Our Social Impact

Providing a path to growth

Images: courtesy of Khulisa

The word Khulisa means ‘to nurture’ in Zulu, so it is a fitting name for an organisation that supports disadvantaged young people to improve their mental health and wellbeing. When the charity needed some support of its own to navigate challenging times, we saw an opportunity to share our skills.

In common with many charities over the last 18 months, Khulisa has to manage stretched resources carefully to deliver the best possible service to its users and finding budget to invest in dedicated human resources expertise can be challenging. The ability to attract and retain talent, and to manage its team effectively – particularly during challenging times like those we have just passed through – “can make or break a charity”, says Ellie Johnson-Shaw, Khulisa’s Interim CEO.

That’s where Karen Stages, Director of Human Resources at Charles Russell Speechlys was able to help. Over a period that has brought “horrendous challenges” and “bone-crushing pressure”, and which has seen the charity weather a pandemic and go through a leadership transition, Karen has provided ongoing coaching to Ellie and her predecessor Cara Cinnamon, sharing her experience of both HR and the charity sector as both a consultant and Trustee.

“We have been able to navigate a crisis year – and its aftermath – and are looking at a growth trajectory. Charles Russell Speechlys has definitely been integral to that”

– Ellie Johnson-Shaw, Interim CEO, Khulisa

We are also offering Pro Bono legal support, including helping with the protection of the intellectual property of Khulisa’s work as well as ensuring their contracts are up to scratch. This project is being led by Megan Paul, Partner in the Commercial team, and is enabling Khulisa to put more of its funds towards its mission: providing the best services to vulnerable young people.

The fact that Khulisa is now putting in place plans to grow, says Ellie, is largely thanks to the support it has received: “We’ve had the confidence and access to the sound judgement and input of people we can trust. The input we’ve had from Charles Russell Speechlys and Karen on the coaching side – I can’t say it emphatically enough – is absolutely invaluable. We have been able to navigate a crisis year – and its aftermath – and are looking at a growth trajectory. That's huge. Charles Russell Speechlys has definitely been integral to that.”

We were also able to be on the receiving end of Khulisa’s expertise. During Mental Health Awareness week, Khulisa provided a specially tailored resilience session for Charles Russell Speechlys, which provided tools and techniques to help us better recognise and manage stress and enhance our capacity for good mental wellbeing. For Karen, the work has provided personal rewards: “It is really interesting to walk alongside someone's experience and hopefully guide them through decisions and actions using your professional knowledge and skill set. To understand the impact that help has had, through the feedback from Khulisa, is truly humbling."

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