• What does it do? Ibijoke Children Foundation UK is a Liverpool-based charity that supports low-income families, refugees, and asylum seekers. The foundation provides a food bank in the community and combines Afro-Caribbean cuisine with the food bank to foster a diverse and welcoming environment.
• Uplift in income from trading (as a proportion of total income): An increase from 31% to 84% after Match Trading
• SSE programme: CBTU 2022 Liverpool

Ibijoke Children Foundation UK, led by Joke Adrijan, operates in the Kensington and Fairfield area of Liverpool. The organisation focuses on supporting low-income families, refugees, and asylum seekers. Recognising the need for a food bank in the community, the foundation conducted surveys to ensure they were not duplicating services. They identified a particular gap in the provision of ethnic and cultural foods, leading them to combine Afro-Caribbean cuisine with their food bank, fostering a multicultural and welcoming environment. To further reduce stigma and extend their reach into the local community, the Foundation introduced a new paid-for Food Club service, which enabled people to shop for produce, rather than receive donations.

Mission and Impact

Before the introduction of Match Trading, in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation faced a double challenge:  rising running costs and increased demand for its services. The Foundation experienced a surge, from supporting 100 families per week before COVID to 300 as a result of the cost of living crisis, whilst costs for their bulk food purchases continued to rise.

The Match Trading grant enabled Joke to focus on growing traded income generated from the Food Club, which in turn allowed the organisation to expand its reach and service provision.

Agency and Confidence Growth

The CBTU programme and subsequent Match Funding played a pivotal role in boosting Joke’s confidence and transforming the organisation’s mindset. “By participating in the programme I was able to learn essential skills in financial management and business planning. The realisation that treating the charity as a business was crucial for sustainability was a shift in my perspective.” Says Joke.

“I joined the programme and now I know that you have to treat this as business. That has helped my confidence to grow and know that we are on the right path. When we treat it as business we can generate income and keep on providing for the community in a good, sustainable manner.”

This newfound confidence and capacity have empowered the organisation to think beyond survival and consider long-term growth and impact.

Growth and Future Plans

Joke believes that as a result of the development that the Match Trading grant and programme brought to the organisation, the Foundation successfully managed to secure additional finance, enabling them to contemplate moving to a larger space. “Because of the programme, I can think of moving to a larger place and do more than what we are doing now. I can approach social investors to help fund this and we’re looking to hire more staff as well. I would not have thought of doing this before the programme and receiving Match Trading funding.” Says Joke.

This expansion is seen as a strategic move to enhance their services and generate more income independently, reducing reliance on traditional funding sources. The goal is to establish a sustainable model that ensures continued support to the community without continually relying on external funding. The newfound confidence and skills acquired during the programme have positioned Ibijoke Children Foundation for substantial growth and impact in the coming years.

Contributions to Impact and Business Development

The growth of Ibijoke Children Foundation, fuelled by Match Trading, has directly contributed to more impactful support for the community. The financial sustainability measures have allowed the foundation to address the needs of the community more effectively. The social impact is evident in the positive feedback from community members who now feel more financially secure, contributing towards their utilities and other essential expenses.

Match Trading has not only led to organisational growth but has instigated a shift in mindset – from a charitable mindset to a business-oriented one. This shift has enabled the foundation to balance an uplift in its social impact with financial sustainability, ensuring that the organisation remains resilient and capable of providing support to the community in the long run.

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