Recently, consultant Sophia Robinson submitted her SROI Evaluation report for Artists for Mental Health (A4MH) to Social Value UK for Report Assurance checking alignment to the SVI Report Assurance Standard. It was found the report demonstrated a satisfactory understanding of, and consistency with, the Seven Principles of Social Value – as a result it was assured.

Artists for Mental Health (A4MH) located in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), is a non-profit organisation engaged in increasing mental health awareness to artists in communities in Canada and the UK. The organisation started in 2018 in response to meeting the needs of struggling artists who have no avenue to turn to for mental health support. The organisation encourages and strengthens an inclusive community by providing resources and support to those who experience mental illness.

One way the organisation has done this was by piloting a mindfulness workshop in January of 2020.

The purpose of the forecast SROI project for A4MH includes:

1. To complete a Social Return on Investment (SROI) report that accurately reflects the value of the mindfulness project,

2. To support A4MH in identifying ways to measure outcomes that could help enhance the program to the participants,

3. To provide an SROI report that helps the organisation with changes for a future program.

As of today, the recommendations in the report have supported the organisation in accessing future funding. A4MH is providing resources to the community by offering a number of six-week online sessions that are helping those dealing with mental health issues.

We spoke to Sophia about her experience with the Social Value International report assurance process:

Why did you choose to apply for the assurance process?

I was interested in achieving the SROI Certification, because I believe it will benefit several clients that I work on a contract basis with. One of the issues that many of the clients have is that the organisation is unable to demonstrate how they add value. For example, an organisation that helps people get work and viable employment for participants can provide statistics on employment and past training, but the question they had is “How do they measure the benefit that the programs are providing to the community and the wellbeing of the participants in the program?”. This is a question that I wanted to help them answer.

Is there anything that you gained or found useful from the accreditation process? And what are the next plans for your organisation?

I would like to continue to do more SROI reports in both the non-profit and social enterprise fields and eventually learn to teach the social value initiatives to organisations in Canada and abroad. I am currently helping a non-profit that I am working with, in Vancouver, to determine social value with some current programs to help them assess the impact of the contributions to the community they serve.

“I am grateful to have worked alongside Artists for Mental Health (A4MH) towards my Social Value International Accreditation. A4MH is making great progress by using Social Value to help those in the community dealing with mental health issues. Positive change is on the way!” Sophia Robinson – Consultant

We at Social Value International would like to wish Sophia congratulations for the success of her report and look forward to seeing her future work.

If you have any questions for our team regarding report assurance, be sure to visit our assurance section on our website or visit Twitter (@SocialValueInt) for updates on upcoming report assurance drop in sessions.