Our stories

Its hard to believe but On Purpose is today welcoming a new intake of Associates. This marks a first for On Purpose — the introduction of twice yearly intakes. We are also welcoming on board a whole range of new placements including Virgin Unite,...

Andy Smith, April 2015 Fellow, talks about his experience with London Youth Rowing, where he’s the Programme Director, Life Skills. I joined LYR in late August 2016 and the time has flown by ever since! Following a year with On Purpose exploring...

Benjamin Hay, October 2012 Fellow, explores what was important for his career change and how he ended up at Virgin Unite as Strategy & Operations Director. Change often happens slowly, without you realising. Small decisions that at the time can...

Rebecca Sumner Smith, October 2016 Associate, asked some members of her cohort for impressions of their first month on the programme. In the middle of October, twenty nervous and excited new Associates — me included — sat around a table in...

Reka Budai, October 2016 Associate, talks about the importance of soft skills, discovering passions and her journey to On Purpose. It was way before the famous TED series was launched that I learnt the lesson about Ideas worth spreading. I wish...

Matthew Owen, April ’16 Associate, reflects on change-making and on the potential of and challenges for the social enterprise sector to contribute to positive social change. I worry that the generation of young adults raised on the Internet,...

Sacha Afanasieva, October 2014 Fellow, talks about her new start-up Blubel . Five years ago I was an investment banker, drafting investor presentations, advising tech startups on how to raise money, and building financial models. Right now, I’m...

How to find meaningful work? On Purpose Fellow Martin Underwood shares his insights. My work, next to my family and friends, is the most important thing in my life. It’s been the biggest investment of my time — it shapes not only what I do but...

In our latest blog post, Dimitra Tzigianni (April 2014 Associate) shares her experience of joining the Social Enterprise space I recently took a leap of faith and left the corporate world for the world of social enterprise. So, what made me do...

Noor Khan, Oct ’14 Associate, is moving from a career in investment banking technology to social enterprise. Nine months into the On Purpose programme, he shares what he’s learned from the transition. 54% of people in the UK are unhappy with...

In the last of our series to mark UK Volunteers’ Week , Associate Rachael Ibbott explains why she’s used voluntary work as part of her exploration into a new career path . One of the great things about the On Purpose programme is that our...