Community has always been important to us at Aspire. We’re passionate about making meaningful connections to inspire change and get people moving, and we strive to be a positive force for our planet.
So, a year on from the launch of our Movement for Good strategy, it is a natural next step to make community a permanent part of our CSR plans.
Community is more important than ever
In recent years, the influence of communities has undergone rapid evolution and growth. Communities now shape our culture and drive real change.
The importance of communities is reflected in how we work at Aspire. We place a big emphasis on growing meaningful, authentic and positive connections, and developing long-term, trusted relationships.
We are building a rich community made up of our core team, wider support network, suppliers, journalists, brands, influencers, creators and other collaborative partners.
Harnessing the power of communities aligns with our values and mission.
We want to find purpose in our everyday operations and give back, while also achieving our clients’ ambitions and objectives.
We want to make movement matter to millions around the world and build a happier, healthier planet – and we know we can’t do that alone!
Crafting a broader strategy that combines community and CSR goals is a pivotal step towards transforming Aspire into a purpose-driven PR agency.
‘PR with purpose’ is more than just words
We are making sure that our CSR and community strategy delivers tangible outcomes for every big commitment we make.
We want our actions to have real impact and make a meaningful difference for future generations.
Our CSR strategy is our guiding North Star, influencing both the work we undertake and the causes we champion.
We have already made progress against the 3 core pillars of our strategy – sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and mental wellbeing – by donating our time and PR expertise and measuring the carbon impact of our agency.
For 2024 and beyond, our CSR strategy will also include community development plans to:
Build diverse and inclusive communities
In 2024, we will proactively grow our network by nurturing existing relationships and partnerships, whilst looking for new suppliers, emerging media and creative talent.
We will use our newly launched Active Communities Committee (made up of founders and opinion leaders) to shape our events, activations and campaigns and ensure that we always have diversity, inclusion and cultural relevance front of mind.
We will continue to hold regular Moving Meets & Moving Communities events to dive deeper into issues, stories and topics that are important to our community.
In 2024, we want to work with more like-minded brand partners and represent active organisations, events and facilities that champion the act of movement itself.
Actively give back to communities
We will use our recently launched Active Communities Fund as a measure of our contributions to community-driven causes. We pledge to donate £5,000 per quarter or value-in-kind support to campaigns, projects and causes that resonate with our CSR pillars, especially those driving positive change through movement.
Our first fund contribution was to Deo Kato’s mission to be the first man to run from Cape Town to London, telling the story of human migration. We donated the equivalent cost of purchasing Christmas gifts for our clients.
Since then, we celebrated the official launch of the Active Communities Fund with a Moving Meet to raise awareness of Deo’s mission and boost fundraising for his epic run.
Improve social mobility in PR
Later in 2024 we will launch the Aspire Active Apprenticeship Scheme. The programme will introduce young talent to the world of PR via outreach and collaboration with industry and community-based organisations.
We want to bring fresh and creative minds to Aspire and our clients, whilst upskilling and building confidence of young talent that might otherwise not find a clear pathway into the industry.
Social equality is something we’re very passionate about and whilst the technical skills required for PR can be trained, raw and creative talent is much harder to find.
Doing good is in our DNA
PR with purpose means staying true to our core values and doing our bit to tackle the challenges facing the world today.
We will continue to invest in our communities to make a difference and become a positive force for our industry and the planet.
We can’t simply take. We must give back.
If you’re interested in learning more about our CSR and community strategy, we’d love to hear from you at hello@aspirepr.co.uk.
