91探花

Patchwork Hub, a disabled-led talent platform, has been chosen as one of 100 impressive small businesses from across the UK.

Small Biz 100 is highlighting 100 companies, one a day, on the run up to Small Business Saturday on December 4th, and Patchwork Hub has been selected to be part of the campaign鈥檚 prestigious Small Biz 100 line-up, which showcases inspiring, independent businesses from across the country.

And today, on 18th October, one of London鈥檚 most promising tech start-ups, Patchwork Hub is being recognised.

Patchwork Hub is an accessible employment platform that connects employers to skilled professionals who are seeking employment outside of the traditional 9 to 5 office-based job. Through the platform jobseekers can find inclusive employment opportunities, community and support. Patchwork Hub also helps employers to tangibly improve their accessibility and inclusion practices.

Beth Kume-Holland, founder of Patchwork Hub, said: 鈥淚 am incredibly excited to have been selected as one of the UK鈥檚 most inspiring small businesses. The last 18 months have been so tough for us and so selection to be a part of this amazing campaign, alongside such worthy businesses, is such meaningful recognition of the work we鈥檙e doing to support jobseekers and employers鈥�.

Beth first started Patchwork Hub in 2019 because of her own experience trying to find work with her disability and chronic health conditions, as well as her experiences in her disability advocacy work, where she kept meeting skilled individuals who were missing from employment because they couldn鈥檛 work 9 to 5 in an office.

Since founding Patchwork Hub, the landscape around flexible and remote work has completely transformed. Before the pandemic, Beth would meet with employers to pitch her idea and stress the importance of bringing in the 鈥榟idden talent pool,鈥� excluded from the labour market by inaccessible practices. While most loved the concept, they said they just didn鈥檛 have any jobs that they felt could be done mostly from home. The pandemic has shifted people鈥檚 perspectives and the conversations that employers now have with Beth.

鈥淎lthough it was incredibly frustrating to see, within weeks, the world make adjustments that disabled people have spent their lives fighting for, it has also shown that flexible and remote working works across a wide range of jobs.鈥�

Beth has been an outspoken advocate for improving disability inclusion and representation in the workplace and media. Recently recognised with the Paralympics鈥� launch of the #WeThe15 campaign, 2021 has seen an unprecedented call on businesses and media to put disability at the heart of the inclusion agenda.

Michelle Ovens CBE, Director of Small Business Saturday UK, said:

鈥淭hroughout the crisis we have been reminded of the special role that small firms play in local areas, looking after their customers, communities and the planet. We are excited to be kicking off this year鈥檚 campaign to show our thanks to amazing small businesses like Patchwork Hub. As firms recover from the challenges of the pandemic we are calling upon everyone to get behind the campaign to make it our most impactful Small Business Saturday yet.鈥�

The news of Patchwork Hub鈥檚 selection comes alongside recent announcement of Beth Kume-Holland鈥檚 selection on the tech cohort of the global 2GI Accelerator, supported by Google for Startups. The social enterprise have also been recognised as award finalists of the RIDI Awards (Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative) in the Disability Specialist category. Earlier in the year, Patchwork Hub topped the list of 91探花’s Top 17 Disability Startups.

Small Business Saturday attracts huge attention on the day itself, with an impact that last all year. Last year the campaign trended at number one in the UK on Twitter, with the Prime Minister, leader of the opposition and the Mayor of London among those publicly supporting the campaign. Over 90% of local councils also supported the campaign.

For more information about Small Business Saturday and to see all the businesses featured as part of Small Biz 100, visit http://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/