Guest blog by Silka Patel, Social Value Lead at Leidos UK #techUKSocialValueWeek
Silka Patel
Scotland Women in technology and Leidos
As part of techUK Social Value Week, Leidos UK are spotlighting impactful collaborations that deliver meaningful social value. Our standout initiative is the ‘Plaster it Purple’ campaign, a joint effort between Leidos and Glasgow Warriors, which has raised over £90,000 for the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity over the past six years.
Leidos employees in Glasgow have long expressed their desire to engage more deeply with their local community, and our employees’ families in Glasgow have personally benefited from the outstanding care provided by the Glasgow Children’s Hospital. Seeing a shared commitment to integrity, inclusion, and collaboration with the Warriors, they launched ‘Plaster it Purple’- an annual campaign that leverages a Warriors fixture as a fundraising event.
More than a fundraising milestone, it’s become a meaningful expression of the values Leidos and Glasgow Warriors share. Community, compassion and collaboration sit at the heart of both organisations, and these shared principles continue to guide our work together as part of the Warriors’ 'Fighting for our Families' campaign and our social impact as an organisation.
The funds raised to date have helped the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity provide life-saving equipment, support services for families, and fund entertainment for young patients facing extended hospital stays. The initiative has also encouraged Warriors players to engage more with the hospital, with visits to children undergoing treatment.
Since 2021, Leidos has donated more than £30,500 to Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. This contribution has helped fund a Play Specialist for a full year, supported the running of a bedroom at Crossbasket House for an entire year, and ensured the Bereavement and Financial Inclusion Services could continue for three months. The donation has also enabled the charity to support 388 families facing financial hardship during some of their most difficult times.
The campaign’s influence has reached the wider community. Local schools now participate, and corporate sponsors have joined, organising Christmas gift-wrapping initiatives and sponsored events. As part of the 'Fighting for our Families' campaign, local rugby clubs have held Race Nights, car washes and BBQs to help raise funds. Supply chain partners also engage through Business Club events. Leidos has supported the Warriors in enhancing their social value efforts, including hosting a ‘Women in Data’ event, facilitated by sports presenter Emma Dodds. This event brought together professionals to discuss how data can be better harnessed to drive innovation and growth across industries. The session explored how individuals and businesses can use data more effectively to understand their fields better, make informed decisions, and build more inclusive, evidence-led practices.
Sustainability is also a priority. The Warriors have taken meaningful steps to reduce single-use plastics, introduced ‘Quiet Training’ sessions for fans with sensory sensitivities, and launched Aoife’s Sensory Bus to provide a calm space on matchdays. As part of last season’s Plaster It Purple, Leidos also invited children in the hospital to design an Eco Warrior poster. The winning entries were made into eco-flags and handed out at the match, offering a moment for the young artists while helping raise awareness of environmental issues in a fun and visible way.
In addition to external impact, the campaign has also supported the wellbeing of Leidos employees. Through our partnership with the Glasgow Warriors, staff have benefited from healthy eating workshops, sleep management sessions, and unlimited workout videos. These initiatives aim to promote healthier lifestyles and support employee wellbeing.
A recent highlight of this commitment was the smoothie bike challenge, where employees were joined by the Glasgow Warriors and blended smoothies by pedalling stationary bikes to encourage healthy eating, in support of Plaster it Purple. These activities are part of the broader commitment Leidos makes to supporting employee wellbeing, as detailed within our Wellness Hub.
Plaster it Purple demonstrates how corporate partnerships drive lasting external and internal social value. By embedding social responsibility into their culture, businesses can create sustained benefits for communities. The campaign is a key example of how shared values and working together with purpose can make a real difference, impacting the hospital, the team, and the community it serves.
Unlocking Government Procurement for Tech SMEs - Addressing Social Value Challenges
We're excited to share our latest report, "Navigating Social Value: Challenges Facing Tech SMEs in Government Procurement." This crucial study explores the real-world experiences of small and medium-sized tech enterprises (SMEs) as they navigate the social value requirements within public sector procurement.
