By Yousif Farah
One in a series of blogs
celebrating Social Saturday
In our previous blog
dedicated to celebrating Social Saturday 2015, we went through the concept of
social enterprises, its history and
development, and how in a short space of time they have become an integral part
of everyday life, impacting individuals, societies and the economy.
We also embarked on a voyage aboard the Hackney Pirate’s ship of adventures,
but this week we will focus on a sports social enterprise which we are
immensely proud to have in our local area of Dalston, East London.
Circle Sports
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| Photos by Stephen Archer (Big Issue Online Journalism trainee). |
Circle Sports is a social enterprise trading in sport’s
clothing and equipment. They provide practical customer service work
experience, training and mentoring to young people aged 18-24, in their trendy Circle
Collective shop on Kingsland High Street,
In their four short years of existence they have helped many people progress through their lives, pulling them out of hardships and into a stable
life and promising future.
Denis is truly a shining
example and testament to the outstanding work Circle Sports is providing to
young people. He arrived from Lithuania and managed to teach himself English in
less than seven months, after which he was referred to Circle Sports via the
Job Centre. It took Denis no time to prove himself as an asset to the company;
he shone as a diligent young man. However, he then suddenly disappeared.
Staff tried hard to track him down until they managed to find him and found
out that he had been made homeless. They provided him with help and assistance
and helped him get back on his feet and find accommodation. Eventually - with
some help from Circle - he secured a trainee role in construction with their
sponsor Land Securities.
Inspirationally, since starting work at Land Securities Denis has won their
Employment Strategy Award in the 18-24-year-old category.
Denis is just one of the countless people guided and assisted by Circle
Sports, who will be joining in the celebrations of Social Saturday 2015 on the
10th of October.
Turly Humphreys, Founder and Managing Director at Circle Sports says:
“Since we started in 2011 Circle has helped many young
people discover their true potential and secure full-time employment,
alongside improving workplace skills, confidence and a positive
mind-set.”
“My advice to new and emerging social enterprises is to have a commercial aspect to help them cover the cost of running a social enterprise."
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