The theme of  International Women’s Day 2022 is #BreakTheBias. We are invited to imagine a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination; a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive. 

When we see #BreakTheBias, the conversation can often focus on the lack of women in the boardroom, or in senior leadership positions. We can talk about the need to support women and girls to aspire to exciting, highly paid careers in traditionally male-dominated sectors such as tech and engineering. We might discuss the gender balance in local and national government. 

However, achieving equality is also about bringing about change in those industries where women are currently over-represented, and often exploited. Like the cleaning industry.

A Good Day’s Pay for a Good Day’s Work

Cleaning is often perceived as low skilled, low status work.  It may not be the type of work we aspire to. It might sometimes be messy, or unpleasant. But the pandemic showed us all too clearly that cleaners, like care staff, and shop and transport workers, are truly key to our society. This work is vital, and the people who do it deserve respect, decent conditions, and fair pay. And those people are often women. 

Just Helpers was founded out of a passion to end the exploitation of vulnerable people in our communities. I saw first hand how migrant workers, particularly women, experienced low pay and poor conditions. This could mean holding down several jobs and working long hours, just to make ends meet.

At Just Helpers all of our people receive the London Living Wage, – the only UK hourly rate based on real living costs. Sadly this is rare in our industry, but we are campaigning for it to become the norm.

Our Vision: Where every cleaner in the UK gets paid the real living wage and the rest of the world follows suit.  

Achieving Potential

We support the aims of #BreakTheBias to achieve a level playing field by tackling discrimination. A level playing field also means fair and decent pay, to give women the space, energy and choice to focus on their aspirations.

As well as paying fairly, we want to give our people the opportunity and confidence to achieve their potential. Most of our managers started out as Helpers (they are much more than cleaners) – and progressed through training, support and mentoring.

Our team take pride in their work, whether as a Helper or a manager. We provide ongoing training, encourage the sharing of expertise, and reward excellence through our “Helper of the Month” programme. 

In the cleaning industry, 69% of all workers are women, while the majority of management positions, which attract higher pay, are occupied by men. We are leading the way on redressing this balance, by supporting women to take leadership roles within our business.

Leading the Way

Of course, it’s not enough to be sure that our own Helpers are paid fairly. We want to be a catalyst for change across the cleaning industry, and beyond. That’s why I am active in business communities, forging connections and speaking about how to grow a profitable and ethical business. We are proud to be a Living Wage Affiliate. We are working with partner businesses such as our commercial cleaning running mate Clean For Good to showcase what is possible in the cleaning sector. Plus, we are campaigning to change the tax system which makes it so difficult for cleaning businesses to be both profitable and to pay fairly.

Be the Change you Want to See

We want to make it easy for businesses and individuals to do the right thing. We offer excellent, high quality commercial and domestic cleaning across London. As a Just Helpers client, you can be confident that your Helper is being paid fairly and your space will be sparkling clean too. By booking your cleaning with Just Helpers, you really are helping to change the world one clean at a time. 

So for this International Women’s Day, we invite you to remember that the battle to #BreaktheBias is not just in the boardroom, or the C-Suite. It’s not just about equal pay, vital though that is. It’s also about pay and working conditions which end the exploitation of women, enable them to have choices, and achieve their potential and aspirations, whatever they may be. 

I founded Just Helpers after seeing first hand the exploitation which migrant workers – and particularly women – were experiencing in our cities. I wanted to offer an alternative – a cleaning business which paid fairly, offered decent working conditions and developed potential in our people.

I’m proud of what Just Helpers has achieved. But if we are to see meaningful change in the cleaning industry, we need to address the real cost of cleaning. We need to tackle some fundamental issues, nationally. And we can’t do that alone.

A Clean Conscience?

A recent report from Clean For Good, our main ‘running mate’ in the cleaning industry, estimated that in 2020, 60% of workers in the cleaning sector still earn less than the Living Wage.

