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Aston means businessAuthor: Aston Business School
A podcast from Aston Business School hosted by Journalist Steve Dyson. Steve will be interviewing some of the UK's top business academics every month. Language: en-gb Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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S7E4 - Aston University alumni runs charity helping homeless into jobs and accommodation
Episode 3
Wednesday, 2 October, 2024
A former Aston University student is running a charity that is successfully ‘talent scouting’ homeless people to get them off the streets and into work. Christy Acton used lessons learned from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme at Aston University to set up Standing Tall. This charity provides employment opportunities to homeless people trying to turn their lives around. Mr Acton, the founder and chief executive of Standing Tall, was talking about his experiences in the latest episode of the ‘Aston means business' podcast, presented by journalist Steve Dyson. He said Standing Tall, which started in 2020 during Covid lockdown, had since helped almost a hundred people. And the success of the initiative, launched in Birmingham and now operating in six cities, is encapsulated by ‘Steve’, who was helped off the streets and into a job, and has now just got married. Mr Acton said he got the idea while managing a night shelter in Birmingham and seeing some people who were “ready for full-time work: “We knew a couple of businesses in the city and matched up some of the people and it went really well. They grabbed the opportunity and were able to get ready to get their own place. I thought this has got potential.” He said the charity, which also operates in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Bristol, works with companies who have stable, full-time jobs available: “We then go and find the right person who has been through homelessness, who has the talent and the motivation to work hard.” Mr Acton says they have a member of staff in each city: “We call them talent scouts, and that’s entirely intentional because that’s what we do; we go and find the talent.” Once a homeless person is ready to start a full-time job, Standing Tall also places with a host, someone with a spare room in their home where they can live for six months until they are ready to get their own place. “We are being really careful to work with somebody for a period of time before we decide if one of our jobs is right for them. At the moment, 80 per cent of the people we are helping are in the same job one year later.” Mr Acton said what he learnt on the Aston University programme helped him build up Standing Tall: “Whilst we are a charity, we are also a trading business. We charge a placement fee for each person we match, which enables us to have financial independence.” Also interviewed in the podcast was Michael Lambe, managing director of family business M. Lambe Construction, which offers entry level positions to people matched by the charity. Tragically, Mr Lambe lost his younger brother, also named Christy, two years ago following long-term mental health issues. Mr Lambe said: “It gave us pause for thought about what was important in life, what the business really was for.” The result was the Christy Lambe Foundation which supports a number of local charities, including Standing Tall. “We’re an avid supporter because we have seen the impact it has on people’s lives. For me, it became clear very quickly that we have to do something positive with all the pain that we all felt. “Fundamentally, business is an under-utilised tool for social good and there are opportunities within any organisation to make a difference.” That is certainly true of ‘Steve’, who had been living on the streets for several months after splitting up with his wife. Mr Acton, who met him in 2021, added: “He used to be a plasterer by trade, so at the time we had a role at Lambe’s and matched him up. He moved in with a host for six months and was then able to get his own flat. “He is still at Lambe’s now and, last month, my wife and I were invited to his wedding, which was very special to see him so happy and leading a normal life.” More information about Standing Tall can be found at: https://www.standingtall.org.uk/
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