Introducing The Community Pledge - and what it makes possible
A Different Way of Supporting Communities
Many businesses already support their communities in different ways.
They sponsor local initiatives, donate time or resources, support charities and play an active role in the places they operate.
But much of this impact is not always visible.
It can sit in separate activities, individual efforts, and one-off actions – making it harder to see the full picture, harder to connect, and harder to build on over time.
At the same time, communities are facing increasing pressure and the demand for support continues to grow.
This creates an opportunity.
Not to do more, but to do things differently.
To make what already exists more visible, more connected and more sustainable.
This is where The Community Pledge comes in.
What The Community Pledge is
At its heart, The Community Pledge is a membership platform designed with small and medium-sized businesses in mind (with memberships also available for larger organisations).
At the time of its inception, there were over 4.9 million SMEs across the UK. These businesses are the backbone of local economies and communities – yet many are priced out of traditional CSR (Corporate or Community Social Responsibility) or ESG memberships and frameworks.
The Community Pledge is designed differently.
Membership starts from £350 per year for businesses with one to nine employees – less than £1 a day – making it accessible, practical, and realistic for smaller organisations.
But this is not just about membership.
Each business that joins is helping to fund something much bigger.
Their membership directly supports the ongoing development and accessibility of aDoddle.org – the UK’s first network of connected, area-based community maps.
aDoddle is a growing platform that is evolving to make it easier for people to find help, support, opportunities, and connection within their local communities.
Much like people use Google Maps to find places to eat or stay, aDoddle is designed as the community-focused equivalent – helping people discover what support exists around them when they need it.
The infrastructure has been built and tested over several years, with over 3,000 organisations already represented. The next step is to make it more widely available across the UK.
By funding this, businesses are helping to ensure that charities, community groups and local organisations can have a free profile – making it easier for them to be found and for people to discover what is available around them.
This is about keeping things simple and sustainable:
- Businesses contribute through membership
- Community organisations can share what they offer
- People can more easily discover and connect with support
Helping Businesses Be Found and Understood
Alongside this, each business has its own profile – a straightforward space to clearly explain what they offer, how their service or product works, and the difference it makes to their customers.
This matters more than ever.
The way people search has changed.
People no longer need the “right words” or categories – they describe what they need, often in their own words, and expect to be understood.
That means businesses are no longer just describing services – they are telling the story of what they do, why it matters, and the difference it makes to the people they serve.
Whether that is a local tradesperson fitting a roof properly, a decorator transforming a home, a software provider simplifying a complex task, a cleaning service creating a safe and welcoming space, or a designer bringing ideas to life – people are not just looking for a service, they are looking for outcomes they can trust.
The Community Pledge supports this by giving businesses a space to share:
- Who they are
• What they do
• The difference their work makes to their customers
• Why it matters to the communities they serve
And over time, this will continue to evolve – including the potential for businesses to share the ways they are supporting their local communities, if they choose to do so.
Not in complex language.
Not in marketing terms.
But in clear, human words that reflect real impact.
Because when people search in real life language, it is real stories that help them connect, understand, and choose.
Why This Matters Now
Communities across the UK are facing increasing pressure.
Demand for support is growing, while many organisations are working with limited resources and capacity.
At the same time, businesses are continuing to play an important role – providing services, creating jobs and contributing to the places they are part of.
Many already want to do more, or to make a difference in a way that is meaningful and relevant.
And for some, this can be challenging.
Time, capacity, and resources are often stretched, and it is not always possible to give more in the ways they might want to.
The challenge is not a lack of willingness.
It is knowing how to contribute in a way that is simple, visible and connected.
This is where The Community Pledge offers something different.
It provides a practical way for businesses to be part of a wider, joined-up approach – where their contribution supports not just individual causes, but the visibility and connection of whole communities.
It also offers a way to take part even when time and resources are limited – enabling businesses to contribute in a way that fits alongside what they are already doing.
For some businesses, it can also help with another common challenge.
Many are approached regularly by charities, community groups and local organisations, and while they may want to help, they are not always able to say yes.
Saying no can feel difficult.
By being part of The Community Pledge, businesses are still able to play a meaningful role.
They can point to a wider contribution they are making – one that helps organisations to be visible, to share what they do, and to be found by the people who need them, as well as by potential supporters and volunteers.
Because when people can see what exists, understand what is available and find what they need more easily, the impact of everything that is already happening becomes stronger.
A Gentle Invitation
Wherever you sit – as a business owner, part of a team, or within a wider organisation – there is an opportunity to be part of this.
Not by doing more.
But by being part of a way of working that makes what already exists more visible, more connected and more sustainable.
The Community Pledge is not about replacing what you already do.
It is about strengthening it.
It is about making your contribution part of something that helps communities to be seen, understood, and supported more effectively.
And for many businesses, it offers a simple starting point.
A way to take part, to contribute and to be connected – even when time and resources are limited.
Because stronger communities are not built by one organisation alone.
They are built through shared effort, shared visibility and a willingness to work together.
This is what The Community Pledge is working to make possible.
A model where business membership helps to fund and support aDoddle.org as a self-sustaining platform – enabling charities, community groups and local organisations to create a simple, free profile, without needing funding to do so.
Each profile acts like a small, accessible presence – a place to clearly share what they do, who they support and how people can connect with them.
In turn, this makes it easier for people to find support, opportunities and connection within their local communities – particularly at moments when knowing where to turn matters most.
Over time, this kind of visibility can help people take earlier steps, find the right support and feel less alone in navigating what they are facing.
One Person – One Organisation – One Community – All Connected ~ One Click at a Time.
A note on how this article was created
This article has been created and shaped by Jaki King, Founder and CEO of If Everyone Cares CIC – the organisation behind aDoddle.org and TheCommunityPledge.com.
It reflects more than 25 years of experience working in and alongside communities and over a decade of exploring community mapping, visibility and connection.
The content has also been shaped through listening to hundreds of real stories, insights and experiences shared by people, organisations and communities over time.
As part of the process, Jaki used AI as an accessibility and thinking tool to support how she works as someone who is dyslexic, autistic and has ADHD. This included helping her to structure ideas, refine wording and maintain clarity, while ensuring that the final content reflected her voice, her values and what matters in the work she does.
The article has been developed iteratively, going backwards and forwards to ensure it feels true to that.
(Time invested: approximately 5 hours from first draft to final version.
