Please note: This post was written by Highlander prior to their rebrand to FluidOne Business IT - Sheffield.
At Highlander, we pride ourselves on our connections with our local community. It’s always been a big part of our culture, and something we value just as highly today as we did when we first launched in 1995. Within my role as Business Development Manager, I spend a lot of time on ground, so it’s also something that’s especially important to me.
We believe strongly in giving back to our local community, not only by delivering IT support, services and solutions as a partner, but contributing to the wider prosperity of Sheffield, Yorkshire and the East Midlands. And more often than not, we find that those efforts are rewarded in kind.
But giving back is about more than supporting a few events and good causes. There are a number of avenues through which we channel our efforts as part of an ongoing commitment to keep our region thriving.
1. Working with local businesses
Like any business, our focus is predominantly on our customers and doing what we can to uncomplicate their IT. We’re proud to deliver IT support and IT services for our customers, not just in our hometown of Sheffield, but in areas like Barnsley, Rotherham, Leeds, Derby and Nottingham. That’s all part of our day job, but there are other ways that we support and protect the wider business community.
We’re proud patrons of both the Sheffield and East Midlands Chamber of Commerce and long-standing members of the Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber. We are also members of Connect Yorkshire, an organisation that supports new and growing businesses. Working with these organisations allows us to build relationships with other local businesses and lean on their expertise when needed, as well as helping us to introduce new customers of our own.
But it’s much more than a door opener. With so many of our customers based across the region, we’re uniquely positioned to gauge the hot topics on the minds of businesses today. Without betraying any confidences, we bring those insights to the table and take an active role in supporting the entire business community, sharing our experience, tackling common issues and driving initiatives for our collective benefit.
2. Supporting good causes
Those who know us will understand the importance of charity to our business. We regularly support a variety of good causes, and partner with a group of incredible local charities. I myself am proud to be an Ambassador for the Archer Project, a homeless charity based in Sheffield. The charity works to assist the homeless, getting them off the street and providing ongoing support. I’m already looking forward to joining a host of amazing volunteers for the sponsored sleepout later this year.
Outside of our fundraising efforts and donations, we also support these organisations in the same way we do other businesses, by delivering IT support and services. We count a number of charities and other non-profit organisations among our customers and are grateful for the trust they put in us to support the technology that powers their goodwill.
We also use our reach into the business community to help raise awareness for the organisations and events we support. If you’ll excuse the not-so-subtle plug, this includes events like Cavendish Cancer Care’s corporate curling competition, which takes place on 19th April. Find out more about the event on the Cavendish Cancer Care website.
3. Sharing our knowledge
Like any business, we aren’t able to give away all of our value without return. But we do also recognise that we bring a level of knowledge and experience to the hot technology topics that are troubling business leaders today. We also know that those businesses are of differing levels of IT capabilities, and a little bit of friendly guidance and advice can go a long way in helping them grow their understanding and take informed action.
It’s why we partner with the well-respected South Yorkshire business magazine unLTD. Working with unLTD, we create a sponsored article each month where our team discuss the latest innovations impacting businesses or the common IT challenges that they need to be aware of. It’s a small commitment, but something we see as a vital part of our effort to give back to our community. Read our latest article on unLTD magazine.
Looking to the future
As we move through the rest of 2023, we’ll continue to offer our knowledge, guidance and support to those operating in Sheffield, South Yorkshire and beyond. We’ve already attended some fantastic business and charitable events this year, and I am excited about the occasions yet to come. Not only because of the opportunities these will present for our own business but for the new avenues to continue helping others where we can.
Want to find out more about what we do for our local community? Check out our local page.
You can also learn more about our charitable endeavours and some of the amazing organisations we work with on our charity page.
