for our forced labour education and prevention work, going forward into 2023 and beyond.
It’s been an intense year. Although 2022 is coming to an end with the holidays so close in sight, our efforts for decent work and sustainable economic growth for all is ever constant. We have many exciting projects coming up in the New Year. Stay in touch.
We wish you good health and calm. We are grateful for all your good wishes. Until soon, wishing everyone a peaceful break.
