Charity Shop DJ is given top level strategic steer - January 2009

Social Enterprise

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Business mentor helps mix a path to success

Established in 2001, Charity Shop DJ is about bringing together people from different communities to share their musical stories. They also produce cultural and artistic projects which have a strong social agenda prioritising equality and inclusion. Their clients range from arts councils, music festivals and museums. The company is growing quickly and has been receiving lots of commissions. It was these issues around growth and how best to manage all those different projects together that led Andy Jupp, Director of Charity Shop DJ to Business Champions. 

Andy attended a Business Champions monthly networking event in February 2008, where he pitched to a room full of Champions for a mentor to advise him on project management, people management skills and fundraising. Champion Ali Sinclair, Director of In your Element that offers coaching and mentoring services, heard Andy speak and was so inspired by the concept of Charity Shop DJ that she offered to help there and then.

Ali has 25 years experience of managing and leading engineering and IT projects. She recognised that Charity Shop DJ was a small organisation so there was limit to what Andy could do alone, she has helped him understand the value of collaboration and partnership.

Andy is quick to credit the programmes recent successes to Ali’s expert help. “She helped give us that top level strategic understanding, of where the business can go. Ali’s clear assessment of where we were at and implementation of some very specific coaching skills were invaluable. To have this input from someone in the business sector has meant that I am now able to understand management and strategic thinking, which is something I’ve never had any formal training in.”

Over the past year the business has moved from organising small projects and events to significant programmes and international events. Ali has found working with Charity Shop DJ extremely rewarding, she comments “I get lots of enthusiasm and really positive vibes from the work they do and the work we do together. Andy as an individual has gained a huge amount of confidence which has helped him to take his business forward - it has grown out of all proportion with more to come.” Ali predicts that as a business and an organisation there is significant potential for projects that link in to regional and international agendas for the developing economy and community well being.

Ali has been working with Andy for over 12 months now and still continues to be very involved. Andy is often asked by colleagues outside the East Midlands where he can get an Ali Sinclair from – a testament to the valuable work Business Champions are doing across the East Midlands.