In the latest in a series of Face to Face interviews, Neil Nixon speaks with Samantha Worden, Chief Operating Officer, NGB CLEAN.
Can you explain the concept behind NGB Clean, and how the relationship with City Livery Companies works?
The No Going Back Foundation is a charity that was established following a joint Livery Company initiative to provide funding, with the primary focus to support people who have experienced the criminal justice system and assist them into sustainable work opportunities with employers from all industry sectors.
There are now over 40 City Livery Companies who collaborated to launch the charity in a bid to reduce reoffending. NGB CLEAN is owned by the charity and was established as a Social Enterprise enabling NGB to become an employer within the cleaning and facilities sector.
Initiated by PME Barrie Torbett of the Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners, NGB CLEAN was founded, and continues to receive pro bono support from many WCEC members, with a mission to provide employment, training and mentoring through its work.
What services does NGB Clean provide, either directly or indirectly, to the cleaning ecosystem?
NGB CLEAN provides daily office cleaning and all associated services - including window cleaning, pest control, washroom services, consumables/janitorial supplies, carpet cleaning, deep cleaning/hard floor cleaning, Biohazard cleaning and waste management.
Can you explain what is meant by a social enterprise, and how the organisation is funded?
NGB CLEAN is a social enterprise with a social mission to reduce reoffending and help men and women progress their lives after prison or as a result of having experienced the criminal justice system.
When NGB CLEAN starts to make a profit, this will be channelled into the charity to enable it to continue to deliver our social impact. So far, we have been funded by a number of City Livery companies, and business development loans underwritten by other Livery connections.
You have a clear vision to bring positive change to the sector. What have you achieved so far?
So far NGB CLEAN is proud to have delivered:
- over 14 sessions inside the London Prisons - promoting the Cleaning and FM sector as a career path, engaging with over 120 young men and women who are looking for a second chance
- the involvement of industry experts across the sector in visits to London prisons and support with employment, mentoring and training
- mentoring and working with two candidates who run their own cleaning businesses - one of whom is our subcontractor for cleaning and waste
- working with 13 prison leavers in either training, paid work, work experience or mentoring
- attending and completing professional Biohazard training with 3 candidates who are now qualified to carry out Biohazard cleans
- seven candidates who have attended and completed professional carpet and hard floor cleaning with Prochem
- taking the business from 2 to 13 - contracts, turning over just over £500,000
- implementing our cleaning services in the most sustainable way possible - 100% recycled uniforms and recycled mop buckets/systems. We also launder our microfibre cloths and mop heads and recycle wet floor signs
- conducting a number of charity cleans for organisations who are unable to budget for deep cleans
Sustainability is one of your key offerings. How has your quest for and delivery of innovative solutions supported the objectives of both you and your customers?
We realised that, as a social enterprise, NGB CLEAN had the ability to approach potential clients with the angle that we tick their social value box. However, it is a must that any cleaning company - big or small, new or old - maintains the level of quality, ethics, sustainability and ESG that every client is looking for in its service provider.
NGB CLEAN wanted to be able to compete in the market and be taken seriously. This was non-negotiable and as a small start-up we had the freedom to build the foundations of the business focused on achieving this. Our approach to sustainability is based on leaving 'no stone unturned' and we challenge everything we can to satisfy our desire to make a difference in everything we do. Our clients have been genuinely content and impressed with our approach to sustainability and more and more clients care enough, not to simply want to tick boxes.
Training, education and rehabilitation are key to the NGB Clean ethos. Can you expand on how this is delivered and its value?
The business was created to break down the barriers faced when trying to find employers who will offer job opportunities to people with criminal convictions, or those who are leaving, or who have left prison. What has become clear is that you are not just an employer and you need to be so much more than that, with a level of compassion, empathy and understanding that will support and empower people to change their path.
The work that NGB CLEAN does to support candidates on their journey begins inside the gates and in partnership with the No Going Back Foundation. We have been championing the Cleaning and FM industry as a career path and have partner employers willing to offer traineeships in becoming pest control technicians, window cleaning companies willing to offer training into employment opportunities, as well as jobs involving waste management and progression.
Can you outline an area of growth for the enterprise?
We have also seen there is plenty of opportunity in the Biohazard cleaning sector, which is also part of the prison training and employment routes - therefore transferring skills learned in prison. We are in the process of focusing on this area of specialism and our next step is to create the NGB CLEAN academy to support as many men and women on their journeys as possible.
Biohazard cleaning provides the possibility of a career and a sustainable income that could be lifechanging - and the men and women we meet are really interested in joining us to see how they could get on board with a view to considering the idea of starting their own business in the future - where NGB CLEAN will continue to mentor and support their long term journey.
As a regular attendee of the Cleaning Show, can you outline why these events are so important to the cleaning sector? What do you seek to achieve in attending?
The cleaning show has always been an important event in the calendar for me personally and for every cleaning business I have worked for. This is a chance for cleaning businesses to get to grips with the next best innovation in all areas - see varied and competitive products, services and equipment - a lot of which they might not be aware of. Most importantly and what I have noticed more in recent years is that the cleaning show reminds us just how big the cleaning industry is - there are so many cleaning companies and sometimes it is easy to get caught up in what you know and who you know, without branching out further afield. I seek new ideas, networking with manufacturers and suppliers and to represent the industry that I am super proud to be a part of.
How is your social enterprise tackling environmental issues?
As a cleaning business we are proud that we have never delivered our cleaning contracts using disposable gloves. We only use reusable gloves, evidencing that with one cleaning operative working for three hours we have been able to save 50,000 grams of CO2.
We launched an initiative to recycle cycle inner tubes and tyres in the corporate/commercial sector - launched on 12th March this year, at LinkedIn HQ in Farringdon. We now have a further five buildings onboard and it’s gaining momentum.
To finish, can you give us a peek into the future plans and ambitions of NGB Clean?
My personal dream one year ago was to ensure that NGB CLEAN provided opportunities to our candidates that were not just a job, but a progression plan that would develop their futures - and we built the foundations and structure of NGB CLEAN around men and women who have come out of prison. One year on and true to our mission we are delivering on that vision.
Our ambition in the next 6 to 12 months is to continue to grow our core daily cleaning to around £1million, alongside getting one successful Biohazard/specialist cleaning team on the road, so we can take on more candidates from prison and provide a solid team for them to train and learn the industry. Once we have the team set up, our plan is to work with BICSc to develop our in-house training academy and once we have one team successfully delivering and we are promoting the specialist side of the business we will look to grow a second and third team. We also plan to drive the inner tube and tyre imitative across as many buildings as possible - this will eventually generate the opportunity to create a job for a prison leaver to manage the collections and ultimately reduce the number of inner tubes and tyres going to landfill.
https://nogoingback.uk/