In this episode Clem Crowther chats to Louise Reed, fellow Yorkshire Business Woman member and Founder & CEO of Focus4Hope.
Louise talks about Focus4hope, why she started it, her career and what led to her lightbulb moment that changed her direction totally.
Focus4Hope is a non-profit providing support for the homeless, elderly, and isolated in West Yorkshire. Known in the community as a group that always rises to the occasion Focus4Hope always strives to help people of all backgrounds, without judgement; leading with care and empathy in everything that we do.
Louise was inspired to begin Focus4Hope in 2016, after seeing devastating images of the body of a 3 year old Syrian boy named Alan Kurdi, who washed up on a beach in Turkey. He and two other members of his family tragically drowned during an attempt to flee to safety. Hearing his story was even more emotionally resonant because of the fact that Louise’s daughters were around the same age as Alan at the time. She knew that she had to do something to help those impacted by the refugee crisis, and so Focus4Hope was born.
Louise brought together a coalition of friends and professional contacts who were dedicated to making a meaningful impact on people’s lives. Soon after setting to work, Louise realised how much need there was in her own community, and the goal of Focus4Hope expanded to helping the homeless, elderly and vulnerable in West Yorkshire.
After years of tirelessly working in our community and beyond, Foucs4Hope receive charity status in November of 2020 and opened the doors to it's pre-loved boutique in 2023.
Yorkshire Business Woman is a network built to support, inspire and champion women in business from across the region, from small independents to large corporates.