10 November 2025.
Bringing People Together to Do Good in Nature.

By Toni Finnimore, Founder of The Social Society.


At The Social Society, we believe that the best way to do good is together.

For us, volunteering isn’t about ticking a box or clocking hours; it’s about connection. Connection to place, to purpose, and to one another. We exist to make it easy and meaningful for people to give back to their communities in ways that make a real difference to both people and planet.

Across Sussex and beyond, our members gather outdoors to give back, clean, restore, and create. They lend time, skills, and care to local charities and community groups. And in the process, they find something that’s often missing from modern life: belonging.

Doing good, differently

The world of “corporate volunteering” often means guessing what help charities need, but we think there’s a better way.

Instead of guessing, we ask. We listen. And we design volunteering and event days around what’s genuinely useful. That might mean connecting a team of marketers with a small coastal charity that needs digital support, or matching creative professionals with youth arts groups to help build confidence and new skills.

Our volunteering model focuses on what’s needed most: time, skills, and human energy. Because when we give in the right way, everyone benefits: charities are strengthened, communities are supported, and people leave feeling more connected than when they arrived.

It’s volunteering with heart, guided by real need.

Curated experiences that connect people and place

Every event we run, from small volunteer days to our signature summer Festival Team Days, is designed with people and nature in mind.

Our team days are more than just away days; they’re immersive experiences. They might include a morning restoring a woodland path, followed by a mycelium talk led by local experts, followed by long table dining or an afternoon of creative reflection through poetry, art, or music in the open air.

You might find youth theatre performances among the trees, local artists turning seaweed into paint, or teams sharing stories around a campfire after a day of doing good.

Every element is carefully woven together to nurture community spirit and highlight the interconnectedness between people and the natural world. It’s where environmental restoration meets creative expression and where everyone involved leaves a little lighter, a little prouder, and a lot more connected.

Nature as our common ground

Nature has an extraordinary ability to bring people together. Out in the open, roles and job titles fall away. Conversations come easily. Laughter fills the gaps. People who may never have crossed paths in daily life suddenly find common ground.

In a world where loneliness and disconnection are rising, these simple moments matter. Spending time outdoors doing good for others doesn’t just help nature thrive it helps us thrive too.

There’s science to back it up: time spent in green or blue spaces reduces stress, boosts mood, and increases feelings of belonging. But we don’t need research to know that. We see it on people’s faces the calm, the pride, the big old smiles.