87. How to start and scale a charity: Supporting 7000 kids a week through football | Charlie Hyman
James Reed: all about businessSummary
In the latest episode of "All About Business," host James Reid interviews Charlie Hyman, founder and CEO of Bloomsbury Football Foundation, a London-based charity using football to improve the lives of young people. Hyman, who started the organization in 2018 immediately after graduating, has grown Bloomsbury Football to support approximately 7,000 children weekly, expanding the charity's reach through inclusive football programs.
Hyman's inspiration stemmed from his own experiences as a young volunteer in football, where he discovered the transformative potential of sports in fostering resilience, confidence, and valuable life skills among youth. Bloomsbury Football aims to address pressing challenges faced by young people today, including mental health issues, social isolation, and declining physical activity levels. By leveraging the motivational power of football, the charity seeks to create a sense of belonging and improve overall well-being for children in disadvantaged areas.
The organization operates with a business-like approach, focusing on sustainable growth and impact. Hyman emphasizes the importance of maintaining a clear vision while being open to strategic opportunities. Bloomsbury Football is actively expanding its model, with plans to open programs in Leicester as part of its national growth strategy, targeting underserved communities across the UK.
Hyman notes that funding is crucial for scaling the charity, relying on a diverse income model that includes grants, corporate partnerships, and service payments. The interview also highlights the importance of attracting top talent to the charity sector by promoting a workplace culture that emphasizes purpose and social impact.
Primed for ambitious growth, Bloomsbury Football aims to reach 40,000 children weekly by 2030. Hyman encourages other young entrepreneurs to pursue their passions and emphasizes the significance of building relationships in the philanthropic landscape. The episode concludes with Hyman expressing his commitment to making a meaningful impact on society through football, inspiring listeners to support initiatives that empower the next generation.
Show Notes
Most charities are told to secure funding before they spend. Bloomsbury Football did the opposite — investing in fundraising before the money existed, and growing from four children to 7,000 a week as a result. In this episode of All About Business, James speaks with Charlie Hyman, founder and CEO of Bloomsbury Football. His fast-growing social enterprise harnesses the universal power of grassroots football to tackle major societal challenges for young people, providing thousands of disadvantaged youth with vital role models, mental health support, and a true sense of belonging. Charlie shares the 7 steps in starting, building and scaling a charity. He explains the business mechanics behind this scale: how diversifying income with brands like Mastercard and Adobe, and treating a charity like a high-growth private company unlocks true scale. James and Charlie explore the strategy behind taking Bloomsbury national and how Charlie built a proprietary AI tool to scrape Charity Commission data for fundraising intelligence. They examine how to close high-value deals, attract top-tier corporate talent with pure purpose, and what commercial businesses can learn from high-ambition social enterprise models. This leaves us with a compelling question: when building a company designed for impact, do your growth strategies reflect the actual size of the problem you are trying to solve? Timestamps 03:05 Origin story volunteering 11:47 Income streams and bids 15:53 Charities vs businesses 21:23 Scaling leadership and coaches 32:12 Opportunistic Expansion Plans 38:12 AI Boosting Charity Impact 44:59 Fundraising Skills for Youth Links Follow James Reed on LinkedIn Follow Charlie Hyman on LinkedIn Find out more Bloomsbury Football here Submit your application to Reed’s Entrepreneurs Fund for a chance to a £20,000 grant HERE All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more HERE This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk
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