The report states that the Low Pay Commission estimate 1 in 5 cleaners in the UK who were entitled to the Minimum Wage were actually being paid less than this by their employer. Remember – the Minimum wage is widely recognised to be a poverty wage, which means that someone working full time being paid the Minimum Wage would still be living in poverty.

The Clean For Good report urged businesses who are outsourcing cleaning, to ensure that their cleaning provider shares their values. “Too many employers don’t just outsource a service, they unwittingly outsource their values and responsibilities too.”

The Challenges we Face

We share the vision expressed in the Clean For Good report.  However, while Clean For Good focus on providing commercial cleaning,  at Just Helpers, we want to provide domestic cleaning to ethically minded individuals in their own homes.

But, we face some big challenges.

 Price – The Real Cost of Cleaning

We pass as much of the cleaning charge as possible on to our Helpers. All of our Helpers receive the London Living Wage.

However, we also need to keep our charges as low as we can so we remain affordable to our clients.

The challenge is to pay our Helpers a decent wage, while remaining competitive in a crowded cleaning market.

We want to highlight the real cost of domestic cleaning. That’s not just about the amount your cleaner is paid. It’s also about the cost to their health and well-being of low wages, and uncertain income.

We want to reveal the cleaning industry’s dirty secret of exploitation, low wages and poor working conditions. And, we want to offer an ethical, quality, affordable alternative to people who want a clean home and a clean conscience.

Survival – A Profitable Business

Since April 2020 the domestic side of our business has been profitable for the first time. This is as a result of some changes we made to our contracts. We increased our rates, and we now require our clients to pay for their cleaning, even if they cancel.

This is important so that our business can survive tough economic times and continue to offer decent, predictable pay to our Helpers, and a quality, reliable service to our clients.

Taxation -An Unfair Burden

We believe that low margin industries like ours should sit within a lower VAT bracket.

Currently, cleaning services are subject to 20% VAT. This high tax burden encourages illegal practices such as “cash in hand”.

In the current COVID-19 climate, some industries such as hospitality have been moved into a lower VAT bracket to help them survive.

We would like to see the cleaning industry moved into the 5% VAT bracket, permanently.  This would lead to better regulation, better working conditions and ultimately more money being paid by our industry in taxation.

Changes to Employment  Law

The “gig economy” has been the subject of much criticism recently. However, the fact remains that some workers want the flexibility that being self-employed offers. Plus, the additional costs of being an employer, and the risks associated with uncertain income, mean that we, like many cleaning businesses, cannot afford to directly employ our Helpers.

We need changes to employment law to protect workers and protect businesses, so that direct employment becomes viable.

Sharing the Challenge

My passion is for people, and for tackling injustice and doing the right thing.

But these challenges are too big for me to tackle alone. I need people with the know-how to navigate these issues, so that we can achieve change for the cleaning industry at national level.

Will you join me? Get involved – join our End Exploitation Facebook Group and share your energy, experience and expertise to help us.

Investing in our people is a big part of what we stand for at Just Helpers.  As part of our ethical ethos, we mentor our Helpers to grow in confidence, improve their communications skills, and where we can, to promote our Helpers to become managers. This is Monika’s Just Helpers’ journey from Helper to Manager.

Finding Just Helpers

Back in Bulgaria, Monika worked as a store manager.

Then, when she first moved to London she worked as a cleaner and also worked evening shifts in a pub in the city.

When Monika heard about Just Helpers she saw an opportunity to improve her financial situation. “I first found out about Just Helpers when I saw an ad on Facebook,” says Monika. “To be honest, the London Living Wage was a big part of why I decided to start working as a Helper. It really helped to top up my finances as well as working in the pub.”

Working for Just Helpers

Monika has come to really value what Just Helpers stands for.”The best thing about working for Just Helpers is knowing that you are working for an ethically and morally driven cleaning company,” she says.  “Everyone is treated fairly, and [the founder] Antoinette is really supportive and kind”.

