Business Development can seem like a slippery concept, with many people interpreting what it means in many different ways. Not only this, but it’s a term that refers to quite different things, depending on the context and sector in which it’s being used .At Touchstone it refers to a wide ranging of activities, conversations and thoughts ranging from strategic to the practical. One of the things the Business Development team
Arfan Hanif, Quality and Performance Director, on the importance of social conscience in our work and outlook. You may already know that Touchstone came 8th overall (including a Special Award for 'Developing Potential) in the 2017 'Best Companies - 100 Best Not-For-Profit organisations to work for' list. An incredible achievement considering our humble beginnings 35 years ago. Whilst things like' leadership', 'personal growth' and 'my team' are headlined by the
Touchstone Operations Director Arfan Hanif reflects on the value of collaboration and how to do it well. Increasingly everything we do at Touchstone is done in collaboration, whether between colleagues in the same office or with those who work for a number of our diverse partner organisations. If I did a quick count I could easily name over 50 partners we work with. In fact we are very good at
The Positive Care Programme first ran in 2004 – providing support and learning for people with long term health conditions. The Programme introduces people to activities and therapies that can become part of their daily toolkit for living life and managing their condition. Since the programme is aimed specifically at people who would not normally be able to afford the therapies and group activities on offer, it depends on external
Touchstone Business Development Team A Journey in Coproduction (Part 1) Working Together for Equality Resource Pack A few weeks ago I attended ‘News For You’ – Touchstone’s Service User Forum. A room filled with around 20 service users, each an expert in their own right, it was wonderful, and a privilege to see how the group runs. They rotate the chair/minute taker each month, and run through the
As part of LGBT History Month, Touchstone is profiling a famous LGBT person a week on our website . This week, we are celebrating the boxer, Leeds loiner and bisexual woman, Nicola Adams. Nicola Adams, MBE (born 26 October 1982) is a British boxer and the first woman to win an Olympic boxing title. The Gold Medal winner at the 2012 Summer Olympics held in London, as of 2015
Chelsea Elizabeth Manning is a Trans woman and a former United States Army soldier. Born Bradley Edward Manning on December 17 1987, Chelsea was convicted by court-martial on July 2013 of violations of the Espionage Act, after disclosing nearly three-quarters of a million classified or unclassified military and diplomatic documents to WikiLeak’s founder Julian Assange. In August 2013, Chelsea Manning was sentenced to 35 years imprisonment and was dishonourably discharged
To celebrate LGBT History Month, but also to acknowledge the impact of bullying and discrimination on people from LGBT communities, Touchstone chief executive Alison Lowe has written a blog on this issue. This article also appears in 2017's LGBT History Month magazine. Mental health amongst minority communities is a political as well as an ethical issue. Evidence shows that marginalised groups such as black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people,
Better in Kirklees is a social prescribing service that uses a holistic approach to support people to be active and involved in their community, keeping people happier, healthier and independent for longer. A bit of background… Lisa is a 68 year old woman from Huddersfield, and was referred to BiK by Fieldhead Surgery. Lisa is a full-time, unpaid carer for her 78 year old uncle and another family member that
Here at Touchstone, we love to share our experience of inclusion and diversity to make the world a better place for all. As the number 1 ranked Top 50 Most Inclusive Employer in 2016, Touchstone can show it knows a thing or two about equality but we don’t want to hug that knowledge to ourselves - our mission is to share this expertise - so that everyone can benefit and