London Youth Support Trust
London Youth Support Trust helps young people start businesses. Pilotlight worked with LYST to create a new strategic plan and to improve fundraising and results tracking. London Youth Support Trust is a charity supporting young people to achieve economic independence through self-employment. They are, effectively, a business incubator, although their sole targets are disadvantaged young people. They provide subsidised business premises that require no deposits and gradually increase the rent to market prices as business grows. In addition they provide financial, marketing and other business support. By identifying their clients through the Prince’s Trust they target those who are most in need of their help. |
LYST applied to Pilotlight looking for help with strategic planning, redefining goals, advice on sourcing property and fundraising. This was all covered in the work on the business plan. Pilotlight have also been available for ad hoc advice and support, for example coaching for a launch event and employment advice. Fundraising and evaluation are two strands of work that have been identified a needing further work going forward.
LYST are on target to deliver on all of their business objectives, for example, formalising their relationships with clients by having six-month reviews and offering training on business skills. Objectives are reviewed regularly in meetings allowing the charity to raise any concerns about aspects of the strategy that they are having difficulty with.
"Working with Pilotlight was great, it made us step away from the day to day workings of the centres and focus on how we can structure of ourselves to improve what we can do to help our clients. Another benefit is the confidence that is gained by working with top-level professionals, if they are willing to give you their time you must be doing something worthwhile. You come out of the meetings with extra enthusiasm to get stuck in because you have planning for a long term future and developing the structure to make that happen."
Rachel Rickards, LYST East London Manager
