Interview - Fusion

COMMUNITY BUILDING

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to James O’Malley, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Fusion Community Initiatives, about transforming local communities through team-building, the importance of corporate social responsibility, and why sustainability is core to the Fusion Community ethos.

By Alex Caesari

The Fusion Community Initiatives story begins in 2016. The company was founded by ex-military personnel, offering a community-based approach to team-building and leadership development programs through the delivery of charitable initiatives that invoke corporate social responsibility. The skills and experiences of this team enable Fusion to work effectively on transformative projects to benefit local communities. Despite initially partnering with mostly London-based companies, Fusion now operates globally.

These projects are bespoke, with funds invested by corporations. “We’ve been going for nearly six years,” explains James O’Malley, CEO of Fusion Community Initiatives. “We have a list of possible initiatives as long as our arm; the need is greater than what we can supply at the moment. If I had my way, I would say yes to every single project. We’ve taken our years of leadership experience from the military and put that into a corporate setting. Our work is about team-building that has a real social impact: creating a sensory garden, an outdoor play space, or renovating classrooms or houses. The sky’s the limit.”

LOCAL PROJECTS

Fusion partners with companies looking to deliver projects which target real social need, putting the resources of large corporations to work improving lives. “Recently we worked

with a London insurance company,” explains Mr. O’Malley. “They came down to a Devonshire special needs school. Over the course of a day, they delivered the entire project: a sensory outdoor area for children, a quiet space where they could sit down and learn on a one-to-one basis. Our facilitators were on the ground for five days; they prepared the area to ensure it was set up for success. Then participants from the company came in for one day to complete the task before handing it over to the school. Afterwards, we spoke to the school’s headmistress, and she said not only would it have cost more than £100,000 if they were to pay an external company to do it, but it would have also caused seven weeks of disruption for the school. We were able to deliver value in five days. By having a corporate company on board, spending the same sort of money that they would have done for normal team-building events, those in need are able to benefit.”

“The corporate wins, the school wins, and the children win,” says Mr. O’Malley. “But it’s not about ticking boxes, it’s about delivering real value; and that’s part of a company’s learning and leadership development training. We meet the company beforehand, and if there are any issues within the business which they wish to work through, we’ll position the project in such a way that they get the most value out of it. When we founded Fusion, we didn’t want to be a normal team-building company, promoting activities like paintball, which is fun, but what benefit is gained? Instead, we can hand over the results of a build, for free, to special needs schools and hospices that would not otherwise have the financial freedom to conduct these projects themselves.”

GLOBAL FUSION

The stage upon which Fusion carries out their initiatives is not limited to the United Kingdom. “We can deliver them anywhere in the world,” explains Mr. O’Malley. “We have completed successful projects in Singapore, Hong Kong, France, Germany, and Ireland. Take the latter, for example, where we worked with a special needs school in the west of Ireland. This was pre-pandemic, but our model doesn’t change just because of the location. In terms of planning and delivery, we make sure that materials are from a sustainable source, that waste is reduced to a minimum, and that we use local contractors to reduce our carbon footprint. It’s important for us. Due to the pandemic, most of our projects in the last six months have all been within the U.K. At Kobi Nazrul Primary School in Tower Hamlets, for example, we converted an old London bus into a fully functioning kitchen and dining area for the children.”

HYBRID MODEL

Needless to say, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the nature and scope of initiatives that Fusion is able to safely undertake. “The start of the pandemic was a nightmare for us, as everything we do is face-to-face,” explains Mr. O’Malley. “It all stopped. But now a lot of businesses are contacting us; there’s increased anxiety about returning to workplaces and what this hybrid working life model is going to look like. So, we’re able to work with businesses and bring everyone together. Companies have employed lots of new staff as turnover in the workplace has been very high. People are re-evaluating where and what they want to be. There are some

“YOU HAVE TO CELEBRATE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, BECAUSE IT’S BEEN A HARD TIME FOR EVERYONE ACROSS THE BOARD. WE OFTEN FORGET TO PAT OURSELVES ON THE BACK AND REALIZE THAT WE’VE ACTUALLY DONE REALLY WELL.”

people that haven’t met the rest of their team face-to-face. This is an ideal time to do that.”

“We always try and get companies and individuals to celebrate success because often we don’t do it enough, more so than ever during the pandemic,” says Mr. O’Malley. “You have to celebrate what you have done, because it’s been a hard time for everyone across the board. We often forget to pat ourselves on the back and realize that we’ve actually done really well.”

SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

Fusion’s mission does not end once the project in question is completed. “Afterwards, we go back to the corporate company for what we call an After Action Review,” explains Mr. O’Malley. “We look at what worked and what didn’t, and how lessons can be implemented back into the business. It’s brilliant having an amazing day off-site; everyone’s ecstatic and high-fiving, but there must be a ‘so what?’ with these things: what’s changed? Are you better communicators? What relationships have been built? We try to ensure the relationship between the corporate company and the charity is sustainable. Typically, the charity is close to where the corporate is based, and therefore one can reach out to the other in the future for fundraising based on previous work.”

“We take on a lot of ex-military personnel who are transitioning from military to civilian life, and who don’t really know what they want to do or where their place is,” says Mr. O’Malley. “Sometimes they stay with us for a long time; sometimes they don’t. And that’s fine, we’re happy to help that transition. Quite a few have PTSD too, and our work becomes part of their therapy as a result. Their exposure to diverse environments, moreover, means they can communicate mindfully with children who have their own complex needs. That’s our biggest asset: our team. Every day you can make a real, tangible impact on the world, and that’s what our team does with our projects. Our plan going forward is preparing the business for global franchising, continuing to use ex-military teams in the delivery of our ethos and core values.” c

TO BOOK your own Fusion Community Initiative visit fusioninitiatives.com or email Jon.Ford@fusioninitiatives.com