“Good managers make a lot happen out of a little” Words Caroline Roberts Chartered Manager Alka Bohorun’s light-hearted lockdown diversion morphed into a project that’s turning the despair of poverty into happiness and hope for the future. Here’s how her management skills made it happen. Ever since childhood, Alka Bohorun CMgr FCMI has sung with her father. She believes passionately in the emotional benefits that singing can bring. In 2020, as the Covid pandemic struck, she saw many people around her doing things to help with the Covid effort and raise money for the NHS. Alka Bohorun CMgr FCMI has enjoyed singing with her father since childhood. The BH40 initiative gave her the chance to use her passion to make a difference to others. Image: RothRead Photography “Because I've always believed in giving and serving, I wanted to help but I wasn't sure how,” she says. So she started asking people to send videos of them singing. “I put them up on YouTube just to cheer everyone up.” The videos proved very popular and Alka soon realised she could tag on a charity fundraiser. “I came up with the idea of a ‘songathon’ and people loved it.” It raised about £600, which she donated to the British Heart Foundation.A few fundraisers down the line, Alka was surprised to receive a request for funding for a project in Kenya. With no guarantee it was a genuine request, she felt she had to turn it down. But it opened her eyes to the wider potential of BH40 (Be Happy For Nothing). Alka, a Chartered Manager, was running her own business helping to establish companies, community interest companies (CICs) and charities. So she used her marketing and compliance skills to set up BH40 as a limited company, leveraging her contacts to set up a voluntary advisory panel and a silent board of voluntary directors. She raised funds by selling BH40 branded t-shirts that could be used to support overseas projects. Today, Alka also runs various fundraising events, such as online talent shows and charity balls, to attract more sponsorship from businesses and other organisations. “If I didn’t have confidence in my management, I wouldn’t have been able to pull off any of this” Three years on, BH40 now supports social benefit projects in ten countries across Africa, Asia, North America and Europe. The projects address local needs and can involve anything from funding basic provisions for an orphanage or providing exercise and art activities to support mental health, to helping young people living in poverty to set up a business. The goal is to turn the despair caused by poverty into happiness for children and youths. How did Alka use her management skills to make a difference? Login or register below for Free Instant Access Login If you are already registered as a CMI Friend, Subscriber or Member, just login to view this article. Confirm your registration Login below to confirm your details and access this article. Sign in with email Email remember me remember Forget? Please confirm that you want to switch off the "Sign in with email" remember me feature. Yes No Register for Free Access Not yet a Member, Subscriber or Friend? Register as a CMI Friend for free, and get access to this and many other exclusive resources, as well as weekly updates straight to your inbox. You have successfully registered As a CMI Friend, you now have access to whole range of CMI Friendship benefits. Please login to the left to confirm your registration and access the article. Interview At CMI, we’re hugely privileged to have contributed to many people’s management and leadership journeys. Take a look back at some of the people we’ve interviewed for some top tips and exclusive insight. Members See More CMI Members have access to thousands of online learning and CPD resources. Learn more about our membership benefits Join The Community CMI offers a variety of flexible membership solutions, tailored to your needs. Find out more and get involved in the CMI community today.
