The theme of this year’s #BlackHistoryMonth is ‘Saluting our Sisters’ and we’d like to celebrate the amazing Felicia Boshorin, CEO of @SpringCommunityHub. Driven by the strong belief that everyone is equal, Felicia set up her own charity to reduce food poverty and now has 5 outlets across #Southwark. But Felicia didn’t spend most of her life in the charity sector. The daughter of a Nigerian political activist who was forced to leave his homeland, Felicia excelled at school and was awarded a bursary to study engineering. From there she set up her own very successful business, but her world fell apart after the 2008 property crash when she lost everything.
For several years Felicia struggled to get her confidence and energy back. She started volunteering in the community – first through her church and then with the local charity, PECAN. Engaging with people who had so much less than her was life-changing. ‘I regained my passion’ she says ‘The charity world was completely new. I loved it and gave it my all’.
But Felicia believes that people should not be using food-banks. So the Spring Community Hub model is about working with clients in a completely different way. She is frustrated that people may have 2-3 jobs yet still need free food. Maybe this means they need different skills, she says. Whatever the solution, Felicia seeks to ‘To walk them through the journey of not needing the service again’.
Despite the frustrations, Felicia loves what she does. ‘I love the fact that I’m very close to people and working on things that really matter to me like equality, and knowing that I’m going to make a difference’.
And make a difference she does. At United St Saviour’s Charity we think Felicia is a force of nature and a force for change and We Salute Her!
