Case studies - business support
Company: Dhamalie Community Services
As government funding towards charities has seen a rapid decline, organisations such as Uganda Aids Action Fund (UAAF) UK have turned increasingly towards enterprising and innovative ways to fund and continue their work. Helen Kiggundu of UAAF recognised this changing climate and sought the free business support services of GLE oneLondon to assist with her sustainability plans.
Set up in 1986, UAAF formed to combat and raise awareness of the HIV epidemic spreading throughout Uganda, and later amongst African and other ethnic minorities. As the first black organisation of its kind to promote AIDS awareness the charity soon found support from the London boroughs to continue its work and raise awareness amongst community members.
When Edward Lubega, CEO of UAAF, looked for a way to make UAAF more sustainable in 2006, he enlisted the help of Helen Kiggundu who looked towards setting up a social enterprise (a business that reinvests the majority of their profits for the benefit of their community) to help finance the charity she strongly supported.
Having heard about GLE oneLondon through their extensive outreach work within her local area in Stockwell, Helen approached GLE oneLondon to discuss her social enterprise plans with a business adviser. Through extensive one-to-one support involving the mechanics of setting up a business, business planning, employment law, and attending GLE oneLondon courses on running a social enterprise, Helen was soon in a position to put her plans into practice.
Dhamalie Community Services was born in March 2007 – with a two pronged approach: Dhamalie College and Dhamalie Social Care Agency. The College provides accredited NVQ training courses including health, social care and construction, whilst the Agency provides accredited staff with employment opportunities to utilise their new skills.
Helen’s GLE oneLondon business adviser soon saw however the opportunity to register Dhamalie as a Community Interest Company (CIC) – a limited company created solely for social enterprises in June 2005. Through this legal status companies are required to have a lock on all assets so that profits are channelled into the community rather than private gain, and in the event the organisation ceases, the remaining assets are preserved solely for the community. By having this transparent model, CICs are in an increased position to attract and gain funding and support. GLE oneLondon advised and assisted with the rigorous registration process involved in achieving this status, and in May 2007 Dhamalie became one of 1,400 registered CICs in the UK.
As a new business Dhamalie still looks toward GLE oneLondon for advice, currently regarding developing a network of partnerships so that Dhamalie can reach more individuals who would benefit from their services, and ultimately so that UAAF can continue its charitable work.
Dhamalie’s advice to other businesses looking to start up a social enterprise would be that you “need enthusiasm, to believe in yourself” and to “be realistic” as the idea cannot always be the plan! Having a free GLE oneLondon business adviser “really opens your eyes” as they “break down your idea” so that a new business can see for itself its limitations and strengths – they’re “invaluable!”
For more information about UAAF please visit www.uaaf.org.uk
For more information about Dhamalie Community Services please visit www.dhamaliecommunity.org
For more information about how GLE oneLondon can help your business please click here