WildHearts Office

WildHearts Office is a world leading social enterprise, using all the profits to deliver social and environmental projects. The main categories of WildHearts’ activities are office supplies, print management, technology and furniture. They empower customers to create social value through office supplies, by transforming essential procurement  into tangible social impact. To date, WildHearts approach has ensured the transformation of  over 2 million lives.

Due to this success, WildHearts Office is now established as a “buy social” market leader, supporting customers with sustainable procurement strategies to deliver social value outcomes. Its own profit is reinvested in social and environmental initiatives, from teaching The UN SDGs in schools across the UK, to holding The World’s Largest Youth-Led Sustainability Summit. 

The partnership with Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich)

Leading multi-line insurer Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) serves people and businesses in more than 200 countries and territories with the headquarters in Zurich, and employs more than 60,000 people. For 150 years Zurich has been providing insurance protection, and nowadays it is also increasingly offering prevention services such as those that promote wellbeing and enhance climate resilience.

WildHearts Office first connected with Zurich’s Head of Procurement in the UK at a networking event hosted by Social Enterprise UK. This meeting resulted in a tender opportunity that WildHearts successfully secured. Although this happened before Zurich had a strategy for supporting social enterprises in their supply chain; it demonstrated Zurich’s openness to rewarding innovation, particularly when it could bring about community benefits through everyday’s business operations.

Nowadays, WildHearts’ Office provides Zurich on a continuous basis with one of the largest product ranges in the industry, holding over 100,000 competitively priced products ready for next day delivery to Zurich’s offices across the UK and Ireland.

"As our first social enterprise partner, WH began as a pilot project and quickly became compelling evidence that working with social enterprises doesn't mean sacrificing quality or value. Instead, it has shown us that purpose-driven businesses can deliver exceptional service while making a positive impact."

- Janette Evans-Turner, Head of Commercial and Sustainable Operations at Zurich Insurance Company Ltd

Between 2020 and 2023, WildHearts also provided the Zurich Procurement department with a unique training solution. Wildhearts’ Micro-Tyco Entrepreneurship Training allows participants to practice and learn fundamental business principles in a controlled, 'micro' environment. This approach, known as the “Micro-Tyco Method”, blends inspiration, knowledge, and networking, and has been so successful that it earned the ‘Social Innovator Award’ from Babson College, one of the world’s top entrepreneurship schools. During this period, all Zurich Procurement employees participated in either an 8-week virtual group training or an individual online course using the lite version. In total, 239 Zurich employees enhanced their skills through the Micro-Tyco methodology.

The Impact 

This transformative partnership allowed WildHearts to launch a number of incredible social impact programmes that directly address over 50% of the UN SDGs.

From raising the aspirations of young people across the UK through a combination of employability training, sustainability workshops, and mental health support, to transforming women’s lives in over 40 low-income countries through access to enterprise, education and health programmes - the social impact of these programs is created both locally and globally.

Since our relationship was established in 2015, Zurich has directly impacted 7348 lives.

The impact created locally in the UK:

• WildHearts educated and raised the aspirations of 83,841 young people through the multi-award-winning WildHearts Schools Programme in 2023, ensuring inclusive and equal opportunities for the next generation, regardless of their background.
• WildHearts teach young people about the importance of environmental sustainability and the UN SDGs. This is showcased at The WildHearts Global Youth Summit during COP, the largest youth-led sustainability summit, that in 2023 gathered 35,781 participants. 

The impact created globally:

• WildHearts empower the lives of women in low-income countries to transform their lives and the lives of their families. They start by providing women with financial support and enterprise training, followed by the education project for the children to have the tools they need for learning. 747 455 female lives currently supported by our global microfinance programs.
• The health program supplies girls with essential menstrual products and education, helping them stay in school once they’re enrolled. 7, 406 girls have been supported with reusable sanitary packs (5 pads in a pack). On average they stay in school an extra 3 days per week as a result of our intervention.

"First and foremost, we are a supplier, committed to maintaining competitive pricing, exceptional service, and top-quality products. Only when we meet these essential business standards do we earn the right to discuss the social impact we create as a social enterprise. Our mission to drive positive change is built on the foundation of being a reliable and trusted partner."

 - Colin Downie, Sales & Partnership Director, Wildhearts Group