Winner of the Dragon Awards Community Partnership Award 2023

At Tempo, giving back to the community is an integral part of who we are. We are committed to promoting social good and making positive changes to the lives of citizens in London. We are honoured to have recently been recognised for this commitment by the City of London Corporation, with the prestigious Lord Mayor's Dragon

On Tuesday10th October 2023, Tempo joined six London-based businesses and emerged triumphant in this year’s Lord Mayor's Dragon Awards, held by the City of London Corporation to recognise London-based companies for their commitment to responsible business and social impact, tempo was crowned the Volunteers Champion.

The awards ceremony at The Mansion House saw businesses win one of the distinctive trophies for their support for financial literacy, ethnic minority young people from low-income families, regeneration projects, volunteering, and careers in film production.

Alongside the other winners which included Standard Chartered Bank, St George, 10x Banking, Mediorite & PwC, Dot Dot Fire, and Julie Tucker.

Lord Mayor Nicholas Lyons told guests that, since being launched in 1987, the awards scheme had played a fundamental role in raising the profile of businesses that have pioneered meaningful impact, changing lives, and regenerating communities.

Rachel Gegeshidze’s CEO, Tempo Time Credits said

"We are honoured to receive the Lord Mayor's Dragon Award, recognising Tempo Time Credits' collaborative spirit. Our success is a result of partnerships with dedicated volunteers, community groups, and supportive local businesses. Together, we empower individuals to give back, nurturing vibrant, resilient communities. This award inspires us to continue our mission and create a brighter, more inclusive future. Thank you for this recognition."

Tempo have been working in London for 10 years in partnership with local authorities, community groups, charities and local business, on over 20 projects.

Currently funded by Haringey Council, City Bridge Trust, L&Q Placemakers fund, CGL and the City of London Corporation to work on 7 projects covering 9 areas/ themes. This includes supporting resident engagement, co-production of services, substance misuse recovery, mental health, natural environment, social prescribing, education, broader community engagement and reaching communities that are often failed to engage and support.

At Tempo, we believe that giving back to the community should be an integral part of any company’s mission. We offer a range of programs and services that are designed to support pathways into volunteering, whether it be supporting food banks, helping out on environmental projects, or offering peer-to-peer support and co-producing services. We believe that by giving back, we can help create a better world for everyone. We are proud to have been recognised with the Lord Mayor's Dragon Awards for our commitment to social good, and we look forward to continuing to make a positive impact in the years to come.

Our model is simple we work with ‘four’ key partners on our programmes- these are the funders, community groups or services and recognition partners (businesses) and the key partner is our citizens. By developing a local network of local organisations with a common goal of supporting their community and working with local and national businesses we create eco systems that enable citizens to thrive. By working with people, communities, services, and businesses we deliver a positive impact on individuals and society by improving health, wellbeing, and diversity through creating pathways for everyone to volunteer.

We partner with business partners as an incentive to recruit, retain and recognise volunteers, often supporting people to volunteer for the first time as Time Credits encourage new people to get involved. We also recruit business partners who would benefit the theme and targeted outcomes of a programme so it may support physical activity, and mental health or allow volunteers to build meaningful connections with friends or family. We also work with volunteers to understand who they would like to see in the network and why this would benefit them. Our partners offer services for free, so volunteers are earning their entrance by giving time, and business partners get involved in the partnership to reach a more diverse audience and to support their local community and ESG/CSR objectives as a good way to give back.

The partnerships that have been developed over the past 10 years are key to the success of our London Time Credit programme and enable Tempo to deliver a range of outcomes that improve citizens' health and wellbeing. We will be launching the results of our 2023 annual survey in the coming weeks but I wanted to share the impact on volunteers earning Time Credits in London, who reported:-

59% of respondents stated that earning and using Time Credits has improved their quality of life

64% reported improved mental health

61% feel healthier overall

53% reported improved physical health

34% have less need to see the GP

61% visit or see other people more often

57% are more physically active

64% are more able to manage their health and wellbeing

60% feel more positive about their future

62% feel more confident

42% can afford to do more things

70% have learned new skills

17% have got a job

72% have shared their skills with others

27% have less need to use social care services

75% feel more able to contribute to the community and other people

78% I know more about community-based services and the support available to them

61% I have helped to shape the health and care services in my community

50% I have helped others with the same condition or who face similar challenges to me

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