Transcript
The following transcript is autogenerated so may contain errors.
Matt Nally
So for our final part, with LionHeart, we’re looking at how surveyors can support LionHeart and everything they’re doing. And I think in the last, the last part of topic three, we’ve sort of, I think, dispelled quite a few myths around how much Lionheart does and it’s, you know, what sort of scope I suppose beyond, you know, just providing payments, and so on. So all the training and other types of support. I suppose, if you’re a surveyor, what, what roles can you take on support, Lionheart?
Melissa Gough-Rundle
If you’re interested in doing that, and we’re always looking for ambassadors. And this is one area of our work that I focused on. I came on to line up probably about two years ago, and that was my role then was to support and grow our ambassador programme and, and we started off looking at ambassadors in the in the mental health area, those that had actually received our support and wanted to give something back by talking about their experience, you know, what they had received from Lionheart and how much it helped them. And then we grew into APC ambassadors. So as purrito is mentioned about the support that we provide to APC candidates, again, an enormous amount of gratitude around that that has encouraged people to come back and say, you know, we want to help with with what it is that you’re doing. So those are the two main areas and then I focused on actually expanding that we recognise that there are people that didn’t necessarily fall into those two camps, but wanted to help Lionheart a bit more. And we started looking at global ambassadors, because of course, I think I don’t know if we’ve touched on it, really the fact that Lionheart is global. So wherever you’re based in the globe, if you’re an ICS member, you are entitled to access our support, and we really encourage all members to get in touch if they need us. But if global ambassadors do an amazing job, because they’re usually really experienced surveyors, they’ve probably been in profession quite a while they’re based outside the UK and probably have really strong networks, they might even be on a board with the ICS. And we asked them to talk about what Lionheart does look at opportunities to share our stories, and what it is that we do. And I think they play a really important role, because you do quite often see a little spike in contact that comes to us when individuals like that have spoken on our behalf. So they’re fantastic. But we’re also looking to expand our network within the UK, we recognise that there are still places that we go that don’t know what Lionheart does, or they do pigeonhole us and think we’re just there for financial help. And those ambassadors really do play a big role, whether they’re within our firms that we’ve partnered with, are where they’re just networking ambassadors, so again, get to use their networks in the UK, and talk about what we do. They help us with speaking opportunities. You know, if we’re going to visit our ICS events, or events with our corporates, then we do quite often send ambassadors along because they do have the passion, whether they’ve actually received our support, or whether they just a big fan of what Lionheart does. They’re there to talk about us. I think they bring that passion. And there’s also something about surveyors in the audience. Who are they kind of they connect with that individual because they are surveyors as well. I think sometimes they kind of engage with that story a bit more because they’re hearing it from appear rather than just someone at the Lionheart charity. So I think, you know, ambassadors are a huge benefit to us. And I think, you know, I’m really proud of what they do.
Matt Nally
Awesome. How does someone become an ambassador, if they wanted to do that? Get
Melissa Gough-Rundle
in touch get in touch with the website, get in touch with me through the LinkedIn, or just contact us on the ambassador at Lionhearts are all UK and just say I would really like to know more about it. And we’re willing to share information about the role. It’s a very light touch role. We do ask that you’re an RSS member, we take you through an application process and induction process really good at supporting our ambassadors. And but really just start that conversation. Get in touch with one of us. And we’re more than willing to talk about what the roll is about. And we want to, for people to bring their ideas along as well. We’re not really fixed about what ambassadors do. We always like to hear what they’re interested in and how they can help because I think we’ve managed to expand the programme enormously just taking on ideas from our own ambassadors, not least in fundraising, I think we we’ve never really harnessed that ability of our ambassadors. But we’ve discovered, we’ve got some really, really sporty ambassadors out there. He wants to help us. And we’ve used that that enthusiasm to help raise awareness and raise funds as well.
