Briefing No. 41
What we’re reading
On the Greenwood Place Bedside Table
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport introduces a philosophy for productivity based on three simple principles: Do fewer things. Work at a natural pace. Obsess over quality. Every Summer we close the Greenwood Place office for two weeks of reading, research and exploration. Newport’s book heads our list this year - see what else we’re reading here.
The Velvet Queen
High up on the Tibetan plateau. Amongst unexplored and inaccessible valleys lies one of the last sanctuaries of the wild world, where rare and undiscovered fauna live.
Three Words That Nick Cave Likes
As the world divides into its various factions, these are words that are increasingly important.
The Beautiful Game
The first Homeless World Cup took place in 2003 in Graz, Austria. Ever since then, Mel Young and team have been using football to support and inspire people who are homeless to change their own lives and to change attitudes towards homeless people. Bill Nighy brings their work to life, watch here.
And football can do even more. Here’s how.
We Will Not Be Saved: A Memoir of Hope and Resistance in the Amazon Rainforest
In 2019, Nemonte Nenquimo helped win a historical lawsuit against the Ecuadorian government protecting more than half a million hectares of Waorani ancestral territory from being auctioned to oil companies. Nemonte and her partner Mitch left a copy of the book with us in the Greenwood Place office this month. It’s full of wisdom, sadness and joy.
Building A Socially Conscious Business
Sir Peter Vardy has been an inspiration and a mentor for us at Greenwood Place for many years. This interview with Sir Peter and his son Peter - talking through their approach to socially conscious business, social action and legacy (listen to Sir Peter at 20 minutes in on how he views legacy and the value of entrepreneurial thinking in social action) - is full of lessons to take away. Thank you to Phil for sharing it.
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse
We regularly buy Charlie Mackesy’s book as a gift for families and friends, and find the 2022 animated film reviving every time we return to it. “Most of the old moles I know wish they had listened less to their fears and more to their dreams.”
The World Is A Mountain
The world is a mountain. Whatever you say, it will echo it back to you.
Greenwood Place’s Annual Report
Our Annual Report for 2023/24 is now online. This year, Greenwood Place has achieved a significant milestone…We have surpassed £100M in our directly managed grant-making. In 2017, our first year in business, we oversaw £500K in giving and we have seen our giving grow steadily year on year since that date. A huge thank you to everyone in our community who has been part of this milestone and our journey.
FROM OUR COMMUNITY
We Are Juno and its investors won the NatWest SE100 Award in the Social Investment Pioneers Category.
Pip Wheaton has studied the work of hundreds of Ashoka Fellows in putting together a practical playbook of approaches for unlocking our collective power to take action on climate change and biodiversity loss.
Sophie Livingstone, CEO of Little Village was featured on Stella Creasy’s podcast, the Mummafesto.
And…. Drum roll….LandWorks took the top award at the 2024 Charity Awards. Huge congratulations!
AND FINALLY…
How machine learning is helping refugees to succeed. Learn more.
And (with thanks to Justin Adams) a medieval English Summer song to take with you into the holidays. Listen out for the cuckoos.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The Pathways to Change residential is just around the corner - on 17-19 September 2024. We’re excited to see many of our community there - and deeply grateful to our partners at the Gates Foundation for making it possible.
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
Greenwood Place provides philanthropy support, advice and execution for a small group of strategic philanthropists. We take an entrepreneurial approach to tackling tough social and environmental problems. We work closely with our clients to find the places where they can make the most difference, we support their learning and we partner with them to achieve real, lasting change.
The Greenwood is the place in Shakespeare's plays where characters go to grow, change and learn.