It has also been a great opportunity to learn and develop. “I’ve learned how to work more productively,” explains  Monika.”I’ve also learned how to understand people who are different from me, and how to help them. And I’ve learned how to resolve complaints in a timely manner, which can sometimes be tricky!”

From Helper to Manager

To begin with, Monika found the step up from Helper to manager a big challenge, but it was one she was ready to take on.  “When I first became I manager I found it a little overwhelming and stressful, but I’ve loved it. I felt like I was growing, and I was well  prepared, so within a couple of months I was enjoying it,” she says.

Monika’s experience as a Helper has really benefited her work as a manager. “I think it’s really important that I worked as a Helper myself,” she says.  “It means that  I can help my Helper colleagues with navigation, with cleaning tips, accounting tips, with their mental health, and provide support.”

Her new role has provided Monika with lots of opportunities to develop. “I’ve learned to overcome my introvert side, and unlocking my extrovert side, so I can communicate more efficiently with people,” she explains. “I’ve also learned to be more open… I feel that I’ve grown up, I’ve become more mature and down to earth.”

Goals for 2020

With the current Corona Virus pandemic, this has been a challenging year for everyone at Just Helpers, but Monika is clear about what she wants to achieve. “In my work, my goals are to keep delivering great cleans to our lovely clients, and to keep supporting our Helpers during this Corona Virus outbreak,” she says. “In my personal life I want to keep my family safe.  I want to place my little boy into nursery and to juggle the work, financial and family parts of my life.”

Longer term, Monika sees herself as continuing her career with Just Helpers.  “In five years time I would love to be working for Just Helpers, if they’ll have me! I would also like to explore my tech side, and as this is part of the company’s growth plans, Just Helpers is the perfect situation for me at the moment – and I’m very happy about it!”

If you want to know more about what makes us different, visit our website.

Last week we “Clapped for Carers” for the last time. It was the tenth week that the country had come together to show our support for NHS workers, care staff, and also for keyworkers – including cleaners.

The question is, now that the clapping has ended, what happens next?

Our Keyworkers

In those first weeks of Lockdown, as the reality of the Corona Virus pandemic sunk in, it became clear just how vital a role is played by delivery drivers, supermarket staff, and cleaners, in keeping the country going.

It’s noticeable that these are also some of the lowest paid workers, at greatest risk of exploitation.

So, now that the clapping has stopped, we need to make sure we continue to value our keyworkers with lasting and meaningful change.

Change is needed

For Just Helpers, this means all of our Helpers continue to receive the London Living Wage. We’ve recently changed our contracts so that all of our Helpers also receive four weeks’ holiday pay courtesy of their clients.

We will also be campaigning for changes in taxation and employment laws. The low margins in the cleaning industry make It difficult for agencies to pay their cleaners fairly, and still be affordable to hardworking people on middle incomes. We want the government to encourage businesses that do the right thing through the tax system, so that they can be both profitable, secure and ethical.

Working Together

And we’re not in this alone. We work closely with other ethical businesses such as Clean For Good – our main ‘running mate’ in the cleaning industry. Clean For Good were founded by the Parish of St Andrew by the Wardrobe in the City of London. The church discovered the high number of low paid cleaners working in their parish, and responded by forming their own cleaning company. Clean for Good pay the London Living Wage and provide decent working conditions, as well as offering training and development for their cleaners.

Clean For Good offer commercial cleaning for businesses looking for 10 or more hours’ cleaning per week, and so perfectly complement Just Helpers as we offer cleaning for smaller commercial, and domestic clients.

So, as life slowly gets back to normal after Lockdown, our hope is that the appreciation of key workers goes beyond clapping and rainbows, and that more cleaners get the respect, decent working conditions and pay that they deserve.

During this lockdown period I’ve been working on a really exciting project with Sussex Innovation Centre to look at the future direction of Just Helpers.  In particular I’ve been looking at our commercial cleaning service.

Exciting Opportunity

At a Female Founders Event in February, I talked with a member of the Innovation Centre team about Just Helpers. It was so exciting to reflect on where we have come from, with someone who was seeing the business for the first time – a “fresh pair of eyes.”

