About the Project

Mission Statement

Espoir (French word for Hope) is a non profit making community enterprise for women in Clapham Park area. It is designed to help women alleviate poverty and encourage positive thinking by helping them turn their talent /ideas into small businesses that will generate some income. The project promotes women independence and self-reliance.
This is open to any women Clapham park residents who wish to become or are already entrepreneurs.
The project will encourage social inclusion and integration of women who are socially excluded. The project will especially target women refugees and from other ethnic minorities who are often dependent to on state benefits for long time due to circumstances they find themselves in.

Main objective of the project

Though the project will target women refugees, it is however open to all women who are or wish to become entrepreneurs in the future. The project will provide a forum to discuss issues affecting women in general and how positively women can play a role in shaping the community and work on income generating projects. The community enterprise will work in collaboration with other community established projects.
Through a variety of activity the project will aim to:
· Encourage women to develop their skills/talents and turn them into business ideas and promote independence.
· Encourage women to socialize and contribute fully in solving issues affecting the other women in their communities.
· Create opportunity for networking at every meeting/workshop occasion.
· Mentors who are experienced business runners will be organised to share their experience and give their expertise.
· Members will gain access to office equipment and use the resource centre with relevant material.
· Members will receive free training and support in writing their business plans and marketing advice.
· Members whose first language is not English will receive extra support in writing their documents and professional translators/ interpreters will be hired where necessary.