Our Value Match Story

Our story starts with our Founders Jo Parkes-Newton and David Shields, who first worked together on a private sector project in 2018. This project was initiated by David to help the public sector buy services from charities and social enterprises.

However, the project was slow moving due to a lack of understanding between the sectors. As organisations needed up to 12 months to build trust before they could work together effectively. Meaning that much good that could be done within this time was lost.

This started Jo thinking about what could be achieved if there was a way to accelerate this growth of trust, so that relationships can flourish more quickly.

To do this, like-minded people and organisations would need to be able to recognise each other, find their common ground and make sure of each other’s good intentions and credentials. In other words, be assured that they were ‘Value-Matched’.

David and Jo then both took the radical step of re-branding their own businesses, as they realised that they, like most organisations, did not talk about the social benefit that they created through their own ventures.

But most importantly, that the lack of a ‘translation’ system (which would enable people and organisations to talk about what they believe in), was hampering this growth of understanding.

As a result Jo created our six Values to enable people and organisations to showcase what they stand for at a glance.

David and Jo also wanted to make sure that the Values were not wishy-washy or preachy.

Rather that they just existed to let people and organisations more easily say what is important to them.

To enable choice. Not to tell people what they should believe in.

The Values also needed to be inclusive of all forms of social good, promote individual wellbeing and accessible to everyone.

And that is how the ‘Value Match Foundation’ and ‘Our six Values’ were born.

Which of the six Values means the most to you?