Matt Nally
Awesome. Well, actually, I’m the funds part is that’s an interesting one, I was about to come on to that next. Obviously, everything that you do will cost money to, to provide you with a lot of services and people providing the services that need that needs funding. So I know we touched on this a little bit earlier around, when you’re renewing your membership for the RSPs. There’s the option to take and potentially, some corporates might might cover that, but how to how does the funding side work and their ways people can help with like donations or? Yeah, a bit of an open ended question. Just
Melissa Gough-Rundle
getting the money into the door. Yeah, that is, is a really important aspect, because we are a charity and all of the services that we provide are free. So yes, they do, they do have to be paid for we do have to be able to finance it. And as I say, I think I said earlier, the majority of our money comes from donations. At subscription time, we asked individuals to tick the box at the bottom of their subscription form, which says I want to donate 25 pounds to Lionheart. And we’re always really grateful for that, because it does help us enormously but I think also touched on the fact that we do have partnerships with corporates, and the bigger corporates will pay the subscription renewal on behalf of the survey, so they won’t even see that form. And I think sometimes there is that misconception, that assumption that either the employer is perhaps going to make the donation on their behalf or even by the employer, that the ICS might be making that donation on their behalf. And that that doesn’t happen unless the individual ticks the box, unless the corporate recognises that actually, those donations haven’t been made, and they make a separate donation, that just doesn’t happen. So we do work really hard with our ICs to try and make that process easier and bring that awareness to our corporates. But I think it you know, we always need to talk about it, we need to talk that those donations, those 25 pounds at renewal time are really important. But also not just that, that would be great. If everybody donated, I think there would be there will be a lot of funds available. But we also are looking for fundraising, those opportunities. We do have a fundraising team on board, they’re always working with corporates, and, and individuals to try and help raise awareness and raise those funds as well. So if you are thinking of getting involved with fundraising, please do have a look at our website, get in touch with our fundraisers, because we’d be delighted to hear from you. And we’re always grateful for that kind of support. And of course, I did mention about the legacy giving as well, we do have some wonderful surveyors that always think of us and put us in their will. And if you have any questions around that, please do get in touch because I think they we have received a lot of funding that way. I’m really appreciative from, you know, big donations that have come in from from surveys that have passed away and we’re really grateful for those but a lesser known way of supporting us financially is the unused kind of funds and and you know, these funds that just sit with firms and it’s quite it’s I think it’s it’s quite a common incidents with SMEs as well. So probably those that are listening to us is have a think about what you’re doing with the with the unclaimed funds, because they do have to go to charity, and it would be great if Lionheart was that first thought and and it kind of fits very well. I think if you’ve got those unclaimed funds, and to go to a survey, a charity that is going to help other surveyors in your position, then that would be fantastic. So yeah, those are the main ways but if anybody wants to help with the fundraising, please do get in touch because we’d love to hear from you.
Matt Nally
And thought about the unused funds part. And I imagine that could actually be quite a nice way to get back to the industry actually. I suppose beyond the donations and the ambassador are there. Are there any other ways that surveyors can help or they that they the key? The key ways?
Melissa Gough-Rundle
Well, do you know what I think for me, if someone is He’s talking about Lionheart, we’re in a much better position. So you don’t have to be an ambassador, you don’t necessarily have to have received help from us, if you know about Lionheart, and you know, even the slightest bit about us, please talk about us, to your colleagues at work to your family members, because you never know when that’s going to make all the difference when someone’s gonna go. Well, I I heard about Lionheart and I think it might help me whether it’s a family member, whether it’s a colleague, I think it’s just about knowing about us finding out a bit more about us and talking about us. And I think if we can get to a situation where more people are talking about Lionheart, then perhaps Putin I when we go out to events, and people say, I either hadn’t heard about Lionheart or I didn’t know that you did so much. Because I’d love to go to an event and someone say, Yeah, I know everything about Lionheart. And you can think, well, I didn’t have to say anything more than but we’re not quite there yet. We’re still finding quite a lot of people who, although they know the name, they don’t know what we do.
Matt Nally
Yes, that’s one thing that popped into my head there, based on what he said was, it’s probably quite an important thing to do. Particularly, maybe it’s an SME to to have a little mini policy write somewhere where you know, if you have a certain problem, you know, Lionheart has an option that you can reach out to or something you can mention to your, your team, if you’re, you know, you have a few people working with you. Because it’s not until a crisis, I suppose comes up that you that you sort of need to think about something and then crisis mode, you’re not thinking straight. So you might not think straightaway to Lionheart. So, you know, same if you have a, I don’t know, a claim comes in, you’ve got a complaint handling, or complaint comes in sorry, you’ve got a complaint handling process that helps you go through that. So you’re not having to scramble at the time. So I suppose something similar to go actually write what what can trigger my my thought process when something hits, you know, something goes wrong, something cause a hiccup? What will trigger that moment? So that’s probably something that can be done as well, I think just a reference at the time when you need it.
Melissa Gough-Rundle
Yeah, definitely. And I think we work we work really closely with corporates and, and if you’re in that situation, please go and have a look at the website, we have a whole section on the work we do with corporates. But there’s an awful lot of information on there that SMEs can can lift and put in there on their own internet, there’s plenty of links. And if they want basic information from us, please get in touch because the sound the strategic relationships manager, so I’m more than happy to hear from SMEs and corporates that want a little bit more information that they can share with their teams, and how we can support them when they need it most. Awesome.
Matt Nally
It’s been really interesting to say I’ve learned a lot myself actually about nine out and what you do more in depth than even I realised having done some research beforehand. So thank you for coming on. If anyone does want to get in touch, what’s the best way to start to start the process?
Parita Odedra
So I would say they can visit the website so www.lionheart.or.uk and they’ll find all our contact details on the bottom of the page. So the email address or contact number, again, or there’s the chat option, so whichever way they’d like to get in contact with us. That’d be great.
Matt Nally
Awesome. Well, um, thank you both for coming on.
Parita Odedra
Thank you so much.