B CORP MONTH: WHY LODESTONE IS COMMITTED TO PRO BONO – FOR GOOD
As a purpose-driven organisation and a B Corp, Lodestone is committed to supporting on a pro bono basis some of the many not-for-profit causes we believe in. While we can never find enough time for all of these, we’re always eager to help if we can.
In 2022, we supported Khaled El Mayet’s incredible work to deliver ambulances to Ukraine. Khaled launched his Ambulances for Ukraine initiative in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s illegal invasion, driven by a desire to ensure care and treatment could reach the most vulnerable people in Ukraine and show that love is more powerful than hate.
We supported Khaled by developing a core messaging and briefing document, outlining the initiative’s key impacts and motivations, as well as developing a strategic approach to media and stakeholder engagement to ensure further awareness-raising for Khaled’s work. We’re proud to have been able to play a small role in supporting Khaled’s vital and life-saving work.
As part of our commitment to driving democratic participation and representation in the UK, Lodestone’s founders also kickstarted the RegistHERtoVote campaigning operation, which has worked to increase the number of women registered to vote and to amplify the voices of women in the political debate. Our campaign has reached millions of people and resulted in thousands of people becoming enfranchised.
As part of this work, we ran the largest survey of ‘non-voters’ in the UK which framed the debate and our strategy. Since then, we have run voter registration drives across the country, provided resources and run social media campaigns, bringing together women of all ages. Our work has been done collaboratively with activists, politicians, actors such as Emma Thompson and Joanna Lumley, radio presenters, bloggers, influencers, women in refuges, trade unionists and students.
In 2022, we also supported the Digital Poverty Alliance, an organisation set up with the aim to bring the community together to create the social change needed to end digital poverty by 2030. The DPA was launched following the formation of the Data Poverty APPG in 2021, a topic that we are passionate about. As the secretariat for the Data Poverty APPG we bring Parliamentarians, industry and the third sector together to discuss policy to eradicate Data Poverty in the UK.
In 2023, we worked with youth charity All Stars to support their young leaders with media training and organising tours of parliament for those thinking about pursuing a career in politics, the public sector or related work in the future.
So far in 2024, we’ve helped kickstart the #investher campaign to reverse legislation targeting female angel investors, gaining support from 3000+ female investors calling to reverse the legislation, including Mary Portas and TALA Founder Grace Beverley, and receiving an invitation to speak to Cities Minister Bim Afolami at No. 11 to discuss the campaign.
We also supported the Give us Respect for Pie’n’Mash campaign, seeking protected status for the dish, meeting at M.Manze Tower Bridge. We’re thrilled to report the below campaign on Protected Status for Pie'n'Mash was recognised in The Guardian, Metro.co.uk, & DailyMail.com.