Derby Social Ventures

24/08/2026

At last year’s Derby Impact Awards, we noticed three mistakes cropping up time and again when organisations talked about their impact/

1. Talking about what you do, rather than what changes

We received lots of information about activities — workshops delivered, events organised and people supported — but much less about the difference those activities actually made.

Saying “we ran 120 workshops attended by 400 people” tells us what you did. It doesn't tell us what changed.

Impact is the change that happened because of your work: “150 people reported increased confidence,” “60 people moved into employment,” or “80% of participants felt less socially isolated.”

2. Not being clear enough about your purpose

What are you actually trying to change?

A strong impact story starts with a simple statement of purpose. Then there should be a clear line connecting that purpose to your activities and, ultimately, to the change you create.

Think:
Our purpose → what we do → who benefits → what changes

If that connection isn't clear, it becomes difficult for anyone else to understand why your work matters.

3. Not telling the story
Good impact communication brings everything together.

Your purpose tells us why you exist.
Your data gives us evidence that something is happening.
People's experiences and stories show us what that change actually means.

Bring those three things together and you have a compelling impact story — something you can communicate succinctly in an application, presentation, conversation or a simple two-minute video.

The aim isn't to tell people everything your organisation does. It's to help them quickly understand why you exist, what difference you make and why that matters.

If you think this is something you might need help with, why not book into our workshops:

Friday Sept 11th
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1994647929652?aff=oddtdtcreator

Thursday Oct 1st
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1994648779193?aff=oddtdtcreator

18/08/2026

There is no doubt that you're doing amazing work and yet, in our experience, too many organisations fail to properly communicate the IMPACT they make.

We saw this first-hand during last year’s Derby Impact Awards.

Some organisations doing genuinely outstanding work submitted applications that were rushed, poorly thought through and seriously undersold their achievements.

In some cases, we had to look through websites and social media to understand the real impact they were making.

That got us thinking.

Being able to tell your impact story isn’t just about winning an award. It helps you win customers, attract investment, secure funding and build partnerships.

Applications for the Derby Impact Awards 2026 open on Monday 7 September, we’re running two practical workshops:

Tell Your Impact Story: Get Recognised, Find Funding and Grow
- Friday 11 September
- Thursday 1 October

We’ll help you identify the facts, evidence and stories that demonstrate your impact and bring them together into a compelling narrative that is authentic, meaningful and genuinely yours.

Because if you’re doing brilliant work, you shouldn’t have to rely on people searching your website and social media to discover it. It should be front and centre of your marketing strategy.

Don’t undersell the difference you make.

👉 Book your place and learn how to tell your impact story.
check the comments below for links

Who knows, you might even win an Impact Award!

Tell Your Impact Story: Get Recognised, Find Funding & Grow
Friday Sept 11
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1994647929652?aff=oddtdtcreator

Thursday Oct 1st
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1994648779193?aff=oddtdtcreator

14/08/2026

We’re delighted to welcome P3 Charity as a sponsor of the Derby Impact Awards 2026, supporting two of this year’s award categories:

🏆 Enterprising Charity of the Year
🏆 Social Entrepreneur of the Year

P3 is a national charity dedicated to changing lives by providing support, opportunities and a sense of belonging. Each year, it supports more than 67,000 people, through services including homelessness prevention and supported housing, mental health support, financial guidance, family support and programmes for children and young people.

Its mission is to work alongside people and communities to unlock potential and open up new possibilities – making P3’s support for these two awards particularly fitting.

A huge thank you to everyone at P3 Charity for getting behind the awards and helping us celebrate the people and organisations creating positive social impact.

📅 19 November 2026

And, of course, a big thank you to our Strategic Partner Nimbus Disability for their continued support.

22/07/2026

We're delighted to welcome Sunshine Support as sponsors of the new Neurodivergence Impact Award at the Derby Impact Awards 2026!

This brand-new award will recognise the individuals, organisations and enterprises creating more inclusive opportunities for neurodivergent people through innovation, understanding and social impact.

Sunshine Support has built a fantastic reputation for supporting families, schools and organisations across the UK, making them the perfect partner for this exciting new award.

Together, we're celebrating those breaking down barriers, championing inclusion and helping neurodivergent people thrive.

Applications for the Derby Impact Awards open soon, with the awards taking place on Thursday 19 November 2026 at The Library, Derby.

Thank you to Sunshine Support for supporting this important new category.

21/07/2026

Could your organisation help us celebrate Derby’s changemakers? 🌟

The Derby Impact Awards return on 19 November 2026, celebrating the brilliant organisations, businesses and individuals creating positive social, environmental and economic impact across our city.

