5 organisations we love that are creating equal opportunities for all
When it comes to helping those experiencing homelessness, to recently arrived refugees, to people managing addictions, these inspiring people-first organisations are leading the way.
Paying for a sporadic coffee, donating some warm winter boots, or offering a sofa for the night are valuable efforts that can help vulnerable groups in the short-term. But for many what they need long-term, to really get them out of difficulty, is a helping hand back into being included and integrated - whether that be with a job, a home, mental health support, or making lasting connections with their community.
If you’re passionate about helping to even the playing field, then these 5 organisations could be your next career move - from helping refugees to use their language skills for work, to crowdfunding housing for the homeless, to running cookery classes led by migrant chefs.
Beam is turning the kindness of strangers into support for people affected by homelessness. Their unique crowdfunding site allows the general public to donate towards goals set by vulnerable people, whether that be getting out of an abusive home, to re-skilling to get into work. Each mini campaign provides updates with how the person in need is progressing in their goal, with photos and testimonial quotes at each stage of the way. So far Beam has helped over 1050 people, and are on an ambitious growth trajectory to bring their model to thousands more around the globe. Want to know how Beam started? Read our more recent article on Beam’s story, as one of the organisations that made it into our Escape 100 list, or listen to our podcast with their Founder Alex!
Did you know that refugees in the UK, US and Canada are far more likely to be unemployed than other citizens, and when employed, more likely to work in low-wage and low-skilled professions? TERN (The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network) helps refugees escape this spiral, by unlocking their entrepreneurial potential. By offering mentoring expert advice, a community to network and business opportunities like pitching events, TERN has supported 250 refugee entrepreneurs in 2020 alone, aiming to launch 2,000 refugee-led businesses by 2025. Curious about how it is to work at TERN? Check out TERN’s profile on Escape, with 19 employee reviews averaging a score of 10/10 (impressive to say the least!).
Since 2010, homelessness has doubled in the UK, and now over 4,000 people sleep rough every night. ChangePlease believes that the nation’s love of coffee is so strong (with the average Londoner treating themselves to 2 cups a day, creating a predicted 100,000 jobs) that it could be just what we need to end homelessness once and for all. Change Please has grown from a humble coffee cart in Covent Garden to a nation-wide initiative that is empowering the homeless community with barista training, a London Living Wage and support with housing, bank accounts and mental wellbeing.
If you thought it wasn’t possible to help refugees find enriching work and overcome workforce restrictions in their host countries, and generate more than $1.5 million in revenue, then NaTakallam is about to take the spotlight. Nabbing some of the highest scores for the Mission and People categories in the Escape 100 2022, NaTakallam are simultaneously providing language services and providing digital jobs for refugees, combining skill building, income and work. Their team has already delivered language services to over 10,000+ individual language learners, translation clients, and 200+ educational partnerships since its founding. In addition to providing refugees with income and enriching work, NaTakallam’s team cite a host of benefits like the “most flexibility I have ever had in a position”, energetic working environment, "positive vibe", learning opportunities, “creative freedom” and more.
Migrateful runs cookery classes led by migrant chefs who are struggling to integrate and access employment due to legal and linguistic barriers. The cookery classes provide ideal conditions not just for learning English and building confidence, but also for promoting contact and cultural exchange with the wider community. They train our chefs through weekly workshops, taking them on a journey from “passionate home cook” to “confident cookery class teacher.” Sessions begin with English conversation or confidence building exercises, followed by taking turns teaching the rest of the group how to cook their traditional cuisine, before all sitting down together to share the meal they have prepared. Sounds like something you could get behind? Set up a job alert on their profile!
Do you feel inspired by these organisations and their game-changing inclusion work? Check out more organisations like this in the Escape 100 2022 (our list of the top purpose-led organisations to work for this year), or go straight to the Job Board to see what socially-progressive jobs are out there for you right now!