About

ABOUT BBI

Building Blocks Initiative (BBI) is a not for profit voluntary organisation established in July 2001. We are committed to promoting community development and empowerment.

BBI has received numerous recognition awards over the past few years in recognition of our positive contribution to the community and human advancement among which is the Southwark Council’s Civic Award, ‘The Honorary Liberty of Old Metropolitan Borough of Southwark 2012’.

In the past few decades, BBI has developed specialism in practical community development, capacity building and self-economic empowerment initiatives.

Among some of our key areas of expertise are:

Employment and Enterprise Support

We have developed specialism in the provision of employment support programmes to the unemployed, most especially women and young people, through our one-to-one and group support advice, information, guidance, and counselling services.

Black Business Club

The BB Club is a membership network for individuals, business owners, prospective new business owners and professionals alike. It provides a business and community interfacing platform for promoting, inspiring, and sustaining community cohesion and self-economic empowerment; including opportunities for members to share information and good practices.

Black Leadership 2020

We engage in regular community conversations and networking on current affairs and issues of community concern. If this is something for you, please feel free to join any of the events.

Achievement Recognition Awards

The annual ARA Awards was launched Black Business Awards in October 2004 with a mission to promote and celebrate our diversity, achievements and spirit of togetherness as part of the annual Black History Month. The awards event has now become a much-anticipated annual event, particularly within the United Kingdom’s Black and Minority Ethnic business and social calendar.

Young Entrepreneur Game Awards

YEGA seeks to provide an opportunity for young adults ages 30 and below to test out their entrepreneurial skills and get their business/project ideas off the ground. Participants will need to submit a two-page outline of their project idea for consideration to be judged against other participants. Winners will be announced during the awards gala night in October each year.

Partnership-working

We have worked with numerus strategic partners at local, regional, national and internal levels in the past few decades. We are open to forging new partnerships with private, public and third/voluntary organisations and agencies. We are very keen to developing more partnership and collaborative working relationships with other individuals and organisation wherever possible.

Volunteering with Us

We’re always looking for volunteers from all kinds of backgrounds and with all sorts of experience. You may want to learn new skills or you might think you already have the experience to help people turn their lives around. Whatever your background or understanding, volunteering with us will help you to develop key skills, meet new people and give you a great insight into what it is like to work in the voluntary/third sector.

GOVERNANCE

As a not for profit voluntary organization, BBI is governed by the provisions of the Companies Act 2006.

It has a Board of Trustees/Non-Executive Directors, which is responsible for setting, managing and evaluating the strategic direction of the organization, whilst the day-to-day operational management rest in the hands of the Chief Executive and his/her team, who in turn is responsible to the Board of Directors through the Chair.

HONORAY PATRONS

The Board of Directors is complemented by some very prominent and high profile individuals acting as BBI’s patrons among which were late Tony Benn, Prem Goyal and ……….

Rt. Hon. Harriet Harman QC MP
Former Acting Leader of the Labour Party, MP for Camberwell and Peckham

Linda Bellos OBE
Former Leader of Lambeth Council

Sir. Hon. Simon Hughes
Former MP for Bermondsey & Old Southwark and Minister of State for Justice and Civil Liberties.