Trading for Good - A fantastic event for my first networking experience

 

Last Friday we attended a Networking event celebrating the launch of Trading For Good, and being an apprentice, it was also my first ever networking event.

Trading for Good is all about helping small businesses improve and grow by showcasing the good work they do for the community, this includes; supporting charities and communities, helping young people into work, improving the businesses impact on the environment, working better with suppliers and making life better for employees.

This was the perfect event for The All-in-One Company as we donate all our fleece offcuts to local schools and charities for arts and crafts. We also support Macmillan Cancer Support - donating £1 of every onesieordered to the charity - and with 17,000 onesiesmade and delivered world wide last year, that's a potential £17,000+ being donated! The Company also holds apprenticeships and work experience, with both Mandy and I completing our Level 3 NVQ here.

Philip  Green, a non-executive chairman of the organisation, said: “This event is not about us telling North East businesses to do good. Many already do, but we are trying to help them communicate what they do."

Many small businesses and business owners gathered together to chat and exchange details with other small businesses in the North East.

We were all given a badge that contained our contact information. Every time we met someone new, we tapped our  badges together and all our information would exchange! How cool?!

(Rach and I couldn't resist tapping our badges together!)

There were various business people there, some were photographers, there was a fire risk assessor, and even a lady who had set up her own business selling cloth nappies!

Key speakers from the event include Newcastle Central MP, Chi Onwurah and Trading for Good’s founder, Kay Allen OBE.

Although it was quite daunting at first, the event was a good experience, and it was great meeting other businesses and finding out what they do to give back to the community.