News: Fundraising at Rotherham soapmaker in the hands of the crowd

A Rotherham-based social enterprise transforming the lives of homeless people has launched a £50,000 Crowdfunder - as a ‘perfect storm’ pushes more people onto the streets.

Inspirational Labre’s Hope in Parkgate pays people experiencing homelessness a living wage to create planet-friendly and luxury soaps or candles. Now the team are launching a fundraising drive to continue and expand that work once their initial Government funding finishes in December.

It comes after figures showed the number of households with children in Sheffield facing homelessness more than doubled last year.

High energy bills, the cost-of-living crisis and end of the Covid eviction ban are also expected to impact on homelessness figures.

Aaron Probert, who founded Labre’s Hope after hearing the heart-breaking story of a rough sleeper on a Sheffield street, said: “There is a perfect storm of factors all hitting people simultaneously which can only lead to more homelessness nationally.

“We’ve seen some of our workers being asked to pay six months rent in advance which is impossible, even for people in high income jobs.

“It’s been incredible to see how we’ve helped people break the cycle of homelessness and change their lives through employment, but we need to do more. “We want to continue our work in South Yorkshire and eventually expand right across the country.

“People who are able to back our Crowdfunder will become part of our journey and have a powerful impact on the lives of vulnerable people in society.”

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The new Crowdfunding campaign will aim to raise £50,000, with donations of up to £250 match funded by insurance company Aviva.

Hand-made vegan soaps and soap or candle making experiences are among the rewards available in return.

Danny Wathall is one of the formerly homeless people whose life has been turned around thanks to Labre’s Hope - he now teaches soap making to others. He said: “Anybody can become homeless - I should know, it happened to me.

“In 2019 I ended up homeless, sleeping in sheds, sometimes beds. I got in touch with mental health services who put in touch with some support then everything changed thanks to Labre’s Hope.”

Labre’s Hope is named after the patron saint of homelessness Saint Benedict Joseph Labre. It received £500,000 from the Government’s UK Community Renewal Fund but those funds must be used by December 2022.

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News: Rotherham enterprise launches first range of ethically produced soaps

A community interest company in Rotherham, which is embarking upon a long-term mission to support some of the region’s most vulnerable people, has launched its first range of hand-made soaps.

The new product range marks a significant milestone for Parkgate-based Labre’s Hope, which was founded by young entrepreneurs Aaron Probert and Joash Nelson Piercy earlier this year in a bid to provide vital support to tackle long-term homelessness as well as offering a unique chance for individuals who have found themselves living on the streets to rebuild their lives.

Since March, Labre’s Hope has been working in close collaboration with the South Yorkshire Housing Association and homeless charity Crisis. The company has successfully supported 18 people and currently employs 13 members of staff, all of whom have been affected by homelessness.

Each employee not only receives a living wage to help them secure a home of their own, they are also supported by weekly coaching and wellbeing sessions to help them learn the skills needed to enjoy a clean start to their lives. Face-to-face employment support is also provided to help them realise their career goals.

The first range of soaps will feature five different scents designed to help relax, reinvigorate and refresh and are manufactured using plant-based sustainably sourced materials. The soaps are specially formulated to be gentle to the skin and avoid using products that are harmful to the environment such as palm oil, commonly used in soap production. As a finishing touch, the packaging of each bar of soap is signed by its maker, creating a connection between consumer and producer.

Following the launch, the soaps will be available from the company’s Parkgate-based headquarters as well as available via the company’s website. Aaron Probert hopes that the new product range will help to raise awareness of the complex issues surrounding homelessness.

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Aaron Probert, Founder, Labre’s Hope, said: “The launch of our first product range is a significant milestone for Labre’s Hope and the result of many months of planning, development and preparation. When we launched the business in March, it was our long-term vision to rethink the way we view homelessness, by not only addressing the root causes that can result in someone losing their home but crucially, equipping those we support with the vital skills to help them to rebuild their lives.