Following this event, Sussex Innovation Centre gave us 12 free hours of business coaching, as part of a project funded by the European Union.

This comes at a great time for Just Helpers. Over the last few months we have been  thinking about who our clients are, what we can do better, and how we can connect with more commercial clients in particular. We already provide a great service to a number of commercial clients, and our Helpers have been asking for more of this type of work.

I spent some time with Simon Chuter from the Innovation Centre where he helped me to really focus on what we offer to our commercial clients and what makes it special.

Our Commercial Cleaning Service

At Just Helpers we  really care about our service.  That means:

• Attention to detail and being responsive
• Supporting our Helpers so they stay with us – our high retention is rare in the cleaning industry
• Being an integral part of your team
• Contribute to a company’s CSR as with every hour of cleaning purchased, we donate to a B1G1 project
• Every Helper is paid the London Living Wage as a minimum
• Taking care of your cleaning so you don’t have to!

Reaching New Clients

Simon is going to be developing a marketing plan for Just Helpers to help us to reach more of the commercial clients we want to work with. I am so grateful for the European Union Funding which has made this possible.

We are looking forward to working with some new commercial clients in the future. So if you are:

• A business of 5-30 members of staff
• Looking for 6-10 hours of cleaning a week
• Located in Farringdon, Blackfriars, Holborn, Euston, London Bridge, Oxford St, Soho, Tottenham Court Rd, Islington, Victoria

please get in touch.

Of course we will still be providing our great service to our domestic clients too!

My Vision

Like many small to medium-sized business owners, I am often juggling many different aspects of the business – I often feel like a “jack of all trades”!   So it’s great to have real experts on board and supporting Just Helpers.

In addition, I will also be working with Anne-Fay Townsend looking at my role as a female founder, and my hopes and dreams for the future of the business – and they are big!

Involving the Team 

We’ll be holding a remote team training day for our managers in the coming weeks to look at how these developments can be rolled out across the business.  At the end of that day we will be having a whole team Zoom AGM involving the Helpers, to get their feedback and ideas.

Over the coming weeks I will be sharing regular updates with you.  Watch our for my Tuesday Thoughts, live on our Facebook page every Tuesday at around 6.15pm.

#EC1 #EC2 #EC3 #EC4 #E1 #WC1 #WC2 #SE1 #W1 #N1 #SW1

This month it is Living Wage Week.  So, what better time to reflect on what it means to us to be an ethical cleaning agency?

At Just Helpers, our values are at the heart of what we do. Our Founder Antoinette started the business to combine her two passions – tackling exploitation of vulnerable migrant workers, and providing a professional cleaning service. The Living Wage is central to this.

From the beginning, Just Helpers has been about “just doing the right thing.” For us, this means:

• Paying the London Living Wage – a good day’s work for a good day’s pay.
• Developing People – we mentor our Helpers to grow their confidence and improve their communication skills.
• Professionalism – All of our Helpers are vetted and go through three hands on cleaning interviews.
• Pride – We reward a job well done with our Helper of the Month and Annual Awards.
• Recognising Potential – Where we can, we promote our Helpers to become managers.

What is the Living Wage?

The Real Living Wage reflects the real cost of living. It is independently calculated by the Living Wage Foundation. The Real Living Wage is higher than the government’s National Living Wage, because it is  based on real living costs.

It has two rates – a National rate for the whole country, and a London rate to reflect the higher cost of living in the Capital.

Over 5000 businesses in the UK voluntarily pay the Living Wage.  These include big names such as Ikea, ITV and Chelsea Football Club. At Just Helpers we are proud to be affiliated to the Living Wage Foundation,  because we ensure our Helpers receive the London Living Wage. Last year we were delighted when Antoinette received the Venus Award for Employer of the Year in London. This award recognised the work of the whole team in addressing fair pay and working conditions in the cleaning industry.

