We recently shared a collaborative blog post, sharing the start of our journey to becoming a DDO, and our reasons for this investment. In it, our co-founder and MD Tom mentioned that part of Wholegrain’s vision has always been to create not only a sustainable business, but also one that is the type of business people dream of working for.
I have worked for Wholegrain for five years now, so while Tom says we can do more, I do think I am well placed to say that Wholegrain has achieved at least that part of the dream already! One of the reasons Wholegrain is such a great place to work is, as I have mentioned before, that the team really does care about each other and enjoy sharing all aspects of ourselves at work. As opposed to work/life balance being opposing forces, there is balance in work being part of our lives. This sounds a bit abstract, but this post shares an example of the kind of thing this actually means in practice.
Jerome’s purpose driven passion
One of our team, Senior Developer Jerome Toole, is a voluntary director of the award winning indie arts organisation and festival, Brainchild. This festival was started when he and a group of friends were in their first year of university, growing organically over the seven years from 2012 – 2019, attracting an ever increasing number of people with a capacity of 3,000 last year. The Brainchild mission to make a community space where people can show up as themselves, celebrate creativity and stand up against social and environmental injustices, makes it so much more than a festival.
This year, as with many of the planned events over the summer, Brainchild had to cancel their 2020 festival. To help keep the organisation going through the challenge it has faced due to COVID-19, our co-founders, Tom and Vineeta, supported the Brainchild crowdfunding campaign with a donation.
After sending this donation to the crowdfunder, Tom and Vineeta received a surprise request from Brainchild to choose a topic for an unexpected thank you gift! The gift was a personalised poem from Brainchild favourite and Poetry World Slam Champion Harry Baker, aka The Sunshine Kid – a word whizz with a love of maths, puzzles and clever wordplay.
As the poem was personalised, Tom and Vineeta asked for something to share with the team – this blog will be the first time the team see it (surprise!) – requesting a poem about the goodness of whole grains.
You can listen and/or read the poem below.
Wholegrain
It is so rare in life that we are perfectly refined
That we would file away our edges to more easily slot in line
A freedom comes from embracing there’s things we can’t control
When people – just like grains – are better taken as a whole
We navigate this maize of life, no matter how it’s spelt
We may barley scratch the surface before feeling overwhelmed
And yet we try, wheat, rye, whatever floats your boat
There is something for everyone, even if it’s just loads of oats
You could be keener for the quinoa, or like your rice more wild
A smorgasbord of sorghum, brought in triticale style,
You may buck the trend with buckwheat, or sing in canary grass,
Or be one-in-a-millet-million, carving out your own path.
Either way you are unique, and that’s something to celebrate,
Even if it manifests itself in a more subtle way,
We must protect what nourishes us, that’s not something to hide
When people – just like grains – hold so much goodness inside.
Thank you, Harry and the Brainchild team, for this amazing gift!
We are passionate about supporting organisations that go beyond profit and begin with purpose, and want to have a positive impact on the world. Brainchild Festival is such an organisation and we wholeheartedly hope that it continues for years to come, so we can continue to support, and watch it grow.
If you would like to learn more about, support, or even perform at a future Brainchild Festival, please do head over to their website.
