Entrepreneur Alex Stephany is using crowdfunding to offer training to homeless people, something which he finds is more effective than ‘offering donations.’
His groundbreaking website Beam is a crowdfunding platform which connects homeless people currently in contact with homeless charities or living in temporary accommodation with the opportunity to up-skill, get training and get employed in the workforce.
“I wanted to change the perspective that homeless people are often seen as an object of pity,” he explains. “Now, I want to give people the opportunity to fund and invest in their future instead.”
“People experience life changing traumas and can find themselves homeless if they don’t have the right education or support system such as family around them.”
“This is where Beam comes in – providing the level of high quality education and training and a support network that comes with it. From bricklayers to accountants – we can offer it all.”
Each person is provided with a caseworker, who is a trained professional that provides support to the person in training up until they get into work. However, once the member goes into work, Beam does check-ins with them for the first 26 weeks in order to make sure they are happy in their work and that they are settling in well.
Beam has currently generated over £750,000 in crowdfunding and the site currently shows a number of individuals who raising money for their training including people looking to become chefs, barbers, electricians, project managers and more.
Prior to starting the business, Stephany, ran a well-known parking startup called JustPark, which he is still a part of as a Board Advisor. It was at JustPark that he got his first taste for crowdfunding: he led a record-breaking equity crowdfunding round that was the largest round for a startup in history.
You can donate, starting from just £25. For more information, visit beam.org
