Giving Something Back: reflecting on our journey and looking ahead
For the past five years, the ‘Giving Something Back’ (GSB) committee has been chaired by Amye Stead, who took on the role shortly after qualifying as an architect in 2020. Under her guidance, GSB has evolved in response to the changing needs of our staff and our wider community.
Amye has seen first-hand how our classic events have grown in popularity, how new initiatives have sparked fresh engagement, and how the practice has continued to give back – even during unprecedented challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.
GSB has grown considerably over the past few years, both in scale and in enthusiasm. As our practice has expanded, so too have the opportunities for us to contribute meaningfully to our local community as well as charity partners and national/international charities.
What began as a small internal effort in 2012 has become a defining feature of who we are as a practice: a place where culture, collaboration, and community impact are deeply interlinked.
As part of our business plan, we set out to better understand the impacts of our activities as a business and as designers, and to champion initiatives that create positive social and environmental outcomes. Every employee aims to spend at least one working day each year supporting or fundraising for charitable causes, of giving 1% of annual turnover through donations, money raised and staff hours.
As an Employee Ownership Trust and a certified B Corp, our ethos is rooted in respect, integrity, transparency and collaboration. Guided by the principles of B Corp and responsible business growth, we strive to balance people, planet and profit, ensuring every member of the team has a meaningful voice in shaping our shared future.
Many of our major GSB events have become real highlights of our annual calendar, doubling as great social opportunities for everyone in the office, especially integrating our new staff into the practice.
- The Assael Olympics – What began as a couple of fun games in Wandsworth Park has grown into the biggest event of the year. Staff arrive in homemade themed costumes that become more elaborate each year, whilst the committee host a mixture of new and classic games which help bring out healthy competition between colleagues while raising money for the winning team’s charity of choice
- Regenerate Rise – We have been involved with this Putney based charity since 2017 and recently we have been able to increase our lunchtime sessions spent visiting elderly community members from a monthly outing into a weekly fixture across the practice. Where we support volunteers with lunchtime tasks and activities, strengthening our ties with the local community
- Assael hen do – This summer we had four long standing Assaelians getting married including myself. To celebrate this whilst raising money for charity, the committee organised a construction themed bar crawl around Putney
- World Food Day – A celebration of the diversity within our practice through hosting an office lunch where staff bring a dish from around the world
These events serve as reminders that giving back doesn’t just benefit our community and chosen charities, it also enriches our internal culture. They help build relationships, foster team collaboration, and reinforce a sense of belonging and shared purpose.
Practice culture has always been one of the standout features of working at Assael and GSB is a major part of that. In many ways, GSB has also become our social committee, and we encourage staff to take initiative, champion causes they care about and contribute in ways that feel meaningful to them. This includes encouraging individuals and teams to bring forward the charities they want to support and issues that are personally significant. This shared ownership is what keeps GSB dynamic, relevant, and authentic.
Over the past five years, we have raised over £100,000 and contributed over 2687 hours of pro-bono time to charitable activity.
As we look to the future, our ambition is to strengthen the links between GSB and the wider groups within our practice such as our Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) and newly formed Sustainability groups. We’re exploring ways that our charitable initiatives can become not only opportunities for giving, but also platforms for learning, reflection, and connection.
Next year we will be teaming up with our D&I group for World Food Day to encourage staff to give a small presentation around their culture, centred around the sharing of food. By integrating our peoples lived experiences and personal heritage into these events, we continue to build a workplace where everyone feels seen, valued, and able to contribute to something bigger.
GSB’s future is bright. With a growing team, renewed energy, and a commitment to aligning charity work with our practice values, we’re excited for the next chapter.
Written by Amye Stead, Associate and Chair of our ‘Giving Something Back’ committee.