Social’s tailored approach to ESG communications is built around great storytelling, strategic thinking, authenticity and credibility, starting out with questions like: what do you mean by ESG, sustainability or impact? And who are you trying to reach? 

We hosted members of the Trust’s executive team for a mini-sprint in the summer of 2024 before being appointed to deliver the creation of the ESG statement with a series of case studies to showcase the breadth of the work being done across the charity’s sites and services. 

This began with an ESG planning and storytelling workshop with the leadership team to help define and guide their approach with a view to informing the framework and ESG policy. We provided advice and worked as a critical friend to ensure the right questions were being asked to identify key audiences and messages as well as ESG objectives and a core narrative that spoke to the Trust and could be evidence-based. 

After this we supported with the design of a bespoke ESG policy and framework, incorporating relevant reporting and compliance frameworks, best practice in charity sector and adjacent sectors, the Trust’s corporate plan and guiding principles – particularly its Green Care strategy – and energy and carbon reporting. This included demonstrating the current ESG performance by defining priorities, performance measures and KPIs, including relevant forward-looking targets. 

The next step was to write, design and produce the first ESG report. A key part of this was to work with the leadership team and communications team at the Trust to identify eight areas to cover with case studies. Once these had been finalised, we worked with the Trust to arrange interviews with key stakeholders, including staff, trustees, partners and people they support to capture their stories. 

These took place both online and in-person, with particular care given to interviews with people the Trust supports to ensure they were comfortable and confident to share their stories. After gathering the information, our team created two versions of the case studies:  

• 200 word versions to be included in the ESG Statement. 

• 800 word versions with more detail and depth to be used elsewhere by the Trust. 

The case studies covered areas including the Trust’s commitment to biodiversity; how they use Green Care to support people; the importance of encouraging them to lead independent lives; the work of their Life of Opportunity Reviewers; partnership working projects; what it’s like to be a trustee and what they are doing to become an irresistible employer. 

We also liaised with the communications team and their videographer to support with the creation of video clips and photography to be used alongside these case studies.