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Action West London

Action West London is a charity and social enterprise that helps unemployed and disadvantaged individuals find employment, access education and training, and support them in starting their own businesses. Facing financial challenges, we seek funding through contracts, grants, and income generation initiatives. Our current focus is on creating self-employment opportunities through Acton Market and the Doughnut Factory Business Workspace. We are also exploring the potential of starting a recruitment agency to address the high unemployment rates among black young men.

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Action West London

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  1. Action West London

  2. ACTION WEST LONDON MISSION • ‘CHANGING LIVES THROUGH EMPLOYMENT+ EDUCATION + ENTERPRISE • Jobs, Education, Training, Enterprise • Turnover between £850k- £1.25 million • Reg. Charity; Ltd company; social enterprise (Social Enterprise Mark accreditation) • 80% of income is from delivering public service contracts • 2004—5 staff, 1 premise---developed over 12 years to • 2016 ---17 staff -8 volunteers; 4 premises- plus outreach venues BUT facing severe financial challenges like everyone else today

  3. 3 key objectives 1.) EMPLOYMENT--Helping unemployed , disadvantaged individuals get JOBS and self employment 2) EDUCATION--Helping disadvantaged individuals get EDUCATION/TRAINING/QUALIFICATIONS 3)ENTERPRISE-- SUPPORT to start up businesses and social enterprises

  4. EMPLOYMENT – helping disadvantaged individuals into employment • Long term unemployed • Refugees • Offenders • NEET young people • Lone parents • ‘Job ready’ black young men

  5. How we get funding • Bid for contracts/tenders (DWP/SFA/London Councils, Europe ) • Bid to charitable Trusts (Big Lottery/ Trust for London etc) • Contracts with Boroughs- Hounslow and Ealing • INCOME GENERATION (social enterprise-Acton Market, Doughnut Factory Business Workspace etc) • In kind support - Free Time/expertise/Free training • Corporate support

  6. PROBLEMS!! • Funding strategy is too dependent on winning and delivering contracts • Payment by Results very risky and • ‘Margins’ very low due to need to sub contract to Prime contractors • Commissioners asking for more ‘outputs’ for less money • Drying up of funding due to austerity

  7. Acton Market –social enterprise

  8. Generating earned income • Acton Street Market -4 days week x 50 weeks • 20+ self employment opportunities for local community each day • Scope to increase • ASSETS--Doughnut Factory Business start up premises-generates rental income • OTHER opportunities –e.g Recruitment agency

  9. Challenges • Will a Recruitment agency make money! • Fierce competition from private sector • What is the need? • Resources needed to do business planning • Market research-- -who are potential customers? Who will pay? • Start up capital plus cash flow

  10. ISSUES • Go it alone --or with partners ? • Problems providing ‘free’ recruitment service to employers (e.g. Work Programme) • Then marketing ‘pay for’ recruitment service • Lack of experience in running a Recruitment agency • Need to identify ‘niche’ recruitment need

  11. Action Recruitment • Research -- Black young men 18-24 (at all educational levels) twice as likely to be unemployed as other young men • Trust for London ‘Move on Up’ project • AWL taking recruitment agency approach • Recruiting black young men • Engaging with Employers for vacancies

  12. What’s in it for Employers? • Increased pool of Talent • Diverse work force can increase profitability • Reflects positively on Employers links with community • Provides Equal Opportunities • Positive CSR and PR benefits • New Government campaign

  13. CONNECTING EMPLOYMENT POTENTIAL • HELP • Share ideas and experience • Will lead to

  14. Here’s one example!!

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