Meet our Trustee: Isabelle Parasram OBE

SVI benefits enormously from the depth of experience, diversity and range of expertise represented on its Board of Trustees.

Our newest Trustee, Isabelle Parasram, is the CEO of Social Value UK, and her leadership skills, advocacy experience and well-honed political instincts will be valuable assets in advancing our movement and in forging closer ties between SVUK and our other Joint Member Networks.

Isabelle is a barrister with a lengthy legal career in the public, private and VCSE (voluntary, community and social enterprise) sectors. She also served as the Vice President of the Liberal Democrats, a UK political party, in which role she advocated for democratic engagement and social justice. And she has championed education as the trustee of education charities and governor of a secondary school. In recognition of her political and public service work, Isabelle was awarded an OBE in 2022.

If Isabelle’s formal affiliation to the social value movement dates to her appointment as CEO of Social Value UK in May 2021 she was advocating for and creating social value through her work long before that. And she knows she is not alone: “There’s nothing scary or mystical about this field – many of the people who want to know about it are probably, by dint of their interest, actually ‘doing’ it,” she says. “They just need assistance in putting words and numbers to it.”

It's no secret that communicating about our mission and movement has been a challenge for many social value networks, and among the priorities Isabelle has set for Social Value UK is to be clearer in communicating its identity and using more accessible language in its messaging.

Another priority for SVUK is to build strong ties with SVI and other Joint Member Networks (JMNs), notably through Isabelle’s role as a Trustee. “Our SVUK identity is largely based on our global connections, so it made perfect sense for me to join SVI’s Board when the opportunity arose,” she says. “We’ve also just signed the new JMN agreement with SVI and I’m looking forward to building upon our renewed partnership to support our fellow JMNs around the world as well as accessing worldwide opportunities at the highest levels.”

SVUK has much expertise and experience to share with our networks. It is our oldest, largest and most influential joint member network. In addition to offering a full suite of training, accreditation, and assurance services, SVUK lobbies government and advocates for the social value agenda, and oversees member thought leadership groups focusing on procurement and commissioning, education, and the built environment.

And this is knowhow that SVUK is eager to share. “SVUK also provides a lot of input and support to SVI and our fellow JMNs, particularly via our advocacy, communications and marketing work. We share best practice, work together on a variety of projects and lead on various initiatives,” she says.

So, what would Isabelle like the world to understand about our movement? “The social value movement has people at its heart. For anyone who wants to create systemic change, who genuinely wants to give a voice to everyone involved in a decision or series of decisions, finding out more about what social value and impact management is, is the place to start.”