Mabel's Enterprise and The Tingalings

Haines Watts Birmingham are proud to be working with Mabel's Enterprise. Read all about the business and Matt's story below. 

 

"Hi, I’m Matt and I run Mabel’s Enterprise with my wonderful 92 year-old Grandma Mabel. It all came about over a cup of tea in Grandma's living room in early 2020. Me asking for advice about what to do next. I had decided to leave the corporate world behind, seeking the next challenge. Grandma has overcome such adversity throughout her long life. Born into poverty in 1929 at the start of the Great Depression, Mabel was 5 when she witnessed her Grandma burn alive and 11 when she survived the Coventry Blitz of World War II. 57 when her beloved husband passed away and 82 when she was diagnosed with cancer. 88 when she got the all clear. Grandma’s wonderful, kind, positive and warm-hearted spirit inspires her family and friends - there is no better inspiration for Mabel’s Enterprise.  

 

We decided we wanted to build something that helps to transform the lives of impoverished children. There are over 2 million in the UK. A statistic easily glossed over and not well recognised. So we identified the largest school in Birmingham’s highest child poverty ward (Hodge Hill, 57%) and I paid them a visit to see how we could help. Washwood Heath Academy is massive and has over 1800 pupils. With no funding and an affordability challenge for the local community, there was simply no means to fund trips. So they didn’t happen. The primary school had not run a school trip for four years. Problem statement set. Objectives and measures agreed. Contract in place. Step forward Mabel’s Enterprise. 

 

It’s a social enterprise, where all profits made in Mabel’s Business are channelled into Mabel’s Fund, which pays for the trips. We’re not a charity. We want to compete with private enterprise, we want to be seen as a legitimate business. We hope our social impact will give us a competitive edge in the marketplace. Mabel and I work for free, so our profits stem from our revenue less cost of product and cost of sale. We live and breath our four core values of integrity, achievement, family and pleasure. 

 

Via established feedback with the Academy’s pupils, teachers and parents, we work closely together to measure the benefits of our funding and seek ways to improve our impact. In July/October 2021, we fully funded school trips for 210 pupils (the entire primary school, from reception to Year 6) ranging from visits to the National Space Centre to outdoor adventure at The Challenge Academy, Baggeridge. Building confidence, resilience and independence. 

 

This was made possible thanks to our customers, supporters and a corporate partnership. Our first brand is The Tingalings. The Tingalings are a cast of five loveable characters - Braveling, Sparkling, Darling, Smartling and Bumbling - who promote kindness and climate change awareness. Using one character and one adventure at a time, the series gently opens young eyes to climate change’s extensive reach, with easy ideas for ways to reduce our carbon output at home.

 

The series launched in November 2020 with “Darling Saves A Koala Bear”, following Darling’s adventure to save koala bears from the wildfires ravaging their home. Next in April 2021 came “Braveling Saves A Snow Leopard". Then third up is “Smartling Saves A Sea Turtle”  where ‘kind, wise, calm’ Smartling’s ocean adventure exposes the impact of waste on ocean habitats. The weighty reality of sea pollution is toned down for young minds by each story’s happy outcome, Jenny Wren’s delightful illustrations, sing-song text and ideas for simple climate solutions that the whole family can adopt. 

 

In April we achieved children’s book of the week in The Sun. We are stocked in Waterstones, other high street retailers and independent bookstores. In collaboration with Home-Start, our customers have gifted 1500 copies of our books to families in the West Midlands facing difficult life circumstances. 14,000 children in Birmingham do not own a book of their own. We also sell an organic cotton children’s clothing range. Having tested the market through the books, we are now working on a script for a Tingalings TV series, for pitching to broadcasters and production companies (we’d love to hear from you if you work in this space)."