BUSINESS BIO

Where are you based? London, but operates internationally

Key business markets: Finance for third sector

Annual turnover: £330million

% of turnover which is trading income (as opposed to grants): 100%

Number of employees: 484

 

ambassadors

Chris Allwood

Chris Allwood
  • Charities Aid Foundation

  • Proposition Delivery Manager

  • London

With an impressive track record in starting and running social enterprises Chris Allwood now uses his expertise to help the Charities Aid Foundation continue to create new ways of supporting charities and social enterprises.

Chris Allwood isn’t your typical social entrepreneur. In a sector bubbling with strong social passions, many of the prime movers have large personas to match. Chris favours a milder approach but he’s still getting big results.

After building a unique internet auction social enterprise, Chris has moved to a Charities Aid Foundation and he’s wasted little time in injecting social enterprise into the mix.

His major success story so far has been Auction My Stuff, an innovative social business that makes it easier for charities and brands to use eBay. Working for a commission or set fee, the company manages all aspects of charitable auctions – from researching and testing equipment to managing bids and invoicing.

What makes it different from most online businesses is that all profits are donated to its parent charity Community Links, which runs services for vulnerable people in east London. In addition, Auction My Stuff seeks to employ young people who have successfully completed its training course.

The trust that people now have in our brand is vital… eBay has always been supportive but over time they’ve seen that we’re reliable and professional too. Now they refer people to us.

The ambassador’s time at the businesses saw some big hits, notably, in 2009, when Auction My Stuff was asked by The Sun newspaper to manage the charity auction for its Help for Heroes campaign for wounded soldiers.

“We needed someone with expertise to manage the whole process,” says Ben Hughes, Head of Digital Marketing at the paper’s parent company, News Group Media. “Auction My Stuff were fantastic. They worked beyond the call of duty and we’re delighted with the level of service.

Before starting Auction my Stuff, Chris gained his social enterprise wings by managing a fair trade café and a centre for asylum seekers. In 2006 he saw the potential, initially on a smaller scale, for charities to use the world’s most popular online auction website to sell goods more effectively. He took on unemployed young people for three-month work placements and trained them in all areas of the auction business, from writing lot descriptions to answering emails from potential bidders. It is, he says, a “fantastic live environment” for young people to get the skills experience and confidence for work.

Quick Facts

  • In 2008, more than 90 young people successfully completed placements with Auction my Stuff. Half of them went on into employment or training.
  • Auction My Stuff’s 'Help for Heroes' auction for The Sun newspaper has received over one million hits from the public.
  • Parent charity Community Links helps more than 54,000 people every year to get out of poverty, debt and poor housing.

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