“Please make sure you know how much you pay your cleaner,… and if you are going to use an agency, make sure they are ethical. A good day’s work for a good day’s pay – everyone deserves that.”  (Antoinette Daniel, Acceptance Speech, Venus Awards 2018)

What does this mean?

Sadly, low pay and poor working conditions are all too common in the cleaning industry.  Migrant workers, and particularly women, are vulnerable to this kind of exploitation.

When you arrange your cleaning through Just Helpers, you know that your Helper is being paid fairly for a fair day’s work.

Our cleaner Miglena was absolutely amazing and dealing with the Just Helpers Team was always a breeze. We also loved that this company pay the London Living Wage and really seem to value people.

Plus you have the peace of mind of dealing with a professional business, with a passion for providing you with a high quality, efficient cleaning service.

“Just Doing the Right Thing” is at the heart of what Just Helpers is all about.

So when I was recognised as Employer of the Year in London, in the Venus Awards, I couldn’t have been more thrilled.

What are the Venus Awards?

The Venus Awards have been called “The working women’s Oscars”. They recognise the achievements of hard-working women, and female-friendly businesses, across the country. I was lucky enough to be nominated for the award by a Just Helpers customer. From 45 nominations, I made it down to the shortlist of 4. Then, at a glamour-filled ceremony at the Waldorf Hotel in London, I was announced as the winner! For me, the award is a recognition of the achievements of the whole team at Just Helpers.

Values

I founded Just Helpers out of a passion for justice, fair pay and decent working conditions. Inspired by my charity work with an anti human-trafficking organisation, I placed these values at the heart of the business.

In our cities, vulnerable migrant workers, and particularly women, are often exploited by unscrupulous employers with poor pay and working conditions.  I saw this injustice first hand, and so I decided to begin my own business to provide an alternative – providing domestic and commercial cleaning services.

The Just Helpers Approach

Being an ethical, professional business which nurtures and supports women is central to the Just Helpers Approach.

• Paying the London Living Wage – a good day’s work for a good day’s pay
• Developing People – mentoring our Helpers to improve their confidence and communication
• Professionalism –through our process of vetting, hands on interview and shared standards, we ensure your Helper is right for you
• Pride – Our Helper of the Month Award, nominated by our clients, rewards a job well done
• Recognising Potential – where we can, we grow our Helpers into Managers

Campaigning

Campaigning is a big part of who I am. The award has been a great opportunity to encourage people to follow the Just Helper’s approach. In my acceptance speech I said: “Please make sure you know how much you pay your cleaner and if you are going to use an agency, make sure they are ethical. A good day’s work for a good day’s pay – everyone deserves that.

A good day’s work for a good day’s pay – everyone deserves that.

Just Helpers is affiliated to the Living Wage Foundation. This organisation campaigns for workers to be paid fair wages which reflects actual living costs in the capital, and across the nation.

Expertise

In further recognition of what we have achieved at Just Helpers, I am excited to have been asked to be a Champion for the London Mayor’s “Good Work Standard”. This initiative aims to bring together the best employment practices in London. It will work to raise standards for workers across the city, through educating employers and informing government policy. I’m looking forward to sharing my expertise and working alongside them to ensure a robust and fair policy for all sizes of businesses.

The Future

The Venus Award has been a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and to reflect on all that we have achieved so far at Just Helpers. The positive validation from someone outside the agency has encouraged us to punch bigger and higher. Our greater passion has now become to end exploitation within the UK cleaning agency. Watch this space!

Over the coming months, Just Helpers will continue to grow, with a new Just Helpers App, an exciting new rebrand and new services such as Lifestyle Support for people in retirement.

Merry Christmas from Just Helpers!

As an office team, we want to take this opportunity to say thank you for trusting us to find great cleaning colleagues who match your home and office spaces over this past year. This year has been a big year of growth for us, which has been exciting and has kept us all very busy. We are excited about the creation of our new App which will be launched in the first quarter of next year. This will help to ease communication, allow you and your Helper to keep up with your cleaning schedules, give you an easy platform to make comments and allow you to connect with the team more readily.

