2020 Annual Report

How we make a difference

Working together to respond to COVID-19

The sudden impact of the COVID-19 lockdown was one of the biggest challenges many businesses have ever faced.

With no blueprint for handling this extraordinary event, our goal was to use our expertise and resources to help make as big a difference as we could for our clients, our people and broader society.

At a time of huge strain for communities, we worked alongside responsible business partners like The Trussell Trust and FutureDotNow, supporting them to provide food and technology to those in the greatest need.

Through vital work on projects to scale up the UK’s testing capacity and support the buying and making of personal protective equipment, we’ve helped the government take practical action to tackle the virus’s spread.

An important priority for us has been to ask how these challenges can prepare us and our clients to make progress and view them as a springboard for change.

For example, our work supporting retailer Matalan and charity café Social Bite through the challenges posed by the pandemic helped both to navigate a turbulent period. The support we offered charities Tax Aid and Tax Help for Older People has helped them to adapt for the needs of a more digital future and keep offering help at a difficult time.

Our wellbeing movement found creative ways support our people through lockdown and the move to home working - and our commitment to flexible working has only been strengthened by the steps we took to adapt our people’s roles to help them balance work and home.

Stories of our impact

The £1.25 COVID-19 antibody test

Staying connected through the COVID-19 pandemic

Supporting a family brand through the COVID-19 lockdown

Ted Baker: a platform for future growth

Supporting the Trussell Trust

Responding to COVID-19: scaling up the UK’s testing capacity