Our vision, mission and values

We’re developing our new Birmingham Community Matters website and, when it’s launched, we will have a place to display our vision, mission and values proudly. For now we’re posting them on our blog, so you can see what underpins our day-to-day work.

Our vision

Voluntary and community action is encouraged and celebrated in our city, with people empowered to make change happen – no matter how small. Ideas flourish and Birmingham communities grow stronger and more connected.

Our mission

We boost the development and sustainability of small voluntary and community groups in and around Birmingham. Our ‘peer-to-peer learning network’ inspires people into action and gives them spaces to share, as equals, their skills, knowledge and experience.

Our values

Thoughtful. People come first. We are compassionate towards one another – and our supportive working culture encourages us to be compassionate to ourselves as individuals. We embed inclusivity and accessibility into everything we do – and we never assume we’ve got everything right.

Listening. Everyone has something to learn and everyone has something to teach. Our motto – and peer-to-peer learning model – reflect the value we place in each person’s knowledge and experience. We seek to nurture a diverse team of employees, associates, Community Matters Helpers and trustees, valuing the different worldview that every individual brings.

Adaptable. We are open to new opportunities, thoughts, and ways of doing things. We respond to the needs of the people and groups we support, as well as the changing needs of communities. We are innovative in our approach to reaching people, and keep our working systems flexible so we can react quickly to new situations.

Empowering. We are generous with our knowledge, connections and experience. We work with people to explore what their next step should be, rather than telling them what to do. We are comfortable with not having the answer straight away, taking an iterative approach to solving problems.

Authentic. We foster a culture of openness, sharing our failures as well as celebrating our achievements. We view mistakes as part of being human – and a vital way of learning. This frees us to try new things, ‘fail fast’ if needed, and find more effective ways forward.