Getting to know GoodHQ

I can’t believe that I joined SCVO nearly two months ago. The time has flown by in a whirlwind of meetings about our brand new digital platform Good HQ. But before I go on, I should probably tell you a bit about me. I came from Euan’s Guide, the disabled access review website and app, where I managed the Disabled Access Day campaign (you might have heard that we recently won Cracking Campaign at the SCVO Charity Awards!) As well as my day job, I run a business with my partner, which relies on reviews and feedback from customers in order to be successful.

We’re working hard to develop GoodHQ to engage with more charities and encourage people to share their stories

So combined, it’s fair to say I know a bit about the reviewing process, how it affects organisations and encourages change for the better. Why is this important for my role with Good HQ? Well, if you don’t already know about the site, it’s a new digital platform that encourages people to share their experiences of charities and find new ways to get involved. As my colleague David said in a recent blog, Good HQ was piloted at the Scottish Charity Awards. It was a big success, with 200 inspiring stories added to the site about how a range of charities have impacted people’s lives. That was just the start. We’re working hard to develop GoodHQ to engage with more charities and encourage people to share their stories. We recently added Scotland’s 700 highest income charities. Our aim is to eventually register every charity in Scotland, and we’re especially keen to add lots of smaller charities as soon as possible. Recent research by Lloyds TSB found that one in three Brits can’t name a local charity, and that 20% of people learned about a local charity only when a family member or friend needed support. This is where Good HQ comes in, because it’s a great way to raise public awareness of Scotland’s smaller charities. We’ve already seen fantastic feedback left about some of the work taking place across the country. The Friends of Oban Community Playpark is a fab example, having collected 10 great reviews. Another is Charity of the Year winners, Saheliya. Their reviews really show the impact they’ve had on people’s lives. I hadn’t heard of the charity before, but thanks to Good HQ I now know about the fantastic work it’s doing to support black and ethnic minority women and girls in Scotland. I’m looking forward to learning more about Scotland’s small charities as they get registered on the platform. Good HQ isn’t just about reviewing. Organisations can also add PayPal integration for donations, promote volunteering opportunities and share posts about what they’ve been up to. It’s a great way for charities to build their public profile, particularly those that don’t have an online presence and aren’t sure where to start. And that’s not all. More functionality will be added as Good HQ continues to develop. The platform has been created by the third sector for the third sector, so please let us know if you have ideas and suggestions. To keep up with everything we’re doing, you can follow Good HQ on Twitter or register for an account and start reviewing yourself!