The Oxford Hub started working with Aspire Oxford in January 2018 after discussions towards the end of 2017 around how Global Shapers in Oxford could have an impact on pressing issues in the Oxford community. Aspire is an employment charity that operates a range of local social enterprises (covering activities such as grounds maintenance, property and facilities management, community transport and textile recycling) to support people towards and into employment. Their supported employees are usually at the end of a homeless pathway, on a drug and alcohol recovery pathway or ‘through the gate’ (post-release offenders). Aspire also incubates related initiatives including the Greater Change App (https://www.greaterchange.co.uk/), which aims to transition cash-based giving to homeless people online using a crowdfunding model.

Through discussions between Aspire and the Oxford Hub, it became clear there are a number of initiatives the charity is working on that volunteers from the Oxford Hub could support with. The first project is a Social Return on Investment (SROI) report, which will measure the impact of Aspire’s activities on its stakeholders and builds on work done by Shapers for Aspire in 2013-14. The second project is supporting Aspire to build more and deeper partnerships with local employers, given demand for labour in Oxford is currently outstripping supply. The third project is supporting the launch and scaling of the Greater Change App.

A team of 7 Oxford Shapers has assembled and hopes to complete the projects in the next 3-4 months.