If you don't ask, you don't get

This week has been one of those weeks that will stay with me for a long time. I get out of bed each morning not only for a cup of tea, but to find ways to use our brand, network and people to make good things happen. This week I did this on a much bigger scale than an average week. Back in July 2015, we entered into a partnership with disability charity Scope. We went from 27 charity relationships to supporting just one cause. This decision represented a shift in our approach to charity, by thinking strategically – putting our organisational aims at the heart of the partnership – I was convinced we would be able to create a bigger social impact and take our people with us. The goal of our new partnership was simple; to transform the lives of disabled people and their families through digital technology. As the saying goes, if you don’t ask you don’t get. Nearly a year ago, soon after we announced our partnership with Southampton Football Club I posed the question about how we could tie in our Scope activity. After lots of hard work and collaboration from teams right across the business, last week was a proud moment; Virgin Media donated the shirt sponsorship of Southampton FC to Scope for the Saints match against Manchester United – one of the biggest matches of the season. This wasn’t just a nice thing to do or a CSR initiative as one colleague put it. Instead, this was a vehicle to create change. It was about showing that all football should be enjoyed all fans – no matter who you are. This came off the back of new research that shows that disabled football fans feel excluded from live games, as eight in ten have experienced some form of discrimination or issue relating to their disability at football stadiums across the UK. I don’t know about you but I find that pretty hard to get my head around given that football is supposedly our national game. So together, it was about calling on fans, clubs and governing bodies to improve the experiences of disabled fans at grounds across the UK and deliver everyday equality for disabled people. It was an emotional night. The highlight for me was seeing a giant version of the Scope-branded shirt being carried onto the pitch at half time by 16 colleagues bursting with pride. 32,000 football fans at St Mary’s stadium broke into applause - talk about a goose-pimple moment! This project reminds me to dream big, stay focused and ultimately ask the question. #football #charity