Many people who find themselves homeless are often trapped in a vicious circle, which can prevent them from returning to the workforce. However, homelessness is a complex issue and we recognised that it was vital to create a supportive environment, which not only provides a chance to learn new skills, but crucially, provides emotional and mental health support. I am hopeful that Labre’s Hope will illustrate that businesses can play an important role when it comes to supporting some of the most vulnerable members of society, and if successful, we hope to roll out our business model across the UK in the future.”

Labre’s Hope was founded by Aaron Probert and Joash Nelson Piercy in March 2022. Aaron first began developing his ideas whilst studying towards his business degree, and his plan was the result of a chance encounter with a homeless woman who was forced to leave the family home after experiencing domestic abuse, leading to alcohol dependency as a way to escape her problems and social isolation. The experience led Aaron to develop a new business model, which placed social accountability at the heart of entrepreneurship.

The result of Aaron’s work was Labre’s Hope. The company is named after Benedict Labre, a Franciscan monk who turned his back on his affluent family background to adopt the life of a pilgrim, travelling to holy sites across Europe on foot and subsisting by relying on the kindness of strangers. He was canonised following his death and is now regarded as being the patron saint of homelessness.

Labre’s Hope was launched in March 2022 and has secured more than half a million pounds through the government’s Community Renewal Fund and is part funded by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

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News: Company solving homelessness with sustainable soap launches in Rotherham

The first organisation in the UK to support those experiencing homelessness into employment through eco-friendly cosmetics making has launched in Rotherham.

Labre’s Hope based in Parkgate was co-founded by 25-year-old Aaron Probert and 23-year-old Joash Nelson-Piercy and will get those experiencing homelessness back into work by providing them with an employment opportunity to make handcrafted, sustainable cosmetics.

The project has received half a million in funding from the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund and is part-funded by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

274,000 people in England were homeless in December 2021, identified by Shelter, and Crisis’ annual report states that “employment is often the only way forward to ensure people have sustainable income to cover the cost of accommodation.”

A mix of soaring house prices and rents have contributed to an acute homelessness problem in the UK, and in Yorkshire, nearly 200 people were sleeping rough in December 2021, while over 3000 people were living in temporary accommodation.

Ten initial beneficiaries have been selected to be employed by Labre’s Hope, which will not only provide them with living wage employment but offer bespoke job coaching through South Yorkshire Housing Association (SYHA) to boost their skill sets – maximising their financial and career prospects. SYHA will also provide social housing, a core element to helping people start their journey out of homelessness.

Crisis will provide a series of ‘Wellbeing Wednesday’ sessions on topics such as understanding and managing change and dealing with stress and anxiety.

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Aaron was inspired to set up the organisation after hearing the story of someone he met while studying at Sheffield University. She had experienced domestic abuse which led to alcohol escapism and becoming isolated from her support network due to her abuser. After hearing this, Aaron wrote his dissertation based on a business model and has now made it come to life.

The soap will be natural and plant-based and profits from products will be directly channelled into empowering people experiencing homelessness through employment training and wellbeing support.

Danny, a beneficiary who will be working at Labre’s Hope said: “I’ve been homeless for about eighteen months now, which has included sofa-surfing, street-sleeping and shed sleeping.

“The breakup of my marriage left me mentally broken, and I’ve been trying to bounce back from that ever since.

“Someone from Barnsley Council put me onto Crisis who have supported me since and this is how I found out about Labre’s Hope.

“Aaron is a phenomenal guy and has a person-centred approach to his organisation which is rare. Its going to help me look after me.”

Labre’s Hope is aiming to branch out to major cities such as London and Manchester in the next few years, with a goal of supporting 200 people at the end of their homelessness journey over the next five years.

Aaron said: “I am thrilled that our vision for helping people experiencing homelessness to achieve independence has finally come to life.

“Finding meaningful employment is one of the most crucial steps to help those experiencing homelessness and I am confident that our project will provide people with the skills they need to develop their independence.”

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