Finalist
Establishing a Programme of Community Outreach at Costello Medical
Summary of work
Costello Medical is dedicated to giving back to the communities in which we operate. In 2022, we achieved B-Corp certification, in part based on our work in this space. We have established a community outreach programme in Cambridge and London, aiming to inspire and mentor young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds who would not otherwise have access to professional networks and opportunities.
Working closely with local schools and charities to reach those who could most benefit, through 2022-2023 we welcomed 95 students aged 11-17 years into our offices, providing them with insights into the world of work, developing employability skills and fostering career aspirations. Additionally, we have participated in mentoring, tutoring, careers fairs and assemblies with local schools/organisations. In total, our teams spent 100 days on outreach activities in 2023, representing a £30,000-£40,000 investment; ~40% of this time was from members of our Senior Management and Leadership teams.
Going forward, we will continue creating sustainable, impactful community contributions, expanding the programme to Manchester and Bristol and focussing on repeated student engagement and tracking long-term outcomes. We hope our work in corporate social responsibility will inspire similar efforts at other companies in the medical communications industry.
Judges’ comments
Costello Medical’s written entry was excellent and clearly communicated the impact of their community-focused activities. The entry was tangible, long-standing initiatives aimed at driving social progress and change which are outward looking. Costello offered a well-designed and thorough outreach programme to tackle one of the key areas they have identified as being important. Collaborative work with grassroots and community organisations, which was fantastic to see, as well as clear investment and time set aside to support the initiative with a high level of representation from senior leadership directly on these initiatives. Strong and positive feedback – a well-rounded entry.
