Click here for our latest news and discussion topics. Voice your opinion or just find out more about Aspire Foundaton.
View our blog >
“Aspire foundation are on the right tracks in trying to prove us all wrong in our expectations of the homeless and disadvantaged”
Craig Dearden-Phillips, Social Enterprise Ambassador and author of Your Chance to Change the World, The no-fibbing guide to social entrepreneurship
Aspire Foundation is leading the contract with over 15 community enterprises, operating from Liverpool to Teeside; Brighton to St Albans. New recruits will be joining local teams working on a whole range of recycling and reuse activities in their local area from collections, sales to office management and campaigns, as part of getting their first step on the ladder to a career.
The Green Jobs Partnership is a pioneering consortium bringing together the leading national players in the community recycling and reuse sector representing over 700 community based organisations - Furniture Reuse Network (FRN), Community Recycling Network (CRN), National Wood Recycling Community Project (NWRCP), REalliance; with Aspire Foundation leading on contract management and employment opportunities.
GJP’s first consortium contract is thanks to funding from the Department of Work and Pension's Future Jobs Fund, and will be filled in partnership with Jobcentre Plus.
Chris Clements is Aspire Foundation’s Project Manager.
“The Green Jobs sector will have a huge part to play in the future UK economy, and it’s extremely exciting to be able to give young people a first step on the career with green enterprises in their local communities”
“The GJP consortium are aiming for this to be just the first of many initiatives promoting green sector jobs in the years ahead”
Aspire Foundation is currently in discussions with a dozen leading housing associations in London, to launch social enterprises that can offer employment opportunities for their tenants. The Foundation is looking at ways in which the money spent by Housing Associations maintaining their properties (contract cleaning, grounds maintenance, graffiti removal, etc) could be used to fund a social enterprise service that not only delivers high quality maintenance services but also engages, trains and employs members of the local community experiencing long term unemployment and worklessness.
Paul Funnell, Aspire Foundation’s Business Development Manager, has over 25 years experience as an entrepreneur in the private sector and is heading up this project.
“We’ve had a huge response and interest from housing associations so far. It’s shown to me that there’s a huge potential for social enterprise here, and we’re aiming to launch a full pilot programme later this year”
“I’m particularly excited to hear from tenants themselves, to support them in developing their own business ideas and social enterprise proposals”
