Social Impact

The reason we are in

business

Base is a social enterprise. We exist to redistribute profits to health and hygiene projects in Australian communities. This isn’t something we just say, or do for a little while. This is included into our constitution, it is part of our ethos. It’s why we are in business.

We aren’t the experts with boots on the ground and the right tools to address the causes of social inequality. However, we can assist those experts. The phrase ‘stick to what you’re good at and do lots of it’ was prominent in our early planning.

Base employs a growing number of passionate soap and social impact enthusiasts. Our organic growth model means all profits are rolled back into the growth of our brand so that, in the near future, we can start to share stories of real impact on the lives and communities of fellow Australians.

Mentors

Over the years we have been lucky enough to find some great mentors, almost all of them found through Mill House Ventures. Mill House Ventures is an organisation committed to supporting business growth and impact of Indigenous and Social enterprise ventures.

Prior to establishing Base, we were surrounded by calls to support charitable causes abroad. However, also prominent was the public conversation around ‘closing the gap’. Social and environmental factors were impacting health in indigenous communities. We decided to focus solely on Australia. One glaring concern was the high rates of Otitis Media (middle-ear infection, OM) in children in Indigenous communities.

Otitis Media

OM is common in early childhood. Repeated infections cause poor hearing during the critical years of auditory language development. Long-term, chronic ear disease can cause permanent damage to middle ear structures. OM is easily treated once diagnosed. However, if missed, the result can severely impact a child’s ability to thrive in education.

The flow on effects can be devastating. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children experience some of the highest rates of Otitis Media (OM) in the world.

Impact Partners

As stated, we are not the experts with boots on the ground, but we can support those experts. Impact Partners are a way to make sure that the funds donated are making an impact.

A project that caught our attention was Malpa. Malpa is an Australian charitable organisation that facilitates the Young Doctors Program. This project is a community-centered approach to achieve strong health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They enable young people to become health ambassadors for their communities by organising fun-packed but structured programs in schools, run by respected community members, including Elders.

Every product you purchase helps us support programs making a positive difference in Australian communities.