Design Links enthuses about its role in the community because we do what we do with a clear purpose. To create by influence, a country that’s more creative, confident, ambitious, healthy and prosperous.
As a small company we are way ahead of the game on corporate social responsibility because we have long since believed there is more to business life than just profit. In a sentence, we refuse to simply accept the world as it is, we look ahead, anticipate opportunities and help shape the future.
We align ourselves with a vision of a go-getting nation and take practical steps to achieve this through our community involvements.
making impacts in the community
Winning two prestigious awards at the Scottish Community in Business Awards Dinner in June 2008 was a great achievement for the agency and for us proved two things
- Size doesn’t matter in effecting external change
- Alignment of social and business objectives has positive impact on the bottom-line
We are rightly proud of the impact we make on our community – here are just few examples of activities that brought the agency accolades.
measuring impacts:
to our business
All this has positioned us as an agency that makes positive things happen and improv es life chances - giving us access to new markets and opportunities. We’ve improved by 20% our pitch success rate, gained media coverage with a commercial equivalent value of £249,000 and representation on influential national bodies.
Our staff has grown in stature and understanding, we’ve added to our skills portfolio, developed exciting ways of generating new ideas and commitments from large groups. We’ve developed ‘Imagineering workshops’ and new ways of working with and inspiring young people – a vital requirement in meeting our business plan targets.
to communities
All activity is subject to monitoring and review against targets . For Craigroyston - increasing parental participation by 42%, reducing absenteeism by 50% and improving attainments across all subjects by 2010. “Softer” measures focus on inspiring confidence and pride in the school and creating opportunities to showcase pupil talents. This year our own research mechanisms will measure confidence and propensity for achievement – we want properly gauge personal and emotional development.
For 500 Miles – our involvement has been in establishing the charity and helping to identify projects and targets. We donated time and skills worth £2,500, our Christmas gift allowance £1,500 and levered major external support. There are now four groundbreaking projects to support in Malawi and Zambia – Olivia and Jamie have clear targets and we will help exceed these over the next few years.
Talking Up for a Change has brought the agency’s staff into contact with 300 influencers, attracted growing demand for more events and the most recent (involving youngsters and adults) has stimulated interest by local authorities as a model for revitalising interest in local democracy among the young. We now use the approach commercially to galvanise creativity and fresh ideas among management and staff teams.
