Words by Smiley Team
When Rickardo Stewart set up the employment and mentoring project Community Souls, he drew upon a lot of first-hand experience.
“I grew up in the areas I now work in,” he says. “Council estates, disadvantaged areas in north London. I had noticed common themes. People with low confidence, little aspiration, caught in the benefit trap. I saw people who were marginalised from the employment market, and I wondered how that gap could be filled.”
Motivated to make a difference, Rickardo trained as a youth practitioner and life coach, and started Community Souls eight years ago. The social enterprise runs a cleaning company, offering paid work to locals who are on low incomes or dependent on benefits. In addition, the staff receive support for their personal and professional development, including bespoke mentoring for young people.
“It’s about supporting their needs,” says Rickardo. “Our staff members sit down each week with a mentor to look at their goals and any challenges they face, whether that is financial problems, or health, or housing issues. We can help them with further training, and pass on transferable skills.”
Having taken on 22 people so far, Rickardo often witnesses the positive effects that employment can have.
“I remember a young mum who worked for us thanking me one Christmas, saying that she could buy her daughter the presents she wanted. That has always stuck with me.”
The Community Souls cleaning company operates predominantly in the London borough of Barnet, providing services to libraries, office blocks and commercial spaces. The area is known to be quite affluent, but Rickardo sees a different side.
“It’s a leafy, wealthy borough,” he says, “but there is deprivation in isolated areas, and the social problems are complex. Community Souls might not be dealing with large numbers of people, but what’s important is the depth of the work we do with individuals.”
With funding from the social entrepreneurs organisation UnLtd, Rickardo says that he is open to new business and projects.
“We’re always on the hunt for new cleaning contracts and partnerships. If a worthwhile opportunity arises, we’ll explore it. Rather than just identifying and campaigning about problems, we like to find the solutions.”
For more information and to get in touch with Rickardo, go to www.communitysouls.co.uk or @CommunitySouls
By Theo Hooper
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