Business Objectives
Our primary objective is to enable community and voluntary sector organisations to access funding, develop services and create effective management structures which are efficient, financially sound and democratic.
We aim to bridge the gap for our clients and help them access local authority, UK government and European Union assistance and recognition.
With our experience, knowledge and skills, we are also able to directly assist and work for local authorities, regeneration bodies and government departments to help them engage positively with the communities they seek to assist.
Our business model is focused on providing specific, targeted services and interventions for our clients in the public, community and voluntary sectors. In undertaking our mission, we define our business as a social enterprise, and seek to contribute to and promote the social enterprise concept nationwide as a progressive solution to many of the barriers faced by people living in deprived communities.
Our Story
History
J-go Consultants Limited was established in May 1999, as a private limited company. J-go Consultants operates as a community enterprise working as a general skills regeneration consultancy. J-go Consultants was established with the intention of offering services to community and voluntary sector organisations working in the 15 local authorities who constitute the 'Thames Gateway.' As we are located in Tower Hamlets, we have a particular interest in the seven local authorities that are defined as the 'Inner Thames Gateway.'
J-go Consultants Limited was established by our Managing Director, Jonathan Hems. Jonathan has more than 25 years experience in housing and community development in socially excluded, inner city environments. Prior to establishing J-go, Jonathan headed up the Tower Hamlets Partnership Development Group, which was responsible for co-ordinating all RSL (Registered Social Landlords) development in the Borough.
In 2001 our sister company J-go Training Limited was established as a company limited by guarantee. J-go Training is eligible to receive public grants, while J-go Consultants responds to tender offers and open market contract opportunities. J-go Training undertakes projects as a result of receiving direct grant aid.
The two companies work in tandem as a social enterprise, offering services from either company to the requirements of our clients, therefore we are able to access work in the public, voluntary or private sectors with this arrangement.
The complexity of work which J-go undertakes, requires a diversity of skills and experience. Our business model relies on a small core team of permanent employees and is supplemented by an extensive group of associate consultants. These are individuals with appropriate professional skills, with whom we have developed a strong working relationship over the years. We are able to bring in these skills to project work as and when required.
Present
J-go has established a track record of innovation and contract achievement. We have built our reputation by responding quickly to deadlines with quality work, which has helped our clients realise their potential, access new funding and expand their organisational capacity.
J-go now offers a wide range of products and services appropriate for a variety of public, private, community and voluntary sector organisations. We are equally familiar with working for large corporate bodies and small community based organisations. We are able to undertake complex service contracts, which can impact on multiple agendas and work successfully across professional boundaries. We are also able to offer very defined services to small groups which impact in a local area or are targeted at a specific, often 'hard to reach' beneficiary groups.
Awards, Memberships & Accreditations
- Tower Hamlets Change Up Consortium - since 2008
- EXOR Gold Accredited Company Certification – December 2007
- Inspiration East Honors Award – May 2006
- Small Employers Award - November 2003
- Londoners for London Award - July 2003
- Federation of Small Businesses – August 2001
Our Staff
As social policy develops in the 21st Century, the Third Sector is assuming an ever-increasing role in delivering the step changes required to build stronger, more prosperous communities. J-go is part of this - a social enterprise that operates in a spirit of co-operation and understanding, made up of members of the communities in which it works. This puts us in a unique position to truly involve these communities, and in addition, J-go brings an extensive, professional knowledge of the regeneration and renewal agenda, gained from a combined total of over 50 years experience.
Managing Director, Jonathan Hems
Director, Jan Bros
Office Manager, Fully Ali-Begum
Our Trainees,Volunteers and Associate Consultants
J-go Consultants operates as a social enterprise. In all aspects of our work we offer personal development and work experience training for volunteers and work experience applicants. We particularly target young people from minority ethnic backgrounds as a reflection of the communities we work within. In undertaking project work for clients, we always aim to encourage unemployed local people from the areas we work in to take advantage of the work experience opportunities we can offer them.
J-go benefits from the input from volunteers and work-experience candidates because of their energy, motivation and connectivity to their local area. They keep us on track and focused on providing practical results at street level that are both visible and proven to work. Our small core team works in the centre of an active ring of associate consultants. In this way we can bring a variety of professional skills to bear on any project work we undertake.
Our associate list includes: accountants, actors, architects, artists, builders, beauticians, childcare workers, circus performers, designers, gardeners, health therapists, musicians, opticians, outreach workers, personal care workers, photographers, surveyors, translators and youth workers.