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Green Avenues Hull – Sarah Morris
Sarah Morris initially started working life as a chamber-maid in her native West Wales after leaving school. After graduating from college in 3D design, the need to earn cash led her back into doing domestic cleaning chores for friends and then starting the business again when returning to West Wales. In 2006 when she came to live in Hull, Sarah was unable to find work more fitting to her qualifications so she decided to carry on as a self-employed domestic cleaner, but with the aim of using environmentally-friendly products.
In 2010, 34-year-old Sarah of Park Avenue formally set up Green Avenues Hull LLP and, after winning some £500 from the Hull Enterprise Partnership’s Enterprise Den, she is now well on the way to expansion, although residents will still see Sarah on her bike riding round the Avenues to her customers.
With nine clients on her books, Sarah works part-time for a mix of professional working people, disabled clients and pensioners and she makes up her own environmentally-friendly cleaning products, which help customers who have allergies. As her business has grown, Sarah started to recognise potential. She says: “I realised there was more than just cleaning that I could do for people, such as running errands, minor DIY, gardening or doing some shopping.”
She wanted to also provide other people with the same opportunity that she had found through being self-employed. The idea is that Sarah takes on worker-members of this co-operative, helps with start-up costs and promotional literature, and the member then pays three per cent of their revenue into Green Avenues to fund training course costs and to help others who want to join.
She has now teamed up with her first worker member, mother-of-three Michelle Thornham (39) who has been juggling various part-time jobs to date, as a shop worker, a school swimming supervisor and in an evening cleaning job.
Michelle, of Kingsbench Street, Hull, saw a story in the press about setting up on your own and went to visit one of the Hull Enterprise Partnership advisors.
“I want to spend more time with my youngest children so this seemed ideal. I rang up Goodwin, saw one of their advisors and was put in touch with Sarah. I like the idea of Green Avenues, giving me some flexibility, cutting back on my current workload and having funds for courses.”
Sarah adds: “I like to see it as Green Avenues being a partnership of self-employed social entrepreneurs and we’re looking for other people to join and bring new skills, whether a gardener or an electrician. Anyone who joins will have public liability insurance and will have undergone an enhanced CRB check.”
Contact Sarah on 01482 441407 or email greenavenues@rocketmail.com
*** UPDATE ***
Green Avenues have just celebrated their 1st year anniversary, boasting nine members each offering a different service in domestic support. To read their article celebrating their sucess in the Hull Daily Mail click here
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