Hi all! I’m Varun, I’ve just joined Patch as employee #1. I graduated from UCL last year, having studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, and over the last couple of years have been running a not-for-profit called Opportutoring, teaching English to refugees. This is why I’ve decided to join Patch.
Patch is People
One of the key aspects of my past experience that I’ve come to really enjoy is community building, and I see this as one of the strengths of our mission at Patch.
With Patch, we have the potential to transform local economies, improve quality of life for a huge cross section of the UK population, and widen access to opportunity, which is an issue close to my heart.
Having conducted a few customer interviews in my first week at Patch, it has been heartening to hear about how proud people are of their local areas. This opportunity to reconnect people with local histories through revitalising local high streets is an incredibly meaningful driver.
Patch has a unique advantage over most businesses in that we are not commodifying community building by artificially creating connection for the sake of productive output.
Instead, we are putting community front and centre: people are the very core of who we are and why we exist.
We have the ability to connect people with their neighbours which opens up so much potential for increased social capital and knowledge sharing, but most importantly, an enriched experience of life.
My Vision for our Future
Being candid about our mission is a key part of Patch. We should be working with local people, businesses, and councils, to encourage civic engagement with the Work Near Home discourse.
Patch is about taking local needs into account in designing spaces, ensuring we platform businesses that mean something to residents, and creating a hub that is open to all.
Through consistent delivery and thoughtful messaging, I would love for us to grow from one Patch to a huge network of engaged and talented people across the country, opening up the possibility for vastly increased access to opportunity and sustainable, locally sourced solutions.
The excitement I feel joining Patch, is the same feeling I hope people get as they enter one of our sites: a sense of possibility, belonging, and being part of something quite special.