Funding Impact Photography

PROJECT SUMMARY:
A programme with the Henry Smith Charity to help understand the impact that their funding has had on organisations in the UK.

Year:
2023

Project Location:
London, UK

Partners:
Breadwinners
The Henry Smith Charity

Funder:
The Henry Smith Charity

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PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Henry Smith Charity approached PhotoVoice to design and deliver a short workshop series, in order to evaluate the impact of their funding on organisations.

THE ISSUE:
The Henry Smith Charity has been in existence for nearly 400 years. Throughout its history, it has provided funding for a range of organisations in the UK, for a range of topics and communities.

In order to better understand and communicate the impact of its funding, PhotoVoice worked with the Henry Smith Charity on a pilot for an evaluation programme. Breadwinners, an organisation based in Brixton which supports refugees and asylum seekers with new skills and employment opportunities, was selected as the partner organisation.

DELIVERY:

A short workshop series was delivered, which invited both staff and service users of Breadwinners to attend. These workshops helped those attending to develop new skills in photographic storytelling, creating images which shared their stories about being involved with Breadwinners.

The images were used as a starting point for interviews with the organisation and those it supports, as well as generating new content for communications by both the Henry Smith Charity and Breadwinners.

An additional session invited participants to help guide PhotoVoice in taking high-quality images which complement the participant-generated images and content.

PROJECT OUTPUTS:

• Project participant Sarah writes about her experiences in being part of the workshops here.
• The Henry Smith Charity have published two interviews with participants on the PhotoVoice workshop, who have been part of Breadwinners programmes. Bemnet’s story is here, and Awet’s story is here.
• The Henry Smith Charity have also published an interview with Breadwinners staff which discusses their work, and the impact of the PhotoVoice workshop. You can read it here.

FEEDBACK QUOTES:

“What I enjoyed most about this course is how it’s beginner friendly. I learnt everything I needed to photograph with baby steps. It’s really helpful.”

“[I enjoyed] learning to see photographs in a new way, thinking about how the audience sees it, the story and the caption.”

“In the end, my experience with the PhotoVoice workshop was truly transformative. It helped me see photography from a completely new angle, and I now understand that a photo isn’t just a snapshot – it’s a story waiting to be told. This workshop opened up new opportunities for me and inspired me to keep growing as a photographer. For anyone who loves photography or has a passion for storytelling, I highly recommend getting involved in a similar experience. It’s not only an opportunity to improve your skills but also a chance to discover the incredible depth that a single photo can hold.”

Header Image: © Tom Elkins 2024 | PhotoVoice | The Henry Smith Charity | Breadwinners | ‘Funding Impact Photography’ | UK