About

About us

Our Vision

Today the world is facing a multiple onslaught: The Covid crisis. A frightening future of climate chaos and extinction of species. The evils of poverty, racism, gender bias and disability to name but a few.

Fortunately, companies are well placed to make a huge positive impact on our lives, our communities and our natural world. We want to reward them for the positive impacts they make– and encourage other businesses to step up too.

Future Friendly envisions a partnership between concerned citizens, voluntary organisations and businesses to create vibrant communities, beautiful environments, and resilient local economies.

Future Friendly is a new tool – a platform for the public and businesses to engage in working for better towns, cities and villages.

But more than that, we can help tackle global social and environmental challenges by influencing how our local businesses trade or take care of natural resources.

We believe, in your hands, Future Friendly can be a game-changer.

Our Journey

Future Friendly began as a concept which won the international OpenSeventeen Challenge to devise a way to ensure the 17 UN Global Goals (SGDs) would be met. It was developed with the support of a number of international organisations, and is now funded by private donations and a lot of voluntary work.

Future Friendly is a social startup incubated by the charity Innovira. After the pilot, it will be a Community Interest Company (CIC) – giving 100% of its profits to charity.

In our funding model the smallest companies will get the core service free with larger businesses subscribing from as little as £9 pm.

A tool for better businesses

Under the hood of Future Friendly is a sustainability reporting platform. Businesses get a dashboard to enable them to plan and log their actions in a step-by-step approach.

Many of the UK’s 5.7 million medium and small companies struggle to record and report on their non-financial impacts, and other sustainability platforms require professionals to administer them – or involve high fees. So we are harnessing the power of the crowd to help more companies to begin the journey with an easy platform for them to track their achievements and shout about them.

We’re partnering with charities and their volunteers to gather information about the good that businesses are doing. Businesses can complete more details themselves.

Helping voluntary organisations to create change

Future friendly gives 100% of its profits to charity. We want to work in partnership with charities or local voluntary organisations who believe they can achieve their mission by working with businesses. We want to help those charities to achieve their goals, and benefit from any profits generated.

If you are involved with a charity and wish to help with our awards scheme, please get a manager to contact us.

Future Friendly intends to provide a white-label platform for charities, local councils and local voluntary organisations to have their own app.

Our Values

Local is best

The driving force behind Future Friendly is a passion for making the local community thrive. That means local businesses must thrive too.

Future Friendly aims to champion the local economy, bringing vitality to the community, and beauty to the surroundings. If you share that passion, you’ve come to the right place.

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Transparency

There is a saying: “If we don’t measure, we cannot improve”.

When businesses keep track of the positive things they are doing and capture the information, it encourages them to do more. And when they share it, not only do they nail their colours to the mast, but they also encourage others to join in and build the dreams we share.

The UN Global Goals

We’ve based our Awards on the Future Fit Business Benchmarks which apply the 17 United Nations Global Goals (SDGs) to businesses. We've further adapted them and created a Dashboard that makes it easy for small businesses to identify the quick wins, to track their progress and win awards as they achieve their goals.

Fame not shame

We want businesses to tell us their achievements so we can reward them. The public cannot post negative reviews. Only businesses can submit evidence for verification in confidence by our panel of charity volunteers. Once verified, it is deleted. If we receive a complaint we will forward it in confidence for the business to resolve.

Do you share our passions?

We’re keen to work together with organisations and companies who share our passions. If you’re one of them we’d love to hear from you.

Professional standards/ certification bodies

Future Friendly wants to include your certifications and memberships as part of our awards. If you wish to work together or advise us, we want to hear from you. Moreover we can help you find potential new members or verify that your existing members are meeting your standards and displaying up-to-date certificates.

CSR sector suppliers and consultants

If you want to enhance your services by working with us or want to put your details in front of these potential member companies, we can help.

The people

Future Friendly is a project of the charity Innovira, in partnership with Enjoy Development, with the help of many volunteering their time. Here are just a few of the people involved.

John Ranford

CEO

With over 30 years marketing and campaigning experience in the voluntary sector, John has experience from face-to-face marketing, digital through to TV and radio. He has campaigned on sustainability issues since longer than he can remember and now leads this award-winning project.

Ian McKay

Chair of Trustees

Ian is an experienced senior executive with a record of success in the charity, consulting and commercial sectors. A clear strategic thinker with a deep understanding of organisations and change. Ian has experience of charities including leadership, partnerships and international engagement.

Enjoy Development

Digital Developers

Enjoy Development is a team of experienced developers with a background of working with international blue chip companies in the field of compliance and audit management, impact measurement and community engagement.