4 | W&F Ethical Finance Awards 2024 Best Impact-Focused Social Housing Investment Solutions Provider 2024 – UK & Wealth & Finance Social Impact Excellence Award 2024 Proud to work on projects commissioned by charity partners – projects that see it identifying suitable distressed housing stock that aligns with the unique needs of its companions – Bighous is a highly renowned collective whose insightful nature has allowed it to elevate the quality of housing across the UK. From the moment a property is found, Bighous eagerly begins the renovation process, ultimately creating a space that captures the initial vision of any given charity, before leasing it to them. Following this, charities can begin offering these newly renovated areas to society’s most vulnerable individuals, granting them access to safe environments that are designed to honour their dignity and support their needs. In addition to working alongside organisations who are set on providing housing to those most in need, Bighous also collaborates with charities that grant unrestricted access to mental health support services and trade skill tutelage. These charities essentially work to present disadvantaged communities with the tools to start working – through meticulously crafted bricklaying and carpentry courses, for example, tenants can accumulate skills that are guaranteed to secure them a position in some of the country’s most essential services. As a result of the support provided by Bighous, the social housing sector has seen the national production of over £6.0m worth of housing assets, granting housing to hundreds of individuals over the course of only eight years. Despite these astonishing accomplishments, Bighous has upheld an admirable dedication to further spreading its influence across other areas. The most notable is its commitment to donating a small portion of its revenues to the sponsorship of children in developing countries across the world. Throughout the past couple of years alone, the collective has already established connections with four children – and their families – in regions such as the Dominican Republic, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Burkina Faso through the charity Compassion UK. It’s clear that Bighous has long since recognised its potential to foster continuous positive change on both a national and global scale, and it’s this very realisation that spurs it forward each and every day. So long as it uplifts the lives of only a few individuals, it will continue to provide meaningful services to a wide array of charities throughout the UK. Of course, such a realisation doesn’t simply appear, and ultimately dawned on Bighous from the moment it witnessed first-hand just how dire the social housing system has become. Paolo Casamassima of Bighous expressed how – “When I first decided to invest in social housing, I was appalled by the condition of a homeless shelter in Liverpool, run by the biggest local charity. I thought that a way to distinguish ourselves was to always offer newly refurbished homes, to ensure that rather than just offering accommodation, we offer “Homes” that “Transform Lives”.” To Bighous, there’s a stark distinction to be made between providing the bare minimum, and giving people a place in which they can flourish, and it hopes that, through its dedication, it can offer the latter to the people who need it the most. In short, Bighous offers newly refurbished flats and homes to the vulnerable members of society who have been let down by social housing throughout the years. Those who, without Bighous’s assistance, would otherwise be unable gain eligibility for a tenancy. However, where Bighous differs is in how much care and attention it channels into refurbishment. At present, most properties on the social housing market have yet to experience new refurbishments, often times resulting in them not meeting the regulations for safe housing. It’s an unfortunate truth, but one that Bighous needed to face in order to develop its vision for a better future. Now, it presents people with a more holistic approach to housing – one that combines safety with support to help them build themselves up and re-integrate into the wider world. Though operating the business out of Dubai, Paolo has never lost track of what Bighous was always supposed to be – a conduit for both housing those who have been left behind by society, and address the housing crisis currently facing the UK. When we asked Paolo what Bighous’s larger mission was, he explained that – “At Bighous, we tackle the UK Housing Crisis, partnering with well-known charities and delivering accommodation to those who are in crucial need of care and support, and/or facing significant life challenges. By working with charitable partners, we help ensure our housing provides tenants with a safe place - a crucial step in their rehabilitation which not be possible without a place to stay.” Truly, compassion underpins everything Bighous does, defining it as an ethical entity within its field. Having been featured multiple times across various media outlets, most notably as part of a Sky TV documentary that focuses on housing within the UK, Bighous has evidenced that its commitment to increasing the quality of social housing is unwavering. Thanks to its work, its social impact has overseen it accomplishing a 100% occupancy rate, with over 100 tenants housed over the past year alone. These statistics only exist due to the exceptional sense of willpower that Bighous has demonstrated time and time again, and it’s for this very reason that Wealth and Finance International is pleased to feature it in our Ethical Finance Awards 2024. The work Bighous is doing is already changing lives, and we sincerely look forward to seeing its continued impact in the near future. Contact: Paolo Casamassima Company: Bighous Web Address: https://www.bighous.co.uk/ When considering ethical finance, most may believe that it’s simply a more thoughtful method of generating financial returns. Bighous, however, is an award-winning collective whose charitable activities transcend what one might expect from an ethical finance group. Believing that ethical finance revolves around having a positive impact on the wider community, Bighous has developed a means to deliver measurable services that promise to provide hope to the most vulnerable members of society. Join us as we delve into how, through its unique solutions, Bighous has taken vast strides toward tackling the UK Housing Crisis. Bighous
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