My letter - a call for optimism

Hi there.

So here we are - 2024. How are you feeling about it? In past years, we’ve sent you a pretty email with infographics and photos but this year that somehow didn’t feel right.?

How am I feeling? Honestly, a bit bruised. I think many of us didn’t have time to deal with the pandemic before it’s felt like the world has been in spin after spin. I’ve also faced some personal challenges and I’m sure many of you have too.?

Now here we are - the war in Ukraine grinds on - something that has touched us hugely at Beam, supporting hundreds of Ukrainian refugees. Violence in the Middle East. At home, a cost of living crisis that brings hardship to millions.

But I’m an optimist.?

Zoom out and over the course of history, things get better. Even this device you’re staring into now gives you access to knowledge and an ability to connect with people that presidents and kings of the past could have only dreamt of.?

Why am I an optimist??

Our inventiveness, our ability to collectively solve problems. And I have no doubt - no doubt whatsoever - that one day homelessness and poverty will not exist in the UK.?

I believe we’ll get there with technology that allows people who care deeply about these problems to support others. Technology that connects people who need help with those who want to help.?

That’s how we’ve always worked here.

People experiencing homelessness and refugees are referred to us online by councils and charities. We digitally empower them with a working phone letting them connect with their Beam caseworker and a community of people including you. Meanwhile, you can connect with them - all 262 people who as I write are using Beam’s platform.

2023 was the year we began to scale. We’ve gone from supporting dozens to hundreds of people at once. In 2023, we surpassed 3,000 people supported into jobs and homes; usually parents with children. Please take a moment to read some of their stories. The homeless young woman who got a job in caring and is on her way to becoming a nurse. The homeless mum of two boys who lost her home during Covid and is back in work and safely housed, dreaming of one day moving to the country and her veg patch. That’s thanks to our community. You may back someone and forget. But the lives of our members are forever changed for the better.?

Another thing to be optimistic about - the corporate world is doing more to give back. 2023 was the year we built technology to allow companies to support people through Beam, with the launch of Beam for Companies. Beam for Companies lets companies launch a CSR programme in under 8 minutes (we timed it :)). The uptake has been incredible and if you’re curious to hear more, just reply to this email.

Employees can now send messages of encouragement to people using Beam to lift their spirits. So many people using Beam have told me that it’s those messages that make all the difference when things can feel overwhelming. To quote Hana, a refugee we supported into work, “It’s the messages, they mean the most”.?

Those messages give people hope. And at the end of the day that’s all Beam is - a platform that gives hope to people that a brighter future exists.

Finally, on this January note of optimism, I want to mention AI. Many of us are worried about this new technology. In all honesty, we should be - because some people will do bad things with it.?

But it’s our job at Beam to be a shining example of how technology like AI can be used for good.?

We’re using AI to help our brilliant team of 80+ caseworkers provide better services to more people, by automating admin like writing first drafts of meeting notes and surfacing information at lightning speed. AI has given our caseworkers back around a day each week - time they can now spend supporting people.

So that’s my new year note. If you made it this far, thank you! And if you have any feedback, just hit reply - I’ll get back to all of you.?

Wishing you all a peaceful and a hopeful 2024,

Alex