Chris Gale, Head of Social Impact at eBay talks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business about CHANGING PERCEPTIONS AND HELPING REFUGEE ENTREPRENEURS TO SHINE.
The homes for Ukraine scheme and almost 6,000 people who were granted resettlement from Afghanistan, are just a few examples of why the UK is known for being one of the most welcoming countries when people are fleeing conflict.
Last year the UK government offered protection to23,841 people (including dependants), but the long-term ambition is to enable people seeking asylum to start a new life here in the UK.
Chris Gale, Head of Social Impact at eBay, explains how the online marketplace is supporting TERN to help refugees start up their own business and make a life for themselves in the UK.
Thanks to eBay’s partnership with The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network (TERN), a social enterprise focused on providing mentorship, networking opportunities and access to funding for UK refugee entrepreneurs, those ambitions are already becoming a reality for hundreds of refugees in the UK.
This World Refugee Day (Tuesday 20thJune 2023), the two organisations have made a joint commitment to support 60-100 refugee entrepreneurs who will be offered startup support, help developing their business acumen and peer-to-peer learning.
A pilot for the TERN x eBay Seller Programme has already changed the life of Ehsan, who came to the UK from Iran with a degree in electronic engineering. He recently graduated from the Seller Programme, starting his own business the Tech Cell Group.
Ehsan, who has always been fascinated by technology and used his skills to start his own business, developed an online eBay store restoring electricals which has gone from strength to strength. He’s now sold more than 42,000 refurbished phones and has even recruited two interns, who he is now training to repair electricals too.
