New office is a Savvy move
A Sunderland community interest company which helps train hard-to-reach and vulnerable people across the North East has a new home.
Media Savvy, was founded by Dan Makaveli and Mark McKenna in 2010, after working together on a project with schoolchildren in County Durham.
“Working with schoolchildren was completely different to what we were used to but we were amazed with just how receptive they were to it,” said Dan.
“They were so engaged in the project and it was amazing to see the impact it had, not only on their education, but their entire outlook on life.”
The company started as a non-profit organisation with Dan and Mark foregoing a regular salary for the first twoyears.
“Mark stepped down in the winter of 2012 in order to study for his doctorate and I carried on running the business after bringing in Lisa Miller, a mature illustration graduate on an internship to replace Mark,” Dan recalls.
“After over two years without taking anything resembling a regular and adequate salary I was within weeks of throwing in the towel. We were getting lots of praise and receiving many awards and accolades but it was taking too long to become a sustainable business.
“Alongside our social objectives we have always had a commercial arm, though it has very much been a secondary priority.
“Offering design, video production, animation and web design services commercially has always been a great way to help us off-set against our social goals and showcase the team’s talents and specialist areas.”
Dan is confident the move to offices in Norfolk Street will help not only safeguard the company’s future but also act as a catalyst for future growth.
“Working out of St Peter’s Gate was fantastic, however, we were really struggling for space,” he said.
“At one point, we were having to take turns working out of the office as we just couldn’t fit everyone in.
“Now we’re in a position where we can have everyone working collaboratively from the same building without any such worries.”