From Street to Entrepreneur
Donation protected
WHAT AM I LOOKING FOR?
A hundred people to donate £250 each to kickstart a new social initiative which gives homeless entrepreneurs a full programme of support that provides them a fresh start in life.
HOW WILL IT WORK?
In partnership with local homeless charities, I will identify someone with an entrepreneurial flair who has fallen on hard times and found themselves on the street or in a shelter.
They'll get somewhere to live, rent-free and bill-free, for one year to help get them back on their feet personally and financially.
During that year I will provide them with expert mentorship - and access to influential networks of people, and funding - to help them develop an idea during that time. (For more about me, see below).
Once they're back on their feet they'll vacate the property for one they can now afford on their own, and we'll repeat the process.
WHAT WILL I DO?
To make the programme work I commit to do the following:
I will liaise with local charities to identify the best candidates for support.
I will personally work with whoever is selected, and provide the support and mentorship needed to help them develop their idea.
Over and above any welfare payments the entrepreneur is entitled to, I will cover the mortgage and bills. The property will be free for them to live in during their year on the programme. I have the support of a local council to help work on this.
I will explore the best and most efficient legal structure to manage this (charity, trust, etc). I have previously run businesses and founded UK and US charities, so am experienced in the process and have the necessary knowledge to make this work. As a founding supporter you will have a stake in whatever we incorporate.
WHAT'S MISSING?
For this to work I need a property. Homelessness is a particular problem in Peterborough, a city close to where I live. Property prices are also affordable compared to other parts of the country.
Peterborough City Centre.
I need a hundred people to contribute 1% each of the cost of a deposit on a one bedroom flat in the city. That's £250 each which will allow us to buy a flat in the £75,000 range. This money will cover both the deposit and fees. I'll cover the rest.
WHAT NEXT?
If this project is a success, further purchases will be planned and partners sought. Founding members of this initial round will be given first option to put funds into further purchases. See it as a personal investment in a social housing portfolio, if you like.
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?
I've been lucky. My father died when I was six and my mother nearly passed away when I was ten. Thankfully she pulled through and provided me and my siblings with a supportive, loving environment as we grew up. Throughout that time I was always aware how close we were to losing everything, and how close we were to ending up in care. Many of my friends at school lived in a childrens home. I knew how tough it was for them.
Today things are very different. After a difficult few years I finally found my purpose in life, and have spent the last 25 years supporting people and organisations, mostly across the developing world who help some of the poorest and most vulnerable people on the planet. I developed a text messaging system which is today powering social change projects in over 170 countries, and have won numerous international entrepreneurship and innovation awards including the Cambridge News Special Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2012. My work has also been recognised, and featured, by National Geographic. You can read more about what I do here.
Today I provide free mentorship and support to young innovators who want to help make the world a better place. I also speak widely and have published two books, the first of which came with a Foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
I've never stopped realising how lucky I've been, so now want to turn my attention to people who have been less fortunate than me back home - in particular entrepreneurs and innovators like me.
I'm looking for one hundred people to help. Will you?
A hundred people to donate £250 each to kickstart a new social initiative which gives homeless entrepreneurs a full programme of support that provides them a fresh start in life.
HOW WILL IT WORK?
In partnership with local homeless charities, I will identify someone with an entrepreneurial flair who has fallen on hard times and found themselves on the street or in a shelter.
They'll get somewhere to live, rent-free and bill-free, for one year to help get them back on their feet personally and financially.
During that year I will provide them with expert mentorship - and access to influential networks of people, and funding - to help them develop an idea during that time. (For more about me, see below).
Once they're back on their feet they'll vacate the property for one they can now afford on their own, and we'll repeat the process.
WHAT WILL I DO?
To make the programme work I commit to do the following:
I will liaise with local charities to identify the best candidates for support.
I will personally work with whoever is selected, and provide the support and mentorship needed to help them develop their idea.
Over and above any welfare payments the entrepreneur is entitled to, I will cover the mortgage and bills. The property will be free for them to live in during their year on the programme. I have the support of a local council to help work on this.
I will explore the best and most efficient legal structure to manage this (charity, trust, etc). I have previously run businesses and founded UK and US charities, so am experienced in the process and have the necessary knowledge to make this work. As a founding supporter you will have a stake in whatever we incorporate.
WHAT'S MISSING?
For this to work I need a property. Homelessness is a particular problem in Peterborough, a city close to where I live. Property prices are also affordable compared to other parts of the country.
Peterborough City Centre.I need a hundred people to contribute 1% each of the cost of a deposit on a one bedroom flat in the city. That's £250 each which will allow us to buy a flat in the £75,000 range. This money will cover both the deposit and fees. I'll cover the rest.
WHAT NEXT?
If this project is a success, further purchases will be planned and partners sought. Founding members of this initial round will be given first option to put funds into further purchases. See it as a personal investment in a social housing portfolio, if you like.
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?
I've been lucky. My father died when I was six and my mother nearly passed away when I was ten. Thankfully she pulled through and provided me and my siblings with a supportive, loving environment as we grew up. Throughout that time I was always aware how close we were to losing everything, and how close we were to ending up in care. Many of my friends at school lived in a childrens home. I knew how tough it was for them.
Today things are very different. After a difficult few years I finally found my purpose in life, and have spent the last 25 years supporting people and organisations, mostly across the developing world who help some of the poorest and most vulnerable people on the planet. I developed a text messaging system which is today powering social change projects in over 170 countries, and have won numerous international entrepreneurship and innovation awards including the Cambridge News Special Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2012. My work has also been recognised, and featured, by National Geographic. You can read more about what I do here.
Today I provide free mentorship and support to young innovators who want to help make the world a better place. I also speak widely and have published two books, the first of which came with a Foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
I've never stopped realising how lucky I've been, so now want to turn my attention to people who have been less fortunate than me back home - in particular entrepreneurs and innovators like me.
I'm looking for one hundred people to help. Will you?
Organizer
Ken Banks
Organizer
