Empowering Care Experienced Young People: Launching the Madlug Innovation Academy
We are thrilled to announce the successful delivery of our first empowerment initiative, the Madlug Innovation Academy. This program is focused on empowering care experienced young people to learn transferable business skills through the setup and launch of a real social enterprise that addresses an identified issue.
Identifying the Need
Through our relationship with the Care Leavers National Movement, which is at the heart of the national charity called National House Project, we identified a pressing issue: the use of black bin bags by care leavers moving into their first homes. To address this, we initiated PROJECT BED LINEN, aimed at providing new bed linen to these young people.
We identified twelve care experienced young people from Scotland and England to take part in this transformative project, and the journey began.
MODULE 1: The Bootcamp
Dates: 9th – 12th August 2022
Location: Mourne’s, Northern Ireland
The bootcamp set the goal of designing a new social enterprise that would fund the provision of bed linen to care experienced young people transitioning to independence. After three days of collaboration, we had developed a business idea, assigned team roles, created a brand and logo, and recorded a 60-second pitch for each team member. The new social enterprise, named Senses of Home, is a homeware brand that will use its profits to provide dignity to care experienced young people moving into independence through the gift of bed linen. For more information, visit www.sensesofhome.com.
MODULE 2: Two-Day Next Stage Planning
Dates: 14th – 15th September 2022
Location: Crewe, England
The second residential focused on marketing, business planning, and finance, including pricing for our products. The agreed-upon items included a travel mug, a mug with hot chocolate and marshmallows, a keyring torch, and a coaster. The group also established the desired social impact from the project: to provide ten full bedding sets (including a quilt, pillows, and duvet set) to care leavers, costing £70 per set.
MODULE 3: Market Stall Pop-Up
Date: 9th December 2022
Location: Hyde, England
On 8th December, the group gathered in Hyde, Manchester, for dinner and last-minute planning. The following day, despite the cold weather and early start, the enthusiasm and excitement of the group were palpable. For many of the young people, this was their first experience selling, making the day even more special. The market stall attracted many customers, resulting in over £600 in sales and a very tired but proud group of young people.
Key Learnings
The achievements of care experienced young people during this initiative were nothing short of incredible. Their commitment and innovation surpassed expectations, showcasing skills that would put many university students to shame. However, we learned that the program needs to be more localised, as having participants from across Scotland and England created logistical and communication challenges.
Outcomes
The initiative had several impactful outcomes for the entire group:
Increased confidence and the ability to face fears
Gained transferable business skills
Learned about social enterprise as a viable business model
Co-founded a social enterprise called Senses Of Home
Assisted ten care leavers in moving into their first homes with dignity through the provision of new bed linen
Created by care leavers to help care leavers
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Madlug Innovation Academy has been a transformative experience for care experienced young people. We are proud to have supported their journey and look forward to seeing the continued impact of the Senses of Home initiative. Together, we are empowering the next generation and ensuring that every young person leaving care feels valued and dignified!
