A social passion leads to social enterprise
Mahe Gladdon is passionate about children, young people and adults with disabilities and additional needs, passionate about their development and passionate about social enterprise.
So passionate in fact that the Teesside University graduate has set up a community interest company to offer activities across the Tees Valley for people with additional needs and their siblings and families.
And Mahe has just benefited from a £4,000 award from a special entrepreneurship fund from Teesside University’s £25,000 allocation from the social entrepreneurship charity UnLtd, to help build and grow her social enterprise called Jack in the Box.
Based in the University’s business incubation units in Victoria Road, Mahe set up the company in July 2012 to develop activity provision for children and people of all ages with additional needs from physical disabilities to learning difficulties and autism.
Mahe, 23, became interested in this line of work when she was studying a sport and exercise degree at Teesside University and spent many hours volunteering: ‘I loved working with people and children with disabilities, doing activities that help their social, emotional and physical development and I wanted to run my own business – Jack in the Box brings that together.
‘What is special about the company is that we have forums of parents, carers and children who we talk to so we can find out what they want to do, and then we test the activities with them to ensure the right format.’
It is her commitment to social enterprise that is particularly engaging: ‘Money is not the motivation for me. Yes I have to pay the mortgage like everyone else but it is seeing the faces of people engaged in the activities which makes it worthwhile and that is the same for the team. They go the extra mile to make the sessions special.’
And so does Mahe, clocking up long hours to nurture her fledgling company despite being newly married to another Teesside University graduate – Martin Gladdon who now works for Sembcorp. Mahe, originally from London, met Martin in her final year of study and has now made Middlesbrough her home.
‘The support from Teesside University has been fantastic. I came up here on an open day and was hugely impressed by the sports facilities from my degree – now I’m still here as an incubated company and have bought a home.’
Mahe, who was nominated as Young Entrepreneur of the year at the Best New Business Awards recently, is one of six projects awarded funding from Teesside University’s £25,000 allocation from the social entrepreneurship charity UnLtd to help University staff, students and graduates set up social enterprises as part of a new initiative by the Higher Education Funding Council.
Teesside is one of 56 higher education institutions to be chosen for the scheme, which is providing help with setting up a social enterprise business to students, staff and graduate with innovative solutions to pressing problems in society.
Kate Welch OBE DL, a leading social entrepreneur, is providing specialist support to the University to help deliver the social enterprise agenda.
Professor Cliff Hardcastle, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Business Engagement) says: 'It is Teesside University’s goal to promote and support the growth of social enterprise in the region.
Raising awareness among staff and students is vital and being able to support ventures like Mahe’s with the UnLtd grant helps enormously.’
This project is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
The ERDF Competitiveness Programme 2007-2013 is bringing over £300m into the North East to support innovation, enterprise and business support across the region.
