Deidre, Social Impact At The V&A 6 Mar 2025 Going Beyond a Tick-Box As an organisation, as a business and as a neighbourhood, being a responsible corporate is at the top of our priority list. We endeavor to embody our values as we champion sustainability, nurture inclusivity and create opportunity for communities. We do this through our business decisions and operations day to day. But we also take our corporate social duty seriously. Corporate Social Responsibility at the V&A goes beyond giving hand-outs. Our strategy is rather to nurture long-term partners who are already passionately making a difference and need a helping hand to take their impact to the next level. We work with these partners, tailoring our support to their needs, as a way to breathe life into our values. INTRODUCING DEIDRE, CSR AT THE V&A DOING GOOD BUSINESS WHILE DOING GOODAt the V&A, everything that we do comes back to our Shared Value approach where we prioritise the needs of people and our planet. We are driven to do good business while doing good. They go hand in hand. Good business enables you to do more good, just as doing good creates an environment for good business. "As someone who studied psychology, giving back is just how I’m wired. It’s a blessing to work at an organisation that shares my commitment to meaningful and lasting impact.."- Deidre, CSR at the V&A One organisation cannot do it all. That’s why we’ve focused our partnerships on these key areas: nutrition and the food ecosystem; job opportunities; and improving the economy. One of the NPOs that we support is the Lalela Project, which helps underprivileged school learners access arts education and personal development. Our neighbourhood sponsors classrooms, showcases the work of the learners (such as on the back of our iconic Cape Town sign) and offers career tours to help learners plan their futures. Another partner NPO is the Justice Desk. We provide space and sponsorship for their Girls and Boys Programme against Gender Based Violence, a scourge on our society with devastating effects on individuals, our social fabric and our economy. They are working tirelessly against this emergency in our country. Birthed out of another emergency, GrowSA (another one of our NPO partners) was started during the COVID crisis. The organisation works against food scarcity, by innovating re-purposing food waste. There is also a 6-month learnership opportunity for food businesses looking to take their business to the next level. These are just some of the good causes that we sponsor, building long term relationships with each NPO.” A DAY IN THE LIFE09:00Deidre starts her day in conversation with the Justice Desk, finding out what their needs will be for the upcoming quarter. 11:00It’s the day after the GrowSA’s alumni graduation ceremony. Deidre pops each graduate a congratulations from the V&A. 13:00She enjoys a well-deserved lunch before planning another initiative with GrowSA, working to fight against food scarcity in South Africa. 15:00Before ending the day, Deidre pops into the Lalela art class, to see the amazing progress (artistic and personal) of the students who enjoy weekly sessions to stimulate their creativity. IN THE VOICE OF OUR PARTNERSFor more about our V&A partnership with Ladles of Love, listen here:For more about our V&A partnership with GrowSA, listen here:For more about our V&A partnership with The Justice Desk, listen here:For more about our V&A partnership with Lalela, listen here: From Our Team to Their CommunitiesAt the V&A Waterfront, we also offer a Small Grants Programme to our employees. Many Waterfrontiers are already doing good in their own communities, whether working with their local NPOs or on the grassroots themselves. We encourage our staff to apply for funding to empower them to amplify the good that they are already doing. Already this year, thanks to an employee’s application, we were able to donate much-needed uniforms to schools, ensuring that poverty does not prevent the next generation from tapping into their potential. IN THE WORDS OF OUR CHANGEMAKERS Related stories Niaz and Migyle, V&A Retail Development Team Read more on our Changemaker: Niaz and Migyle, V&A retail Development Team Read More Luxolo, V&A Academy Graduate Read more on our Changemaker: Ayanda, V&A Seal Monitor Read More Introducing V&A Change Chapters Read more about our neighbourhood strategy in creating ripples for good. Read More share
