Seven homeless men and women are on their way to becoming plumbers after members of the public donated more than £25,000 to help them get on their feet.
The money was donated through Beam, a site that crowdfunds employment training for homeless people and supports them into stable, paid work. Launched in 2017, Beam has already helped over 140 homeless men and women crowdfund their employment training in more than 42 career paths.
So far, seven homeless people have chosen to complete their plumbing diploma at one of London’s largest training providers in the building and engineering skills sector. The £25,000 raised will cover their plumbing diploma course fees, as well as associated costs including childcare, travel, tools and safety gear.
One of the people that Beam has supported is Mutaz, pictured above, a 29-year-old Sudanese refugee who was granted asylum by the UK government. He went on to raise £4,180 from 366 supporters to do his plumbing course and after completing his training five months ago, he is now looking for full-time work.
Alex Stephany, founder and CEO of Beam, said: “We’re excited to place some highly-trained and highly-motivated people like Mutaz and Emily with employers in the plumbing industry, so that they can truly reach their potential. In the process, we will provide the plumbing industry with a new and diverse talent pipeline.”