It was thrilling to have our 3 babies in the manager’s team and the arrival of baby Matthew to Monika in September has been wonderful – more on that in January!

Empowering Women

Being nominated by one of you for a Venus award this year was also very humbling, and much more making it through to the final 4 and a ‘juoozy’ awards evening at the Waldorf with the team on the 3rd as an Employer of the year has been an interesting journey. We look forward to announcing the results.

Spreading Christmas Cheer

Many of you ask me about potential gifts for your Helper. For all of the team, the very best thing for them is a monetary tip as they are often trying to support family still located in their countries of origin. I will leave this between you and your cleaner, but please do be mindful of your last cleaning day before Christmas with your regular Helper. I would suggest just leaving a card etc, in a prominent place where she is likely to find it. Last year I can honestly say that most of my team were moved to tears because of your generosity. Thank you in advance.

Our Christmas Charity Appeal

We are supporting two charities this year:

The first is Bulgarian charity spearheaded by Olga one of our cleaning colleagues. She and a group of friends organise a busload of items to be delivered to a charity that cares for Children in the care system in Bulgaria. There is a desperate need for items of clothing, toiletries, stationery and toys. As many of our team are Bulgarian, we want to get behind this in two ways:

Our team will rally together to donate various second-hand items from their family. Secondly, any money raised by the team for both this and our UK charity below will be matched by the agency. We will divide the money and have a day as a team in the spring where we create as many gift-boxes as we can to send with the next bus that Olga and her friends will organise. We would LOVE it if you could consider donating some money towards this.

The second is Children with Cancer UK. This was the charity that is close to our manager Yana Yaneva’s heart and won the team’s vote too. Already as a team, we have raised over £600. This will be matched pound for pound by the agency. Could you join us in donating to this charity too? Find out more at https://www.childrenwithcancer.org.uk

Christmas Festivities near you

We currently clean for 9 great churches and their clergy around London. I know that they will be busily planning their Christmas services now. If the thought of Carols by Candlelight, Alfrescosinging, festive wreath making, midnight mass, an evening of carols at your local jazz bar, Children’s Nativity service, a Christmas market or the chance to find out what Christmas is really all about beyond the trees, carols, Santa and gifts piques your interest, why not drop into one of their services or a church more local to you. See below for details of our connections:

Streatham Central Church
Dundonald Church Wimbledon
Hornsey Parish Church
St Michael’s Battersea
St Thomas More Swiss Cottage
St Peter’s Bethnal Green
St Andrew’s Chelsea
The Bridge Battersea Community Church
St Mary Abbots Parish Church Kensington

Christmas and New Year often provide a time and space for us to reboot, rethink and in some cases change direction. I pray for safety and well-being for each and every one of you as you pause, reflect, spend time with family and friends and enter into a new year.

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas!
Warmest wishes,
Antoinette, Lydia, Monika, Vivian, Vanya, Yana, Yana, and the Just Helpers Team

Just Helpers Journey – The Reason

I started the company in 2013 when I landed an amazing part-time job working for an anti-human trafficking organisation.

Having loved being a secondary school teacher for 12 years, the cut in salary to pursue something that I am so passionate about was tricky. I have always loved cleaning for friends and family and took pride in seeing peoples faces after my efforts. Coming home after a long day of work and knowing that your home space is serene, organised and clean is a joy to behold. Ensuring that “wow” and “ahhhh” feeling when clients get home still gives me the same satisfaction today. This motivation was key in inspiring and brainstorming business ideas to help support my charity work. So through my love of cleaning and hard work a business was born.

Small Beginnings

Consequently, through friends at church, I was connected to my first amazing client (Eve, how apt!) and the cleaning agency has rapidly grown from there.  My passion for justice, fair pay and working conditions was at the core of the business from the very beginning. As I received more and more referrals the business grew and gradually evolved through word of mouth recommendations. From a one-woman business to appointing my first colleagues Barbara and Yana Yaneva along the way, to what you see today – Just Helpers.

