Friends of the Lorna Young Foundation will know how hard we have been working to ensure that people in need of ethical enterprise learning can now have easier access to our NJU Toolkit via this website!
And we are now at the stage where we can finally provide access to our learning and to our approach - for the people who really do need the help and support.
Roots of Not Just Us
The roots of Not Just Us began with our work to assist the Oromo refugee community in Greater Manchester who had been forced to leave Ethiopia and who were immediately granted refugee status in the UK. We supported them to set up the world's first refugee owned coffee social enterprise - and all of our work was carried out thanks to the generous donations from local businesses and like-minded volunteers!
After this, we decided that the principles involved could be translated to other communities in need of ETHICAL business learning ... and so, Not Just Us was created!
Youth Capacity and Ethical Capability
Thanks to a seedcorn grant from the UK government, we trialled our concept of ethical enterprise education and training with a group of young people in Huddersfield. We wanted to bring together young NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) people from a variety of backgrounds; those who would not usually mix socially, but who had the local area in common and who wanted to work together to improve their life chances.
Again, we received enormous help and support from a variety of local business people and community members - as well as famous Fair Trade pioneers - such as Bruce Crowther MBE who was special guest at the country's first ever Fair Trade Eid Party in Lockwood, Huddersfield.
This first group of young people created a range of ethically sourced products (tea, coffee, chocolate) and were the first group of young people to be awarded a (paid!) local authority contract to carry out a Fair Trade Town audit - thanks to the support of Kirklees Council. One of the 'high points' of this group was when they successfully made a pitch (!) to Huddersfield Town FC to make and supply their own HTFC bar of Fairtrade chocolate.
Growing Groups
Our next steps involved growing the number and type of groups who we helped to set up their own ethical enterprise.
Working across Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, our groups devised their own fantastic and varied ranges of products, including; chocolate, fudge, t-shirts, mugs, painting/art, beauty products, crafts, sewing and upcyling, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. Some groups preferred to create a social enterprise service, rather than a physical product. These included; cafes, educational theatre (by young people with learning disabilities), car washes, catering for events and Autism in the Workplace training.
NJU groups now included others, as well as young people - such as the homeless, neurodiverse people, ethnic minority groups, the long-term unemployed, refugees, women in fear of violence, elderly people, school children and those living with disability and mental illness. But the overriding philosophy behind all of these groups however, was that any profit made would be put back into a community 'cause' - that the group had selected themselves at the outset. You can find out more about our IMPACT in the community here.
Creating the NJU Toolkit
Our Board recently took the decision to make all of the NJU learning available for free - to people most in need of support and who are keen to learn enterprise skills - but with ethics plus social and environmental responsibility at the heart of running a business. . In response to this, we have created our NJU Toolkit which is now available online to groups who would like to receive this absolutely unique set of materials.
Over the next two years, we aim to expand the reach of the Toolkit to many other types of groups and to individuals too. However, we will need donors as well as sponsorship and partners who can help us to do this. WE ARE NOW LOOKING FOR ACTIVE FRIEND, VOLUNTEERS AND PARTNERS! So, if you'd like to get involved with us at this early stage of rolling out this approach that has already transformed so many lives - please get in touch!