Social innovators must remain motivated and look for creative ways to keep their business ideas afloat when facing difficulties. Access to funding and public recognition are crucial elements that can help young entrepreneurs overcome inevitable obstacles.

I had the opportunity to talk to Elsie Ayotunde Cullen, who is currently doing an MSc in Health and International Development at LSE. In addition to her studies, she works part-time as an intensive care nurse at the NHS and is the community manager of Guap Magazine, a platform where young creators showcase their work.

Elsie won a Diana Award for her project OURPPLS, which promotes wellbeing and development through access to arts, creativity, and culture.

The Diana Award recognizes the work of young entrepreneurs worldwide who are carrying out projects that help advocate for change, tackle social issues and work towards a better society.

How did OURPPLS come to life?

I started OURPPLS in 2016 using my nursing pay-checks to fund the project. Initially, we held a self-funded week-long festival in a community centre in Hackney, which included a variety of workshops. Since then, we have continued offering workshops on different topics such as mindfulness or basic entrepreneurship skills. Additionally, we provide digital training to the older generation of creatives and entrepreneurs who have been left out of the digital revolution.

Once the Pandemic started, we ran a series of vision board workshops, an online children’s club and created a fund to provide financial assistance for creatives to attend our workshops. These financial resources were later converted into emergency relief funds to help homeless shelters in India and creatives in Ghana and procure laptops and tablets for young immigrant families in the UK.

What was your primary motivation behind OURPPLS project?

I believe that having access to culture is essential for self-development and establishing high aspirations. Though I grew up in a council estate, my father was a teacher, so he understood the benefits of going to artistic events and the impact that these can have on one’s personal development. Therefore, I wanted to provide more opportunities for young people and other disadvantaged groups to engage in creative workshops and have better access to art. Being exposed to the artistic field can help you improve your critical thinking and explore new horizons.

Do you have any advice for students who want to start a social initiative?

Firstly, you must explore, experiment, and try different things to determine what you are passionate about. It’s also vital to meet new people to expand your networks. Ideas always start small. We started by hand-drawing health and wellbeing information cards for people, but now we have progressed into fully produced cards. Another crucial factor is getting a team that can collaborate with you to develop your project.

Meet other Diana Award winners from LSE and learn more about LSE Generate.

Note: This article gives the views of the authors, and not the position of the Social Policy Blog, nor of the London School of Economics.