Welcome
Thank you for your interest in this critical role for Turn2us. I’m looking forward to hearing from inspiring people who share our deep commitment to supporting and empowering those who are facing financial shock and vulnerability in the UK. Your contribution will make a direct and tangible difference to real lives, every day.
Since I started at Turn2us in March 2019, I have had the privilege of seeing at first hand the incredible work that Turn2us does. We change millions of lives for the better, every year. The level of organisational knowledge about our core business is extensive – we really know our stuff. And there is a very short distance between impulse and impact: the freedom to act in simple, pragmatic ways that are immediately helpful is a significant aspect of the rewards of working here.
Our overall ratio of investment to outturn is well above average. One good example is our Benefits Calculator, which costs around £350k per year to run. Used nearly 2.8m times in 2019/20, we believe that 232,000 claimants will have successfully secured an average income uplift of £5,320 if they continue to claim for a full year. That is a staggering £1.2 billion of previously unclaimed benefits going to where they were intended, and an ROI multiple of over 207.
Of course, many of our activities are by their nature about people helping people, one individual or one family at a time – and we know that this work is amplified incredibly effectively by our strong partnerships with other charities and organisations working in local communities. A key priority for the future is to enable the organisation to understand how to do so, and devise a plan to maximise our impact with and for people and to tackle the system that fails so many of us.
I feel strongly that our culture is a very significant pull factor for people joining this organisation – how we are being, just as much as what we are doing. Our approach is infused with a sense of highly competent humility, facilitating and enabling colleagues, partners and crucially those for whom we exist to co-create solutions that work.
In the context of some important conversations taking place in our sector, I am unequivocal about our organisational commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, embedded in values and behaviours that enhance our working culture. An uncompromising personal commitment to working towards a fully diverse and inclusive working environment is essential for these roles, and comes ahead of other requirements.
The last year has been extremely challenging for people across the UK. The number of people in unpredictable employment, holding down several jobs to make ends meet, and the impact of Covid’s lockdown has led to structural instability in many communities. The rapid rise in foodbank usage is a canary in the mine for fundamental problems ahead. So, working with partners, we have to grow our impact, and this recruitment is a major investment in the strength and capacity of the leadership team as we build a model that will take us confidently into the future.
I look forward to reading your application.
Yours sincerely,
Thomas Lawson
Chief Executive