Our IMPACT
Education, community, sustainability
A business should be much more than simply a commercial enterprise.
At Sookio, we understand the powerful role we have to play in society and the importance of making a lasting, positive impact on the world around us.
With a core value being ‘lift as we climb’, we have always placed our focus on education, sustainability and accessibility, and strived to be a force for good in the community around us.
Education
We understand the barriers to finding careers in communications and believe the creative industries would truly benefit from more diversity; not just in ethnicity, disability and gender, but in age and class background too.
We can’t fix everything, but we do what we can to act as positive role models, demystify the process and share our knowledge to create opportunities for the next generation of marketing talent.
Sookio Bootcamp, our innovative remote work experience initiative launched during lockdown 2020, ran annually for 5 years and gave 150+ people from diverse backgrounds, ages and ethnicities a leg up into marketing and creative careers.
Long Road Sixth Form: Official partnership launched 2023, with our Big Marketing Challenge.
Work experience: Supporting 30+ people from school-age students to career switchers.
Anglia Ruskin University: Mentoring, speaking at careers events, live briefs to inspire the next generation.
Form the Future: Frequent partnerships where we speak at careers events and offer mentorship.
Multiple talks in schools and at careers events.
Community
We’re proud of the part we play in the community, supporting charities and celebrating fellow businesses in Cambridge.
It Takes A City: Pro bono marketing support for the Cambridge homelessness charity.
Jimmy’s Cambridge: Supporting the homeless shelter up the road from our old HQ.
Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and MNDA: Our Founder has run 10ks, half marathons and the London Marathon to raise funds for these two charities and in memory of her parents.
Mental Health Foundation: Supporters of Mental Health Awareness Week.
Techfugees: Pro bono marketing support for this global organisation empowering displaced people with technology.
National Business Women’s Awards: Sue has been a judge since 2020.
CamCreatives and Creative Ely: Sue co-founded this meetup group for creatives in 2008, which has gone on to reach 4000+ members, and then the sister group in Ely to help creatives in the local area connect and collaborate.
Cambridge 105 Radio: Sue was on the Board for two years, and hosted two series of The Business of Cambridge.
Granta Park: Part of the steering group for the 10-year public arts strategy. A Fellow of the RSA, Sue frequently takes part in cultural initiatives that benefit society.
Sustainability
HQ: Energy-efficient building with fantastic local transport links, ensuring team members can catch the train or cycle, plus hybrid working to reduce travel and carbon emissions.
Proponents of the Sustainable Web Manifesto.
On the blog: Your digital marketing has a carbon footprint: Here’s how to reduce it
Digital Leaders Public Sector Week 2023: Reduce the footprint of your digital marketing
Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership: Panel guest, sharing expertise on communications in sustainability.
CIM East of England: Conference speaker on sustainability in digital marketing.
Supported clients in this sector including Yale Economic Growth Center podcast and Lumify energy.
Accessibility
Proponents of best practice in accessible, user-led content for the web and social media.
Trained thousands of people in these techniques, including Government Digital Services and comms teams at the University of Cambridge.
HQ: Designed for people with access needs with lifts and wider doorways.
On the blog: Your website can't live without these usability and accessibility tips
Attended TechSharePro accessibility conference and completing Microsoft Accessibility Fundamentals course.