In our opening article, we looked at why stronger relationships between businesses and charities matter more than ever. Across the UK, charities are facing rising demand, increasing costs and greater pressure on their services. At the same time, businesses are looking more closely at purpose, social value and the role they play in the communities around them.

This series is about bridging that gap.

Over the coming months, we will highlight charities doing important work across our region, explore the challenges they face, and look at how businesses, leaders and teams can support them in meaningful and practical ways.

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Leeds Mind is an obvious place to start. Mental health touches every community, every workplace and every family in some way. The support they provide is vital, local and deeply human.

We have also had the pleasure of working with Leeds Mind recently. They are an excellent organisation doing hugely important work, delivered by superb people who care deeply about the communities they serve.

We spoke with Ian Chapman, Business Development Director at Leeds Mind, to ask our three key questions.

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What is the current environment like for charities and communities, and why does corporate support matter?

“The UK charity sector is under sustained pressure. Demand for services has risen sharply due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and wider economic uncertainty, while income has not kept pace. Although Leeds Mind’s fundraising has, to date, bucked this trend, there are no guarantees around how long this can be sustained.

Charities face rising operating costs, including wages, energy, and insurance, alongside increasingly constrained funding streams, forcing some to run deficits or draw on reserves just to stay viable.

This means we’re being asked to do more with less, at a time when community need continues to grow.

In mental health services, we’re seeing people come to us for support who would have to wait months or years for support from elsewhere. In this context, corporate support is no longer a ‘nice to have’ – it is essential. Businesses bring not only funding, but skills, networks, and the ability to scale impact quickly, making a material difference in people’s lives.

Meanwhile, companies face growing expectations to demonstrate meaningful social value through Environmental, Social and Governance commitments, procurement requirements, and stakeholder expectations. This creates a clear mutual alignment: charities need sustainable, strategic partnerships to meet rising demand, and businesses need credible community-rooted organisations to deliver measurable social impact. Well-designed partnerships can achieve both.”

What do businesses often misunderstand about working with charities or becoming corporate partners?

“A persistent misconception is that charities are simply recipients of funding, rather than expert delivery partners. In reality, charities bring deep local insight, trusted relationships, and proven approaches to complex challenges.

There is also a tendency to view charity engagement as short-term or purely philanthropic. However, long-term, strategically aligned partnerships consistently deliver greater impact and better business outcomes, from employee engagement, brand trust and customer loyalty.

Another misunderstanding is that partnerships require large financial investment or are only relevant to big corporates. In practice, organisations of all sizes can contribute meaningfully through skills-sharing, volunteering or targeted collaboration.

Finally, the professionalism of the sector is often underestimated. Charities operate in highly regulated environments, manage complex services, and require specialist expertise. This makes them credible, high-impact partners.”

Why should more business leaders consider becoming charity trustees or getting personally involved with the sector?

“Charities urgently need the skills and experience of business leaders – particularly in areas such as finance, governance, strategy, and risk. Many boards are facing vacancies or skills gaps, limiting their effectiveness at a time of rising demand. Strong trusteeship is directly linked to organisational resilience and impact, making this contribution critical to the sector.

For individuals, trusteeship is also a valuable development opportunity. It offers the chance to apply skills in a different context, strengthen leadership and governance capabilities, and gain deeper insight into communities.

Importantly, trusteeship provides something many senior roles cannot: the opportunity to create tangible social impact while enhancing personal perspective, purpose, and leadership credibility.”

Find out more

Leeds Mind’s work shows exactly why stronger relationships between businesses and charities matter.

At a time when mental health needs continue to grow, organisations like Leeds Mind provide trusted, practical and life-changing support in the communities they serve. For businesses, there is a real opportunity to play a part - through funding, volunteering, skills-sharing, strategic partnership or personal involvement as trustees.

To find out more about Leeds Mind and the work they do, visit their website.