10 Years of Matter: A Heartfelt Milestone

20 Nov

This year, Matter turned ten, and honestly, I still have to pause when I say that out loud.
In 2025, we’ve grown our team, welcomed Laura and Nadja, and reflected on everything this journey has taught us: the wins, the mistakes, and the moments in between. As a female-led practice in a sector that’s still catching up on inclusion, every step has meant something. So we wanted to take a moment to share where we’ve been, what we’ve learned, and who we’re grateful for.

A few things we’re celebrating:

1. Being seen for who we are.
We’ve worked hard to build a space online that reflects our values, voice and work, especially for a DEI-led practice like ours. Our website now sees over 800 visitors a month, and it’s become a platform where people can meet us before they meet us. That matters.

2. Sharing joy.
We marked our 10-year milestone with a gathering at Artfix Greenwich, celebrating not just the business but the people who’ve helped shape it. Clients, collaborators, friends and fellow small business owners, thank you. It was also a chance for our team to share their creative sides through art and music.

3. A moment we’ll never forget.
This year gave us a rare chance to come together outside work in Jaipur, India, for a family celebration. It was the first time our wider network (Tapiwa, Joanne, Laura and myself) were all in one place. A reminder that collaboration can take many forms, and that connection is everything.

A few lessons we’ve taken with us

We’ve been learning how to tender for public sector work, because we believe in building for local communities. It hasn’t been easy, but we’ve learned so much thanks to brilliant programmes and organisations like:
University of Greenwich, Selby Trust, Small Business Britain, Starling Bank, Peabody, and Greenwich Council.

We’ve not cracked it yet, but we’re hopeful — especially with the new procurement reforms now underway.

Growing a team the right way is hard

We’ve tried to recruit graduates and apprentices, but as a small team, we don’t have the same resources or time to offer as larger firms. It’s been tough, both financially and emotionally. We haven’t found the right balance yet, but we’re learning, and we’re determined to do better in the year ahead.

And finally…

Running Matter hasn’t always been easy. There have been hard days, missed deadlines, and moments where we’ve let people down, despite our best intentions. But we’re still here. Still learning. Still building.
We’re so grateful for the clients, partners, and friends who’ve walked with us and stuck with us.

Here’s to the next ten years, and all that we’ll build together.

Build with care. Build with purpose. Build with Matter.

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