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 What does it take to create a pro-bono practice that is welcoming and accepting to all? This was the question for HL BaSE, otherwise known as Hogan Lovells Business and Social Enterprise, which is a pro-bono arm for the international law firm. When Do it Now Now partnered with the firm, the aim was to develop an inclusive pro bono program that would provide world-class expertise to innovators and disruptors in the social economy space.
The training session Do it Now Now’s provided built upon the principles of HL BaSE, which is underpinned by the UN Sustainable Development Goal 16 of Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. In 2020, the firm spent 180,000+ pro bono hours to achieve a lasting impact for social justice and social enterprise innovators. The BaSE practice has supported over 100 businesses a year, and in 2020 it helped 140 impact organisations. It continues to deepen its focus on offering services to a broader cross-section of pro-bono clients. As part of the firm’s widening reach, it wants to develop a robust and inclusive practice to help disrupters from underserved communities achieve their goals. Do it Now Now was able to offer guidance to support the practice in its work towards these aims. When asked about why it’s essential to build inclusive programmes into their practice, Senior Associate Fenella Chambers said, “Access to our programmes has always been a focus, and the session highlighted how inclusion is so much more than access and that in order to provide the best and most impactful programmes that we can, inclusion is essential. It is also about designing programmes that recognise the shared value of working with our pro bono clients and how it is an exchange of expertise and experience.” HL BaSE has also provided pro bono advice to entrepreneurs who are part of Do it Now Now’s Afritech XYZ initiative. The legal advice has proved invaluable for the African tech entrepreneurs being supported by Do it Now Now - most in the very early stages of their business journey. HL BaSE’s determination to create an inclusive practice has helped people feel at ease and listened to throughout the process. Overall, Fenella Chambers feels Do it Now Now’s training has offered clear guidance about how the firm can continue to make its programmes more accessible by centering inclusivity at the core of its offerings. Through Do it Now Now’s practical training, HL BaSE was immediately able to implement some of the steps covered in the session. A highlight for the practice was remembering the importance of building flexibility into programmes and encouraging honest and open feedback. With a renewed zeal for championing inclusivity within HL BaSE, Do it Now Now is thrilled to be part of Hogan Lovells continued journey towards a more inclusive future. For the latest news and updates about our work for clients and across all our initiatives, sign up for our newsletter.
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 Youth charity Just For Kids Law has joined forces with Do it Now Now to broaden equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of its organisation.
Just For Kids Law’s work centres on helping children and young people promote and defend their legal rights. By fighting for legal reform and representing the best interests of the young people they come into contact with, Just For Kids Law is positively impacting young lives in Britain. Given the organisation’s role in advocating for young people from a diverse range of backgrounds, its commitment to creating an inclusive environment is critical to its work. Do it Now Now is supporting Just For Kids Law by helping the charity identify organisational processes that could reduce engagement with, impact in and access to underserved communities. Through Do it Now Now’s training, Just For Kids Law will be supported in achieving their goals for a more inclusive organisation for now and beyond. The 6-month consultancy and training being provided by Do it Now Now centres on strengthening different organisational pillars to create systems that operate with equality, diversity and inclusion at the centre of change initiatives. By focusing on substantial change that goes beyond what could be considered performative, Do it Now Now provided guidance and direction specific to the needs and ambitions of Just for Kids Law. From broadening the search for clients to adopting meaningful measurements and metrics for improved inclusivity, Do it Now Now’s training spanned many issues affecting inclusive organisational change. Topics included how to reach those most in need of support through development initiatives and how to create an inclusive culture. An important aspect of creating this inclusive culture is creating channels for open and real-time feedback. During our time with Just for Kids Law, we touched upon the importance of senior management being accountable to both trustees and employees to foster a more equal and diverse culture. In addition, our training included a focus on creating a holistic equality, diversity and inclusivity policy that would span, staff, Board, people receiving Just for Kids Law’s services, and their families. Speaking on the partnership, Just for Kids Law’s CEO, Louisa McGeehan, said, “When Just for Kids Law wanted to bring in some consultancy support, we spent quite a lot of time looking for the right organisation to support us. As a charity strongly focused on fighting racism and other forms of discrimination against our young clients, we wanted support that was tailored to where we are in our work on equality, diversity and inclusion. We have a lot of work to do to ensure our internal policies and practices are as strong as our external work and, in this work, relationships and trust really matter. We are enjoying building our relationship with Do it Now Now and have great ambitions for our future.” Given Just for Kids Law’s mission and enthusiasm for creating an inclusive organisation, we’re excited to continue building with them and fostering an environment that keeps inclusion, diversity and equality front and centre of Just for Kids Law’s efforts. For the latest news and updates about our work for clients and across all our initiatives, sign up for our newsletter.
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 This work was funded by Smallwood Trust.
