How Bermondsey Tuition Hub Found Clarity Through Starting Up, Starting Out™
When Bermondsey Tuition Hub launched in July 2025, its mission was clear: to provide high-quality, accessible education support for children and families in the local community. But like many early-stage organisations, turning a strong idea into a sustainable model came with challenges.
In those first months, growth was slow. Securing the first leads, enrolling parents, and registering students all took more time and effort than expected. By September, as the new academic year began, the team knew they were entering a crucial window for a tuition provider. They had energy, ambition, and ideas, but needed focus.
“We had many ideas circulating at once,” Zamin Mawjee reflected. “Launching summer holiday camps, increasing operating days, expanding into more age groups, adding more subjects, forming school partnerships, and exploring different pricing models.”
The ambition was there. What was needed was structure.
Through Starting Up, Starting Out™ with Southwark LAP, Bermondsey Tuition Hub found the space to step back, reflect, and begin building a clearer roadmap for growth.
One of the most transformative parts of the programme was the exposure to different ways of building impact-led organisations. Hearing from other founders, and learning more about charities, CICs, social enterprises, and hybrid models, helped Zamin see that Bermondsey Tuition Hub did not have to choose between purpose and sustainability.
Instead, the programme opened up a new way of thinking: the organisation could be both financially viable and deeply rooted in social impact.
A key part of this shift came through mentorship with Paulette Watson, whose experience in education and social enterprise closely aligned with Bermondsey Tuition Hub’s ambitions. Together, they explored the foundations needed for long-term growth, including governance, financial sustainability, operations, workforce management, market positioning, innovation, and social impact.
This support helped the team move from reacting week by week to planning more intentionally. They began developing a simple governance framework, shaping a 12-month financial plan, drafting clearer contractor agreements, strengthening staff review processes, and preparing a local marketing plan. They also started shaping a Social Impact Statement to better express their community purpose.
The most significant change has been clarity. While not every recommendation has been fully implemented yet, Bermondsey Tuition Hub now has a stronger sense of direction and a practical roadmap to guide its next steps.
For Zamin, the journey has also been personal. The programme helped him move from being focused mainly on delivery to thinking more strategically as a leader.
“I’ve learned the importance of working on the business, not just in it,” he shared. “This journey has shifted me from being simply a business owner to thinking and acting more like a strategic leader with a long-term vision.”
Having a programme designed specifically to support Black and Global Majority-led organisations also made a meaningful difference. It created a space where shared experiences were understood, ambitions were valued, and tailored support felt relevant to the realities of building a minority-led educational business.
Looking ahead, Bermondsey Tuition Hub’s next goal is to expand its charitable work through activities and, hopefully, holiday camps for children. The aim is to reach more young people, make learning enjoyable, and ensure education feels accessible to families beyond those who can pay for tuition.
For Zamin, the Starting Up, Starting Out™ experience can be summed up in three words: Inspiring. Supportive. Transforming.
