Giving back - Working with this amazing Social Enterprise

Food for Thought -

Giving back - Working with this amazing Social Enterprise

Here at The Fell Store we try our best to make sure that the steps we take while making our business decisions are as ethical, sustainable and helpful as our circumstance allows. We are all on our own journey to become more environmentally friendly and are now happy to be using this amazing social enterprise for our printing needs.
 
This is the story behind HipHip Hooray and their Women's Programme:
 
"Many women across the UK are caught up in a cycle of addiction, homelessness, crime and lack of opportunities across the UK. Even when they work hard to break the cycle they can struggle to find work and support to reach their full potential.
We aim to provide life changing opportunities to help break this cycle once and for all, through our successful print-based business based in Tavistock, Devon.
We do this by offering paid employment where women prepare and pack stationery orders, develop customer service skills and experience the value of being in a supportive team. Women on our programme also work towards a diploma in business administration and access life skills and mentoring for a 12-month period. On completion of the programme and equipped with skills, experience and self worth - they are then supported into long term employment or further education. This combined approach helps women on our programme reach their potential, live a fulfilling life and contribute to their community.
Every purchase you make enables us to continue and grow this work. You can also join the journey by following us on Instagram and signing up to our fortnightly journal.
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An estimated 68,000 women in the UK are sleeping on the streets, in temporary accommodation or emergency shelters.
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Printing
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As a team we are committed to reducing our impact on the environment as much as we can. All of our paper stocks are sourced from FSC-certified forests.
In addition to this, all of our printed products contribute directly to planting native woodland in order to mitigate CO2 emissions. This takes place right here in the UK through the Woodland Trust and the Woodland Carbon scheme, creating native woodland and providing habitats for wildlife and green spaces for all to enjoy.
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How does it work?
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  • The average amount of CO2 emitted from the manufacture and distribution of a tonne of paper has been calculated
  • The calculation has been verified by the Woodland Trust and DEFRA figures
  • We elect to carbon capture our paper purchases, therefore paying proportionally for the planting of new trees.

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Packaging & Materials
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Where possible, all of our packaging is made from recycled materials and can be recycled after use. We avoid using non biodegradable materials and prefer to stick to good old fashioned paper and card for packing and protecting your order.
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Wastage
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Where possible all of our products are made-to-order, especially for you. This helps us to keep a minimal amount of stock, means fewer returns and allows us to keep a smaller, more efficient and more carbon friendly office premises. No huge warehouse emissions here!
We are always looking to learn and improve. If you would like to contact us regarding our environmental policy, please do so at hello@hiphiphooray.com.
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Hip Hip Hooray started out in 2014 with Jenny & Emiko, a husband and wife team based in beautiful Devon, UK.
Over the last 6 years we have worked with many amazing customers, creating beautiful invitations for all of your big celebrations. We're grateful to have printed for over 20,000 weddings, birthday parties, baby showers, christening and anniversaries and we take huge pride in playing a part in some of your life's special milestones.
We have a small but amazing team enabling us to do what we do - and throughout several years of mastering our craft and growing the business, we still kept coming back to this inner voice telling us that we could be using our business as a force for good in the community. In 2020 we took the plunge and decided to open our doors to provide training and employment for women who are in recovery from addiction and most often, a lifetime of disadvantage and trauma.
Reforming as a social enterprise, we developed a programme to get women back into the workplace, equipping them with all the skills needed to work in or even run a small business. From printing and fulfilling orders, to working with customers and being part of a team. Pairing this with progression support afterwards, to unlock the door to a new and better future.
Just as our customers are purchasing invitations and cards for a new beginning - be it your marriage, celebrating a new baby, or even the new decade that each milestone birthday brings - by choosing to buy from us you're actually opening doors for women in urgent need, empowering them to have their own new beginning. So we want to say a big thank you for being on this journey with us, we can't wait to share it with you.
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What We Offer:
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We offer stylish stationery, elegant yet affordable, available to everyone. For the most magical moment when you become a mother and you want to announce it to the world, for the Christening celebration you never want to forget, for when you say 'I do' to the partner of your dreams or for when you just need it quickly as you forgot about a birthday party in a last minute panic - we'll be right beside you.
We're also focusing on our ever growing collection of personalised stationery gifts, including beautiful notebooks, calendars and notecard boxes.
Thank you for being a hero and purchasing with purpose to help us grow our social enterprise and empower more women to reach their potential.
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Only 17% of ex-offenders manage to get a job within a year of release.
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HOW THE WOMEN'S PROGRAMME WORKS
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A woman is put forward by one of our referral partners because she has experienced addiction, homelessness or has been through the criminal justice system. She is now in recovery and looking for a new opportunity.
She begins a 12 month programme of living wage paid employment in our business and is able to access life skills mentoring to help with confidence, employability and money management.
Each woman is supported to create a personal development plan which includes courses and qualifications based on her interests and ambitions.
Upon completing the programme, she is supported in finding long term employment or enrolling into further education through group workshops, 1-to-1 mentoring and a supportive team community.
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Women referred to our programme may be;
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IN RECOVERY from addiction
AT RISK of homelessness
STARTING AFRESH after exiting the criminal justice system
REBUILDING confidence after trauma
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We believe that women have incredible power to lift each other up and we’re grateful to have a group of amazing volunteer mentors on hand to help empower women to reach their potential. Over the course of each woman’s time with us, they will be able to access mentoring focusing on specific areas including; employability, money management and confidence.
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If you would like more info head over to www.hiphiphooray.com

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