It was clear by 2015 that my role should evolve more strategically and I should continue to combine my two passions:

Cleaning and Empowering Women

Unfortunately, through my anti-trafficking work, I saw first hand the exploitation that happens in all communities even those right on our doorsteps. In our UK neighbourhoods, vulnerable people are taken advantage of and not given the opportunities, rights and kindnesses that every person should be afforded. I knew early on that If I could provide an alternative career, where women were nurtured and encouraged to build their own businesses: then my vision would help many individuals in their own journeys.

Fair pay and good working conditions are rare in the cleaning industry

I decided that this ethic should underpin everything that we do. So “Just doing the right thing’ became our motto. Just Helpers from its very inception have been proud affiliates of the London Living Wage Foundation. An organisation campaigning tirelessly to ensure fair pay is awarded to workers and help highlight the poverty crisis in the UK (please find out more here). Just Helpers supports your cleaner by ensuring they receive an equitable wage from their clients but my conscience pushed that we go way beyond that. Just Helpers is my family and I instil pride and enthusiasm in all of my teammates from the very start. With a team of great in-house, ‘home-grown’ managers, we mentor your Helper to improve their confidence and assist them in their communication with their clients.  Where we see Helpers with the potential for growth beyond cleaning, we promote them to be a manager at the earliest opportunity.

Ethics are central to our company operations and we employ this internally within our office team and in our interactions with you and your cleaner.

We have grown to be a management agency providing London cleaning services for both domestic and commercial clients. We act on behalf of professional, affordable and conscientious cleaners (we prefer the term ‘Helpers’), who will love your home like their own. Our experience in the industry enables us to help you and your Helper develop a strong, solid relationship.

All of our Helpers providing cleaning services in London are vetted and put through three hands-on cleaning interviews to make sure that they are the right Helper for you.  We want to know that they subscribe to a shared standard that they have agreed upon as a collective over time. This is ever-changing, especially as new Helpers join the ranks and share their expertise. We have learnt how to spot a great ‘Helper’ through our robust interview process and are regularly approached by women wanting to join Just Helpers as our honest, fair and empowering reputation spreads across communities both here and abroad. I am so proud and delighted to advocate and administrate for such a committed team of colleagues.

So that is the Just Helpers Journey so far. What’s next?

The Future

Being a South Londoner, London has always been my home but since childhood, I have had a love of the sea. In my younger years as a teacher, I taught both in the UK and in Africa and have been fortunate enough to travel broadly.  Even with experiencing many countries, I love nothing more than coming home. This summer I took the first step in making my longer-term dream come true. I moved to live by the sea. Just Helpers now has a team of Operations Managers and over 40 Helpers providing high quality, reliable and efficient cleaning. My aim is to eventually own my own home by the sea and help raise teenagers through fostering.

This is my 5-year plan

Professionally, Just Helpers must continue to grow and I have some great people supporting me in navigating the next exciting phase of growth. I have also been privileged to have been invited to contribute to the Mayor of London’s ‘Good Work Standard’ initiative as a Champion.  The aim of this initiative is to promote equitable and nurturing working standards in London businesses. This exciting committee should help to educate and inform other businesses and government policy in this sector. Ensuring working conditions improve for all is the focus for the future.

I am also extremely excited to have been nominated for the Venus Women’s Awards (by one of our clients) in the category of ‘Employer of the Year – London’. This team effort is a great recognition of how far we have come. We are thrilled to have just found out we are Finalists. The whole management team will attend a lovely event in December to find out if we win. Regardless of the outcome I am so proud of everyone and cannot wait to celebrate!

Who knows what the future holds after that, Homecare and Life Administration is another string to our bow coming soon to London’s postcodes. A new system and App to streamline our communication between Helpers, Clients and the office team,  Just Helpers in another part of the UK…Watch this space!

For now though lets ‘Just’ take one step at a time!  And thank-you to all of those who have journeyed with us along the way.