We’re now looking for organisations to sponsor one of our individual award categories for just £500.

Becoming an Award Sponsor is a great opportunity to put your organisation at the heart of Derby’s growing impact community.

As an Award Sponsor, you’ll:

🏆 Present your award on the night
👥 Join the judging panel
📣 Receive brand recognition throughout the Derby Impact Awards campaign
🤝 Connect with Derby’s business, charity and social enterprise community
💙 Help us recognise and celebrate the people making Derby a better place

Swipe through to see the awards available for sponsorship. 👉

The Derby Impact Awards take place on Thursday 19 November 2026 at The Library on the Wardwick, Derby, with Nimbus Disability as our Strategic Partner.

Interested in sponsoring an award?

📩 [email protected]

02/07/2026

Save the date – Thursday 19 November 2026 📅

The Derby Impact Awards 2026 are back to celebrate the people, businesses and organisations creating positive change across Derby and Derbyshire.

We're also delighted to welcome Nimbus Disability as our Strategic Partner. Their commitment to accessibility, inclusion and social impact makes them the perfect organisation to help us shine a spotlight on the region's changemakers.

Whether you're a social enterprise, charity, purpose-led business, community organisation or an individual making a difference, these awards are about recognising the people who are building a better Derby.

🏆 Award applications open: 7 September 2026
🤝 Sponsorship opportunities are available now
📅 Awards ceremony: Thursday 19 November 2026

If your organisation would like to be associated with one of Derby's leading celebrations of social impact, we'd love to hear from you.

Together, let's celebrate the people who are making Derby a true City of Impact.

www.derbyimpactawards.co.uk

04/06/2026

Social investment is often surrounded by myths.

"It's only for large organisations."
"It's just another loan."
"We're not ready for investment."

The reality is often very different.

On Wednesday 17 June, we're delighted to welcome Naomi Sampson, Investment Manager at Key Fund, to Rise @ 58i for an informal and practical conversation about social investment and what it could mean for charities, social enterprises and purpose-led organisations.

We'll explore:
• What social investment actually is
• Whether your organisation might be investment ready
• Different types of finance available
• When investment is the right tool – and when it isn't
• Real examples of organisations that have used investment to grow their impact

Key Fund has invested millions of pounds into organisations across the UK, helping them strengthen communities, create jobs and build more sustainable futures.

📅 Wednesday 17 June 2026
⏰ 4.30pm – 6.30pm
📍 58i, Derby

If you've ever wondered whether social investment could help your organisation grow its impact, this session is for you.

Book your place: https://58i.co.uk/events/18

11/05/2026

Do you want to set up a social enterprise in Derby?

Derby Venture Builder is here to help people turn ideas for social change into sustainable ventures.

Whether your idea focuses on community, culture, wellbeing, environment or inclusion, we want to help you develop it into something real and sustainable.

✔ Coaching and support
✔ Impact-focused business development
✔ Peer community
✔ Practical guidance
✔ Help turning ideas into action

We believe Derby has the talent, creativity and passion to become a true City of Impact.

Interested? Get in touch to find out more.

27/04/2026

Something new for Derby.

We’re launching Derby Venture Builder — a programme to support people building impact ventures and social enterprises.

This is for you if you want to:

• Start a social enterprise
• Build a business that creates real social or environmental change
• Grow an existing organisation and make it more sustainable

You can be at any stage:

Just starting with an idea
Already trading
Established and looking to grow your impact

What matters is your commitment to the change you want to create.

This isn’t a short course or a few workshops.

It’s ongoing, structured support to help you build something that actually lasts — combining:

✔ 1:1 coaching
✔ Practical venture support
✔ Peer learning with a small cohort
✔ Real challenge and accountability

For more information visit our website:
https://socventures.org/derby-venture-builder

01/04/2026

Derby needs more people who don’t just talk about change…
but actually build it.

RISE @ 58i is a new meet-up for impact changemakers, social entrepreneurs, and anyone ready to make a difference.

Whether you’re running something already or just have the spark of an idea — this is your space.

First event
📅 Tuesday 22 April
⏰ 4.30pm – 6.30pm
📍 58i, Derby

What to expect:
• Real conversations about real challenges
• Insight from people doing the work
• Connections that actually go somewhere
• A space to think, reflect, and move forward

This isn’t networking for the sake of it.
It’s about building something meaningful in Derby.

If you care about impact — you should be in the room.

👉 Book your place
https://58i.co.uk/events/16

The RISE Meet Up is where we bring together people who want to make an Impact through their work and be a Changemaker for the problems and challenges that they see