The Partnership Exchange Event: "More Than Money" in Action
On the evening of 10 March, over 40 charity and business leaders gathered at Fitzherbert Community Hub in Brighton for something a little different. No formal agenda, no presentations, no one at the front of the room. Just people, with skills, ideas, and a genuine willingness to connect.
The Partnership Exchange, co-organised by The Pearce Foundation and Enjoolata Foundation, brought charities and businesses together to explore what partnership and genuine mutual support can really look like. It was an evening of connection built on shared value, shared purpose, and the recognition that support takes many forms: expertise, experience, time, space, and connections. Charities and businesses taking part on equal footing for mutual support.
The evening centred on two activities: the Challenge Café and String Theory. Both were designed to encourage participants to talk honestly about what they needed and what they could offer. And that's exactly what happened. Conversations turned into real asks. Real asks turned into genuine offers. A Digitial marketing business offered to help a charity raise its visibility, while the charity offered to run some well-being activities for its staff team. This is just one of 40 examples, so everyone left with a new, meaningful connection and 1 action to take forward.
What struck us most was the openness and generosity of everyone involved. The room was buzzing! Open, solution-focused, dynamic and kind. Everyone was there to connect and share.
At a time when the world can feel uncertain, evenings like this matter. They're a reminder that communities don't just happen; they're created by people who show up, share, care and are happy to support.
At The Pearce Foundation, our support model is based on offering "More Than Money". We believe early-stage organisations need more than a grant to grow; they need connection, relationships, and community alongside funding. Seeing that principle come to life so visibly throughout the evening, not as a concept but as something real and tangible happening in the room, was heartwarming.
A huge thank you to everyone who came, and to the Enjoolata Foundation for co-creating such a thoughtful evening. We're incredibly lucky to be part of a community like this one.
“Without a doubt there will be a huge amount of tangible impact for so many people - I really hope we can do this another year.”
”Enormous thanks to the Pearce Foundation and Enjoolata for a wonderful evening. I left energised and inspired by so many committed, deeply kind, selfless people.”
”It truly fills me with hope to be surrounded by so many like-minded individuals, driven by a passion to make a difference and have an impact on change.”
Here are some photographs from the brilliant evening, beautifully captured by Photographer Sophie Sheinwald.
