At Clearbox, we tell stories that cut through noise, promoting positivity. However, sometimes as well as telling our client’s good stories, we want to create some of our own. Just ask the Neighbourgood team – sometimes you have to roll up your sleeves and actually be the change you want to see in the world. Here’s a breakdown of what we’ve been up to lately to create meaningful change in our community…

Shaping the next generation (without terrifying them)

Recently we had the opportunity to host a group of students for a three-day crash course in the world of PR and Social Media Marketing, as part of the ‘Futures for All’ programme. We delivered two online sessions and one very memorable office day to a group of aspiring communications pros, helping the group to get stuck into the nitty gritty of a career in PR and social media. We unpacked all the various aspects of a career at Clearbox; from our iconic brainstorms, to content creation and strategy, to media placement and audience targeting. The group came up with some truly brilliant ideas, providing buckets of enthusiasm (and lots of laughs).

The programme provided a welcome opportunity for reflection from our own team – PR as an industry is often very misunderstood, so to be able to properly dissect the work we do for the upcoming generation served as an important reminder of what we love about our jobs, and why we got into it in the first place! Our team genuinely loved getting to know each student and sharing some hard-won guidance during what can be, let’s be honest, a deeply confusing and overwhelming time in anyone’s career journey. If we can make that path feel a little clearer and a lot less intimidating, then we’re doing something right. It’s a win-win.

The good news? The next Futures For All programme runs this June, and the application deadline is 19th May. If you’re curious about PR, social, or creative careers – or you know someone who is – consider this your sign.

Rolling up our sleeves at South Belfast Foodbank

Another step outside of our comfort zone came about when we took part in some recent volunteering with South Belfast Foodbank. Over the course of an afternoon, we traded in our laptops for boxes of essential food items, processing much-needed donations for redistribution across the local food bank network. This one was close to home in the most literal sense. Our Client Lead Ella volunteers with the foodbank weekly – yes, on top of her actual job – and when we found out, the only reasonable response was to show up alongside her. We all loved getting to support something so close to her heart, and the experience reminded us, pretty acutely, of what actually matters beyond deadlines and deliverables.

Here’s the thing about foodbanks in 2025: demand is not going down. More people than ever are relying on them, which makes both donating and volunteering not just a nice thing to do, but a genuinely important one. If you’re in a position to give – whether that’s time, tins, or both – every contribution counts more than you might think. And if you’re a business looking to support causes close to your own team’s heart, the team at Neighbourgood is brilliant at making that happen in a way that’s genuine, aligned, and meaningful for your business.

Clearbox clothes swap

And then there are the smaller (but just as impactful)  initiatives. If you couldn’t tell, our team is a vaguely fashionable bunch (depending on who you ask). Being wasteful, however, is not really our buzz. To support this ethos, our Office Manager Alex recently organised a dedicated Clearbox ‘clothes swap’, allowing us all to clean out our wardrobes, whilst also getting that ‘new fit’ dopamine hit. A win for our people, and the planet. Fast fashion is afraid of us.

The common thread

At the end of the day, whether it’s mentoring students who are figuring out what they want to do with their lives, or spending a few hours at a foodbank because a colleague cares deeply about it, the principle is the same: show up, contribute, and make the effort count.

We’re a communications agency. We know better than most how easy it is to craft a compelling narrative around community values. Which is precisely why we hold ourselves to account on actually meaning it. 

We all get by with a little help from our friends…