Pictured above: Hope Centre team
Willmott Dixon is supporting Northampton-based Hope Centre in
its pitch for a share of the £1.6m fund made available
through this year's Spark Challenge.
The Challenge, now in its third successful year, will see a
number of social enterprises from across the UK compete for private
sector funding which will help launch or sustain business
initiatives designed specifically to provide homeless people with
opportunities for employment and independent living. Six
influential project partners, including Willmott Dixon, were
selected by Sparks to mentor the social enterprises in their bid to
win funding.
Willmott Dixon is one of the largest construction and support
services companies in the Midlands and a team from its East
Midlands base will now assist the Hope Centre as it readies a
comprehensive business plan in preparation for the Dragons Den type
pitch during which it will request funding for its planned new
venture selling used garden tools.
The Hope Centre, which formed in 1974, currently provides
extensive day centre facilities for homeless and disadvantaged
people, along with over 20 life skill workshops, including classes
in cookery, art, and IT skills. It applied for Spark in order to
drive forward this new project in which old tools will be
refurbished then sold on via local retail outlets.
Luis Hilier, from Willmott Dixon explained: "Staff at the Hope
Centre already had an established business partner in the local
branch of the small charity, Tools for Self Reliance, so plans for
the garden tools business were well underway before they even
applied for Spark. However the team quickly recognised that
the Challenge posed a unique opportunity for them to bolster their
funding.
"We have been incredibly impressed by the proven business acumen
and enthusiasm of the dedicated staff and volunteers at the Hope
Centre, and we sincerely hope that with our added specialist
knowledge and resources, we will succeed in helping them achieve
the level of financial backing they deserve."
The business plan produced by the Hope Centre includes a
proposed move to new purpose built premises by late 2011. It is
hoped that these facilities will house 64 m2 of workshop space, out
of which the charity will be able to run Portable Appliance Testing
(PAT) and Basic Maintenance projects alongside the second-hand
tools business.
The people who join the scheme will receive full on-the-job
training and the opportunity to gain valuable practical skills,
which will hopefully enable them to leave the scheme with
transferable knowledge and improved employment prospects.
"We sincerely believe that with this project we have found an
engaging way of tackling the homelessness issue in the region, and
hope that it will help in turning lives around and offer a much
brighter future for many," commented Richard Appleby, manager of
the Hope Centre.
"Spark funding would give us a much needed boost - enabling us
to a employ a new workshop leader and buy all the necessary
equipment to start marketing and selling the products. However,
this type of competition is something we have never encountered
before so we have been sure to research our bid thoroughly, talking
to previous winners and picking up good tips!
"We are very fortunate to have already secured support from
Tools for Self Reliance, Emmaus and Midland Heart, but it gives us
great kudos to have a respected brand like Willmott Dixon offering
guidance, as we're sure that its expertise in the commercial sector
will certainly help us to promote the enterprise effectively."
Sparks pitches are set to take place in Leicester throughout the
second week in November, with the organisations looking to hear a
decision shortly afterwards.