Our campaign for furloughed creatives to donate their skills to those in need
Time Well Spent is a campaign to connect creatives on furlough (with unused time and talent) to offer a helping hand to charities and voluntary organisations affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The creative industry is being impacted on a seismic level by the pandemic, with projects cut and workforces furloughed, yet the overwhelming response has been one of solidarity, with countless projects springing up to help in any way they can. However, it can be difficult to know how and who to help, which is a problem that new initiative Time Well Spent is hoping to solve. It partners furloughed creatives with charities, social enterprises and startups impacted by Covid-19, giving them a chance to donate their design skills to a good cause.
According to figures from the initiative, two-thirds of UK firms have applied to the government’s employee furlough scheme, with the creative sector making up a sizeable chunk. Eight out of ten UK-based marketing teams are delaying or reviewing their campaign spend, which is one factor leading to the thousands of creative professionals being put on furlough leave. Though these people cannot legally work while on leave, they can volunteer.
Meanwhile, charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises are facing unprecedented challenges.
Overnight, many have had to change the way they operate, communicate, or raise funds, with Top charity bosses say they expect a £4bn shortfall in funding over this period.