The techUK Central Government Programme provides a forum for government to engage with tech suppliers. We advocate for the govtech sector, evangelise tech as a solution to public sector challenges, facilitate market engagement, and help make the public sector an easier market to operate in. Visit the programme page here.
Calling Children’s Services and Education: Are you ready for the Digital Switchover?
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Heather is Head of Central Government Programme at techUK, working to represent the supplier community of tech products and services to Central Government.
Prior to joining techUK in April 2022, Heather worked in the Economic Policy and Small States Section at the Commonwealth Secretariat. She led the organisation’s FinTech programme and worked to create an enabling environment for developing countries to take advantage of the socio-economic benefits of FinTech.
Before moving to the UK, Heather worked at the Office of the Prime Minister of The Bahamas and the Central Bank of The Bahamas.
Heather holds a Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP, a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from LSE, and a BA in Economics and Sociology from Macalester College.
Ellie joined techUK in March 2018 as a Programme Assistant to the Public Sector team and now works as a Programme Manager for the Central Government Programme.
The programme represents the supplier community of technology products and services in Central Government – in summary working to make Government a more informed buyer, increasing supplier visibility in order to improve their chances of supplying to Government Departments, and fostering better engagement between the public sector and industry. To find out more about what we do, how we do this and how you can get involved – make sure to get in touch!
Prior to joining techUK, Ellie completed Sixth Form in June 2015 and went on to work in Waitrose, moved on swiftly to walking dogs and finally, got an office job working for a small local business in North London, where she lives with her family and their two Bengal cats Kai and Nova.
When she isn’t working Ellie likes to spend time with her family and friends, her cats, and enjoys volunteering for diabetes charities. She has a keen interest in writing, escaping with a good book and expanding her knowledge watching far too many quiz shows!
Yaroslava, a Junior Programme Manager at techUK's Central Government Programme, blends a decade of international and local Marketing and Business Development expertise with insights from Public Policy gained within a London economic consultancy.
This combination, coupled with her fluency in five languages and linguistic university background, enables her to drive impactful collaborations between the technology supplier community and the UK government, bringing a nuanced global perspective to engagement.
Outside of work, she is an exhibiting artist and leads Art for Wellbeing initiatives, reflecting her commitment to making a tangible difference, particularly through humanitarian aid for Ukraine, where she is from.
Junior Programme Manager - Central Government, techUK
Charles Bauman
Junior Programme Manager - Central Government, techUK
Charles Bauman is a Junior Programme Manager in the Central Government Programme at techUK.
He supports the programme’s mission to represent the technology supplier community to the UK government and advocate for digital innovation to address public sector challenges. Charles helps facilitate market engagement, foster partnerships, and ensure that tech suppliers and the government work collaboratively to improve outcomes, deliver value for money, and enhance public services for citizens.
Before joining techUK, Charles gained significant experience in research, analysis, and strategic advisory roles. At H/Advisors Cicero, he specialised in public affairs and corporate communications, while at Verdantix, he supported sustainability research and advisory projects, focusing on regulatory and environmental challenges.
Charles holds an MSc in Theory and History of International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and an MA in Medieval History from King’s College London.
Charles enjoys volunteering with a think tank, reading, hiking, and spending time with his dog and family outside of work.
Programme Marketing Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK
Tracy Modha
Programme Marketing Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK
Tracy supports the marketing of several areas at techUK, including Cyber Exchange, Central Government, Cyber Resilience, Defence, Education, Health and Social Care, Justice and Emergency Services, Local Public Services, Nations and Regions and National Security.
Tracy joined techUK in March 2022, having worked in the education sector for 19 years, covering administration, research project support, IT support and event/training support. My most outstanding achievement has been running three very successful international conferences and over 300 training courses booked all over the globe!
Tracy has a great interest in tech. Gaming and computing have been a big part of her life, and now electric cars are an exciting look at the future. She has warmed to Alexa, even though it can sometimes be sassy!
techUK's Social Value Week was a testament that technology is already a transformative force in its own right—reshaping how we live, work, and connect. Layering social value onto that inherent power doesn’t replace it; it amplifies it, unlocking an additional dimension of positive impact for communities and society.