A helping hand
Entrepreneur, philanthropist and skincare guru – 25-year-old Aaron Probert has found a way to fuse his passions, his caring nature and his business-know-how to create a company that provides hope to those who need it most. unLTD’s Brogan Maguire sat down for lunch with him to find out more…
It may be a big statement but Aaron Probert, founder of Labre’s Hope, is one of the kindest people I have ever met.
I’m not sure what I expected from someone who started a business which helps to tackle homelessness, but his levels of empathy, compassion and dedication are unlike any I have ever experienced.
Labre’s Hope (or Labre-Soap, if you say it fast enough) is a cosmetics company which offers living wage opportunities for people experiencing homelessness, while also providing education in wellbeing management, bespoke job coaching, and housing through its partnerships with Crisis and South Yorkshire Housing Association (SYHA).
The name isn’t just a play on words, though – it has a much deeper meaning, as Aaron told me while we tucked into our Chinese lunch feast.
“Benedict Joseph Labre was actually the patron saint of homeless people, which is where the name came from,” he said. “We’re selling hope with both our products and our business, too, so that’s where the two things came together.”
The idea for the organisation was born from Aaron’s university dissertation, where he looked at a business model which was based around social change, opportunity and equality.
He said: “I was inspired by the story of a homeless woman I met, who ended up on the streets after experiencing an abusive relationship and developing alcohol problems, and I felt that there needed to be more in place to help people in that position.
“The fact that writing 10,000 words for a university project has led to this still feels pretty surreal.”
There was one question I had to ask Aaron and that was: “why soap?”
“Well,” he told me. “I’m a bit of a skincare nerd, I have to be honest! I wanted something that was accessible for everyone and the kind of products that make people feel good, which our candles and cosmetics definitely do.”
Since starting in 2019 Labre’s Hope has gone from strength to strength, with a new headquarters in Rotherham and an environment where staff feel valued, nurtured and excited.
The building has been completely renovated – think Kirsty and Phil, Aaron joked – and every room is bold and uplifting, with a huge graffiti wall in the lab.
If there was one thing Aaron wanted to make clear to me, though, it was that none of this would have been possible without a team effort.
He said: “At the beginning this almost felt like an impossible task. One organisation can’t solve these things alone, it takes a collective to work together.
“There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach, everything needs to be tailored to individual needs and situations. That’s why I’m so happy to be working with Crisis and SYHA.
“It’s not just about employment – which of course we do offer – it’s about wellbeing, skills development and confidence building.
“I feel so lucky that we are able to do this every day and so privileged that we get to be part of this journey, helping other people and seeing their lives change for the better.”
Well done, Aaron and team!
A true taste of Asia at China Red
China Red is just a stone’s throw from my office and I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying a few lunches there over the last few months.
What I hadn’t realised at first was that the restaurant on Rockingham Gate, just off The Moor, was the same brand as the Chinese vendor in Cutlery Works– a much-frequented venue of mine.
I’d tried a few dishes from there before, but only the classics like salt and pepper chips and special fried rice – or maybe a sweet and sour chicken if I was feeling extra hungry.
Dining at the original restaurant though, and being guided by owner Kelvin, is a whole different experience.
Kelvin is passionate about serving up fresh, tasty and authentic Asian dishes using the best ingredients.
If you let him know your dietary requirements, what level of spice you like and what kind of dishes you normally order, he will come up with the perfect selection of food for you to enjoy.
Every meal I’ve eaten there has been perfect and my lunch date with Aaron was no different.
Kelvin came to greet us and after a quick chat through our preferences, dish after amazing dish began arriving at our table.
From deep fried king prawns with black bean and chilli (a personal favourite), to poached beef in chilli oil and shredded pork with peking sauce, there was not one thing we were served that we didn’t love.
Aaron had let Kelvin know he wasn’t very good with overly spicy food, but everything that arrived had the perfect balance of flavours and nothing was overpowering.
Alongside our mains we had braised aubergine – which I must admit I was slightly sceptical of, but I was quickly converted – noodles, egg fried rice and the most delicate little salt and pepper potato crisps I have ever tasted. I’m still working on convincing Kelvin to sell them as bar snacks!
Everything was served on the ‘lazy Susan’ in the middle of the table, so we could all have as much or as little of everything as we wanted.
I may have had to be rolled back to the office, but it was worth it for every beautiful bite.
