Breaking the Fourth Wall... with Fran Darlington-Pollock

I n this instalment of Breaking the Fourth Wall, Nikki speaks with Fran Darlington-Pollock, CEO of Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, about the charity’s mission and the importance of pro-bono support.

What is the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity’s mission and how important is pro-bono support to achieving this?

We believe homelessness has no place in Greater Manchester, and that everyone should be able to flourish, thrive, and live well. Everything we do comes back to that: raising funds to deliver grants to organisations at the frontline of the housing and homelessness crises and amplifying what works to help get people back on their feet. But you can’t do that alone! We’re a very small team of just 3 people, and pro-bono support means our reach can go even further. From boosting our messaging to delivering unmissable fundraisers, that’s what helps bring more people to our cause.

Does every company have a responsibility to take on pro-bono work, or to support a cause beyond their revenue-generating operations?

The answer to that question today is very different from any you may have received a decade ago. You can’t generate revenue without customers, clients and staff and increasingly, those groups want to see what a business is doing to give back. So on the one hand, there is a real business case for taking on pro-bono work. But more than that, we don’t live in isolation. The people and places around us matter to us, so why not use the expertise developed within a business – across all its specialisms – to do that bit more and lift up the people and places we live amongst and in?

"The people and places around us matter to us, so why not use the expertise developed within a business – across all its specialisms – to do that bit more and lift up the people and places we live amongst and in?"

Fran Darlington-Pollock, CEO, Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity

In partnerships like these, are there common pitfalls companies should avoid and how can they do this?

Be clear on what you can offer and what time you have to give. This means everyone has clear expectations of the partnership, neither asking too much or drifting away from what was really needed. Most importantly, check your values align. Businesses should give back, but it must be in support of causes and missions they, their staff, customer base and clients would also want to get behind. The authenticity to this shines through, and the outputs and outcomes from the charities supported will always be stronger.

Finally, can you tell us a bit more about the cause you’re championing?

Homelessness harms us all. It stops our children from flourishing and thriving at school, it harms the wellbeing of our friends and family, it risks the productivity of our colleagues, and it dampens the growth potential of our economy. Homelessness can happen to anyone. This is a cause that is more than just the experiences of the people behind the tents and sleeping bags you see on streets. It is the 165,000+ children in temporary accommodation, the tens of thousands uncertain of whether they can meet their next rent. This matters, and your help means we can be a lifeline to organisations on the frontline of this crisis.