The Impact of Charity Work and Inclusion on Business Success
By Kerry Parkin, Founder of The Remarkables Business performance is often discussed in terms of strategy and market conditions, yet the factors that shape long-term success increasingly come from a deeper place. People want to work for companies that stand for something, wanting leaders who recognise the world outside their meeting rooms and who understand the responsibilities that come with influence. Charity work and inclusion are often discussed in moral terms, but their impact on business success is practical and far reaching.
Charity work gives organisations a sense of purpose that cannot be manufactured through slogans or campaigns. When a business supports a cause that genuinely matters, it changes the way employees show up. You may start to see partners engaging more and the way customers perceive the brand improving. Purpose becomes part of the culture rather than an add-on.
Creating meaning beyond money
Photo: Kerry Parkin, Founder of The Remarkables
I’ve spoken openly about the value of meaningful work that extends beyond commercial goals. As she puts it, people naturally want to work with those who do good business and do business for good. Her involvement with Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide and the Bereavement Leave campaign brings clarity to this belief. These efforts reflect compassion, but they also demonstrate leadership with social impact at its core. When I talk about this work creates a sense of higher purpose beyond profit, she captures something many businesses struggle to articulate. These initiatives remind teams that the impact they leave matters and that business can play a meaningful role in shaping a more compassionate society. “Leave a positive legacy for those who follow.”
The scale of this work is often underestimated. Whitebrook et al (2005), A Suicide Bereavement Model research study found that around 760,000 people die by suicide globally each year and each death directly affects an estimated 135 people. This means tens of millions of individuals are living with suicide bereavement at any one time, many without structured support. Seen through this lens, my involvement reflects a widespread, largely unseen reality that quietly sits across workplaces, families, friends and even communities.
This kind of purpose-driven involvement has a ripple effect. Employees feel proud to be part of something that resonates beyond their day-to-day role. Partners feel confident aligning with a leader who is grounded in values. Even the external perception shifts. A company associated with empathy and action often earns trust more quickly because people can see what it stands for without being told.
What inclusion in business should be
Inclusion, meanwhile, has moved far beyond a tick-box exercise. Leaders are increasingly aware that diverse teams are more adaptable, more creative and often better at problem-solving. When an organisation brings people together from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences, it gains a richer understanding of the world it seeks to influence. Working with diverse people is as much a growth strategy as it is the right thing to do. A wide range of perspectives unlocks ideas that would never emerge in a room full of the same voices. Diversity fuels creativity and helps brands connect with the real world. In a fast-changing landscape, that breadth of perspective is what keeps businesses relevant and ahead of the curve.
Inclusion affects every part of the business ecosystem. It shapes creative output and supports better decision-making. A team that feels heard and represented is more engaged, which in turn strengthens retention. Clients and partners also notice when a business reflects the communities it serves; they gain confidence that the ideas presented are informed, grounded and sensitive to the nuances of modern society.
However, inclusion only has real impact when it is lived rather than declared. A statement on a website does little without everyday actions to back it up. This is where leadership style matters. Leaders who value diverse thinking create space for honest conversation and freedom to challenge. They also accept that new perspectives can sometimes be uncomfortable, yet that discomfort is often what leads to progress. In environments where people feel respected and safe to speak, businesses gain a competitive advantage that cannot be replicated through process alone.
Humanising our work
There is also something more personal at play. Charity work brings a human element into environments that can often feel transactional. The research into suicide bereavement also described many people as being “lost in plain sight”, continuing to function at work while carrying significant distress that often goes unnoticed. This study also shows that stigma following a suicide loss can lead people to withdraw over time, making them less likely to seek support and more likely to carry the impact quietly into their working lives. This understanding informs my approach to leadership, where she remains attentive to subtle changes in behaviour and takes care to create space for support within her business. Her focus is on creating practical support within the business, with an environment where people feel noticed and safe to speak up.
Inclusion ensures that the table is filled with genuine voices that broaden understanding. Together, they form a foundation for a business culture that attracts talent and earns loyalty.
At the bottom of all of this is a simple truth; people want to feel proud of where they work and who they work with. When leaders show commitment to causes that change lives and build teams that reflect the world around them, they create businesses that people want to support.
My work with Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide and the Bereavement Leave campaign reflects this ethos. These initiatives are part of her commitment to ensuring that business can be a force for both compassion and commercial achievement. At The Remarkables, this work sits alongside our company’s broader approach to reputation and purpose, forming part of the values that guide how the business operates and who it chooses to support.