In an image-driven world of flashy social media posts and celebrity lifestyle, it's easy to associate financial success with the most luxurious pictures of self-care. An abundance of high-end beauty products and designer home goods are nice, but for most of the world’s population, the idea of self-care is often a lot simpler. For the members of the Black British community who face discrimination because of their gender or sexual orientation, reframing self-care as financial wellbeing is a welcome change for our community of Black women, Black non-binary and Black LGBTQ+ people at My Moon Landing. Poverty’s pervasive impact on mental health The stresses caused by poverty can have a detrimental impact on mental health. Worry about the most fundamental needs like shelter and food can put added pressure on individuals who are simply trying to get through the day. The systemic social exclusion and inequality that so often shapes the experiences of the Black community is magnified when finances are limited. Less than 1 in 5 people from Black Caribbean and Black African backgrounds have enough savings to cover one month of living expenses. On top of that, the economic pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic and lack of job security – especially for Black youths in the workforce – can heighten feelings of helplessness and despair, especially when it comes to financial matters. We’ve sought to demystify finances for the most underserved groups within the Black community through our financial coaching sessions and financial workshops. Through these financial resources, the My Moon Landing community has expressed optimism about growing their finances, even in the face of economic uncertainty and unequal economic outcomes for Black people. Social pressures versus financial goals Like the big-spender imagery on social media, young Black people looking for financial advice can be exposed to financial misinformation on digital platforms. Profiles suggesting quick fixes to wealth creation without showing the complete picture can cause feelings of confusion and comparison, which can slow down progress towards improved money management. Through our feedback and conversations with our community, we’re glad that those who have attended our financial sessions have a growing recognition that they are on their path. If they can plan and outline their steps in detail, they are closer to making their financial goals a reality. Rather than playing the comparison game, our community members have taken the opportunity to take hold of their unique situations and navigate onward to financial growth, however that looks in their context. For some, it might be changing to another job that takes them on that next step, while for others, it could be paying off their credit card or different saving pots. There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ process to improving finances, and part of calming worries about comparisons is knowing your financial journey. Black wealth, Black community and personal prosperity In a year since the murder of George Floyd, much has been said about building Black wealth. What about building community through financial wellbeing? Movements like Black Pound Day seized on the moment to promote wealth generation within the Black community. These are essential movements and they are prompting necessary discussions, but we also feel that the financial wellbeing of individuals can contribute to the overall abundance and flourishing of their communities. At My Moon Landing, our vision is to see Black women, Black non-binary and Black LGBTQ+ people thrive in their communities and take up space as leaders. We must have representation in all areas of society, from Downing Street, the High Street and your street. When the most underserved in our community have the tools to manage their finances, it has a knock-on effect on all who surround them and can truly transform their sphere of influence for the better. That’s the change we want to see. If you are a Black woman, Black non-binary and Black LGBTQ+ interested in our free financial coaching sessions, join here. For the latest news and updates about our work across all our initiatives, sign up for our newsletter.
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 This work was funded by Smallwood Trust.
It’s often said that ‘money makes the world go round’, but sometimes it can be challenging to get the big picture on your spending cycles and habits when managing personal finances. Demystifying finances is especially important for some of society’s most marginalised groups because it offers a level of autonomy and certain freedoms. For these reasons and because of our mission to support Black women, non-binary and LGBTQ+ people, we’ve provided free one-to-one financial coaching sessions to members of our My Moon Landing Community. Here’s what they’ve discovered through the process. Reaping the benefits of a financial action plan For the 15% of Black households that operate on a persistently low-income, focusing on immediate needs or desires can sometimes take priority over long-term financial goals. Once our My Moon Landing members are paired with a financial coach, they work together to identify financial goals and create a plan to achieve them. The plan is where the dream becomes workable because detailed processes are outlined to achieve those goals step-by-step. Participants in the financial coaching sessions have shared how the sessions helped them consider how to plan for their futures. One participant said the sessions taught them to use precise language when thinking or talking about their future financial growth. Another said she learned to be more specific about their life goals as a result of the coaching. Similar feelings were shared by others who took part in coaching sessions, with many emphasising how the sessions prompted them to think beyond their current financial situations and make long-term planning a priority. Coming unstuck through candid discussions about money A recurrent theme from our coaching sessions was how financial coaching helped provide clarity when it came to money management. There’s often a sense of dread, overwhelm and mystery surrounding financial knowledge and education. One of our core aims was to make financial literacy accessible and relatable for our My Moon Landing community. Given the lack of financial inclusion for Black people in the UK, it’s essential that the financial tools are timely and relevant for participants. Our My Moon Landing participants said the coaching sessions made financial literacy easy and simple to understand. Several participants said the time they spent with the coaches provided clarity and they praised the coaches for taking time to understand their unique financial situations. For some, the sessions provided a launchpad for helping them establish their entrepreneurial goals. Others gained clarity through the creation of a budget to guide their financial planning. Building confidence through financial literacy In their own words, our My Moon Landing community has benefitted from participating in these coaching sessions. A noticeable transformation from participants is the growing confidence and fearlessness associated with money. Our community has expressed intentions to be savvier with their finances and to take calculated risks where appropriate. Most importantly, issues causing mental roadblocks have been addressed, granting our community more autonomy and decisiveness in money matters. ‘It’s never too late to start or too early to begin’ has been the overarching theme in our financial coaching community feedback, and with such a go-getting attitude, we can’t wait to see how our My Moon Landing family continues to blossom as a result of these sessions, If you are a Black woman, Black non-binary and Black LGBTQ+ interested in our free financial coaching sessions, join here. For the latest My Moon Landing news and updates, sign up for our newsletter. |
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