Latest Entrepreneurs Monthly Meet-up focuses on entrepreneurship in the charity sector
The Brett Centre for Entrepreneurship (BCfE) was delighted to welcome Sharne Williams, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and co-founder of the The Paul Lavelle Foundation, for May's Entrepreneurs Monthly Meet-up (EMM), with a focus on entrepreneurship in the charity sector.
Important entities in the economy and society, there are over 170,000 charities contributing to £90bn of turnover and employing 1.3m people in the UK. The overwhelming majority of charities are small and they face specific challenges operating as not-for-profit organisations which Sharne spoke about in her talk.
Local students, graduates and entrepreneurs attending the Meet-up heard from Sharne who talked about the foundation which was set up in memory of her late friend Paul Lavelle and offers a frontline therapeutic service for male victims and survivors of domestic abuse. The service is focused on recovery and is designed to provide a person-centred blend of therapeutic, advocacy, advice and signposting support activities.
Local students, graduates and entrepreneurs at the May Entrepreneurs Monthly Meet-up
As the co-founder of the charity, Sharne then went on to talk about the circumstances that led her to founding the charity, and the steps involved in setting up and running a charitable organisation. These included identifying a strong cause, having a clear vision and being surrounded by a great team of volunteers and board trustees.
Commentating on the event, local entrepreneur Yasmina Ibragimova, CEO of Yamoratti Marketing Agency said "I had the chance to attend an inspiring Entrepreneurs Meet-up in support of the Paul Lavelle Foundation. The event was more than networking, it opened up deep, meaningful conversations around domestic violence, masculinity, and mental health. The Foundation shared powerful statistics and stories that reminded us how important it is to keep raising awareness and breaking the silence around these issues. It was incredibly motivating to see so many business minds and creatives coming together for something bigger than business itself. Thank you for such an important and eye-opening event."
The Entrepreneurs Monthly Meet-up
The EMM is a University HEIF-funded initiative run by the BCfE in collaboration with six colleges and universities across the Liverpool City Region.
The EMM aims to provide a forum where entrepreneurs, students and graduates from across the North West can connect for networking opportunities.
During the events, students have the opportunity to hear invaluable first-hand insights from top company leaders and independent businesses, on their experiences of setting up businesses across wide-ranging sectors.