Social Enterprise Support St Mungo’s

The Sixth Form Social Enterprise Group have raised £850 this year through ice cream and Easter egg sales, by the design and manufacture of branded bookmarks and by partnering with Amicus, our Sixth Form charity group, for the Valentine’s Roses fundraiser. They have worked hard, under the auspices of Business Studies teacher, Sarah Owen, to create a business model that reflects all the components of a successful professional organisation, including finance, marketing, strategy and production.  All profits raised are donated to charity at the end of the academic year and we were delighted to welcome Alex Henden from St Mungo’s, Reading, to receive a donation for £700 from the students on Tuesday 20^th June.

Alex Henden was delighted with the donation, saying: “The Social Enterprise Club is a really important club for students to start developing that business acumen abd skills for the work place such as project management and budgeting. But its also massively important for the local community as they can fundraise for the charity of their choice. The money will be put towards our Reading Services, specifically our Reading Housing First Service which is a service which encourages people to start living independently and to gain the coping strategies to not returning to sleeping on the streets.”

Reflecting on the group’s work over the last year, Social Enterprise Group member, Jaia (Lower Sixth( commented: “St Mungo’s is such an essential charity doing incredible work across the south of the UK to support those experiencing homelessness. It was incredibly inspiring to hear from Alex and learn about the work that the charity does. It’s such a rewarding feeling knowing that the money we have raised this term is going to such an exceptional cause.

I joined the Social Enterprise group because I am interested in business and think that experience of being in this group has provided me with such great opportunities. I have enjoyed working collaboratively as a team and this has reinforced the importance of considering other people’s thoughts as they may have an idea which can greatly improve the efficiency of the initiative you are trying to put forward. My favourite event that we have run this year was the two ice cream sales we did this term.”

St Mungo’s website declares its aim is to end homelessness and rough sleeping and change lives for the better across the country. Year on year St Mungo’s seeks to provide solutions with, and for, people who are sleeping rough or facing homelessness, putting them at the heart of the charity’s work to help them fulfil their hopes and ambitions. They equally work with partner organisations to advocate for the solutions that will help end rough sleeping, shaped by the lessons of people who have lived and worked through homelessness. St Mungo’s has 207 services nationwide which provide accommodation, support, and skills and training services for people who have experienced homelessness.

Sarah Owen, Business teacher and leader of the Social Enterprise Group, commented, “The Social Enterprise students were privileged to welcome Alex Henden from St Mungo’s today; they learnt about the rising numbers of people sleeping rough and some of the challenges they face. The students wanted to support a local charity and chose St Mungo’s. They are thrilled that the money they have collected via fundraising will be going to support the 120+ people that sleep rough in Reading every night.