Building a stronger community: the power of pro bono

Building a stronger community: the power of pro bono

When we hear the word pro bono, we instantly think of lawyers volunteering free legal advice to those who can’t afford it, but offering pro bono services is so much more than this.

During Pro Bono Week, we celebrate Norse and its employees’ positive impact on their communities by offering their time, skills, and resources to causes that drive local improvement.

Strengthening community support: our partnership with Nourishing Norfolk

Norse Group is proud to be partnered with Nourishing Norfolk, part of the Norfolk Community Foundation, an initiative dedicated to reducing food insecurity and creating long-term solutions for access to affordable, nutritious food across the county. By contributing to Nourishing Norfolk, Norse demonstrates its commitment to community support and sustainable impact. This collaboration highlights how local partnerships and voluntary contributions can strengthen the community, making a lasting difference for those most in need.

Impact in action: our role in making a difference

In December 2022, N-able, a part of Norse Group, collaborated with Nourishing Norfolk to provide essential distribution services, drawing on the operational expertise of Norse employees. Through this partnership, Norse and Nourishing Norfolk established a new distribution centre at Norse’s headquarters, enhancing their collective capacity to serve the community effectively.

Food Strategy Development Manager Victoria Lewis said, “When we started the Nourishing Norfolk Distribution Hub, it was completely new territory for us, and setting up a food distribution network was daunting. But Norse has been our partner from the very beginning of this project. Teams across the company helped us understand the logistics and how it could work, the compliance we needed to operate safely, and how to manage a warehouse and distribution network. It didn’t stop there, though. Norse has continued to help us find a way through each challenge and opportunity, and the skills and expertise they have shared so generously have been the advice we needed to move Nourishing Norfolk forward.”

Norse help deliver to 26 food hubs, the network has supported approximately 33,000 people to access healthier choices on their doorstep. The partnership between Norse and Nourishing Norfolk is a shining example of how a business can volunteer its expertise, consultation, and resources to aid charities in providing life-changing services to communities that really need it.

Heidi runs a Nourishing Norfolk food hub called The Pantry, Kenninghall. She highlighted our partnership’s benefits, saying, “Norse’s support has been invaluable to The Pantry. Knowing we get a weekly, on-time delivery has elevated us and freed valuable volunteer time. It also means we can have consistent core products. The delivery of coal during winter months has also been an absolute lifeline for so many of our members who live rurally and have no means to purchase affordable coal.”

The charity benefits significantly from the retail value of operating this service through Norse, which would otherwise be costly to run in-house. Additionally, it enjoys the equivalent retail value of warehousing at the Fifers Lane facility, contributing substantial savings and support to the initiative. Since partnering with Norse, we have helped Nourishing Norfolk save £88,767, all of which can return to helping those who genuinely need it.

“Our commitment to supporting the community goes beyond financial contributions,” said Justin Galliford. “By offering our skills and expertise pro bono, we can actively help Nourishing Norfolk reach its goals, creating a tangible impact for those who need it most. This partnership embodies our dedication to making a meaningful difference.”

We are excited to continue our partnership with the Norfolk Community Foundation as members of the “Good for Good” initiative. This programme empowers businesses to make a meaningful impact on the local community and improve lives by connecting them with local charities, ensuring that support reaches the areas where it matters most.

At Norse we are proud to carry forward the spirit of service and collaboration, continuing to use our skills and resources to uplift communities and make a lasting difference.