First, a bit of context (bear with us)

Every June, Verve turns another year older. Seventeen this year, since you're asking. And every June, we mark it properly - not with a sad sheet cake in a meeting room, but with a full-on Verve-style celebration of everything the team has built, the people in it and the fact that we really love what we do.

This year's summer event got a rebrand. Say hello to the Verve Social Club - members only, obviously…

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The pre-party: where it all kicked off

Before we even got on the coach, we had something to celebrate.

The whole team gathered in the office at midday for a proper catch-up - the kind where you actually pause and take stock. We celebrated everything that's happened since last June, both as a business and as the brilliant, loud, occasionally chaotic team we are. Diplomas passed, weddings, promotions earned, new houses, new babies, award wins – you name it! It’s safe to say it’s been a busy year with lots to celebrate across Verve.

The Class of 2026 got a well-deserved moment in the spotlight. Every team member who passed their diploma this year was celebrated with a bottle of Veuve. Because if you've grafted for those qualifications, you deserve actual champagne, right?! (and it had to be Veuve!)  

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Then there were the awards. Because… without wanting to be too smug about it - we had rather a good week.

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At the FT Adviser Workplace Excellence Awards, Verve picked up six awards:

• 🏆 Best Financial Wellbeing Programme

• 🏆 Best Work-Life Balance Initiative

• 🏆 Employee Voice Award

• 🏆 Wellbeing Innovation Award

• 🏆 Women's Equality Champion

• 🏆 Diversity Advocate of the Year — Cathi Harrison, Verve Foundation

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Six. We don't say that to show off. We say it because every single one of those awards represents something real - a programme someone fought for, a decision made with the team (not just for them), a commitment to making Verve a place people actually want to work.  

And if that wasn't enough - we've been listed on the Sunday Times Best Places to Work for the third-year running. We got the hat-trick and we couldn’t be happier about it!

So yes. The Aperol spritz at the office catch-up tasted particularly good this year.

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And we’re off!

Aperols consumed, diplomas duly celebrated; the coach rolled up and the party relocated to The Devonport for the afternoon. Outdoor space, with an excellent bar - exactly the right venue for a June afternoon.

Pub games on the terrace that got brilliantly competitive. A close-up magician who had the entire team absolutely stumped (if you know, you know). A Members' Lounge to retreat to, a Photo Hunt that brought out everyone's inner creative director. A Members’ Perks Bar, complete with shots, treats and a surprise ice lolly moment.

And then, from 6pm: the (not-so) Silent Disco. Three different channels with Verve DJ slots up for grabs, headsets on and forty-eight people dancing to three completely different songs at once. The kind of energy that makes you remember exactly why you work where you work.

The Battle of the Decks ran all evening, where the team could sign up for a DJ slot and pick their own songs, with the winner decided by vote this week in the office - and the rivalry is very much alive (we’re a competitive bunch!).

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Why bother?

The Verve Social Club isn't just a party. It's the most visible expression of something we work at every single day - building a workplace that people are genuinely proud to be part of.

Six awards in one week, three years on the Sunday Times list, a team that fills a DJ sign-up board all wanting to get involved and cheering each other on at the Members’ Vote. That's not happened by accident. It's the result of listening (actually listening!) to what people want and need, investing in their development and making the boring foundational stuff (wellbeing, flexibility, voice, fairness) as much of a priority as the fun stuff. The two go together. You can't have the Social Club energy without the culture underneath it.

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And next year?

We're already thinking about it… The team are sharing their feedback on what worked, what they'd change, what they want more of. That's the Verve way - the event closes and planning for the next one starts almost immediately. Because the question is always the same.

How do we top it?

Watch this space. The Social Club will return!