Project Overview
Social Enterprise Kent is a charity dedicated to supporting and empowering communities across Kent. They’re at the heart of some great initiatives, including the East Kent VCSE Alliance and the Community Research Engagement Network. These networks are all about collaboration and community impact, but like many organisations, they needed a better way to manage the wealth of information, projects, and connections they were handling daily. That’s where I came in.
The mission? Build a custom Notion system tailored to the unique needs of members of both networks. The idea was to create a tool that would bring together all their activities, data, and communications in one accessible, easy-to-use platform.
We kicked off by diving deep into their current processes, challenges, and goals. This groundwork helped me design a Notion system that wasn’t just functional but intuitive and aligned with their way of working. The system needed to handle a variety of tasks—from managing projects and tracking member engagement to storing research data and facilitating communication across teams.
Throughout the project, I worked closely with the project lead, ensuring that the final product would be a valuable resource—making members’ lives easier rather than adding another layer of complexity to their interactions with the network.
Project Outcome
The custom Notion systems made a significant difference for Social Enterprise Kent and it’s aforementioned networks. More specifically, here's what the piece of work accomplished:
- Centralised Information Hub:
- The new Notion system became the go-to place for all things related to the East Kent VCSE Alliance and the Community Research Engagement Network. It brought everything under one roof, making it easier for network members to access information, stay updated, and collaborate effectively.
- Improved Project Management:
- With tailored project management tools integrated into the system, Social Enterprise Kent could now plan, execute, and track both networks and their correlated projects with greater efficiency.
- Enhanced Data Organisation:
- The system provided a structured way to store and manage research data, member details, and community events. This organisation meant less time spent searching for information and more time focused on driving community impact.
- Streamlined Communication:
- By using Notion as a communication hub, communication was streamlined through the Notion system, so network members can receive updates, access shared documents, and collaborate in a more organised manner: Reducing the need for constant email exchanges and frequent meetings.
- Long-Term Value:
- Beyond immediate benefits, the Notion system was built with scalability in mind. As the networks grow and their needs evolve, the system can adapt, providing long-term value and support for their ongoing work.
- Beyond immediate benefits, the Notion system was built with scalability in mind. As the networks grow and their needs evolve, the system can adapt, providing long-term value and support for their ongoing work.
TL;DR: This project was all about empowerment—giving Social Enterprise Kent and their networks the tools they needed to amplify their impact. The custom Notion system didn’t just organise their work; it enhanced their ability to connect, collaborate, and make a difference in their membership network programme.
"Janinah developed some notion systems for our organisation and was an excellent support. She was very informative and enthusiastic about the projects, and her work was quick, efficient and really well executed. She is always on hand to answer any questions and ran a great training session on how to use the notion pages going forward. We'd highly recommend her services."
— Lily Keck, Health Inequalities Lead
