We spoke to Area Operations Manager Sara Godfrey about how the hospice has integrated a commercial venture into its broader mission of community care and support, all while navigating challenges in the competitive cleaning industry.

“The biggest challenge for St Helena Hospice, is ensuring we can raise enough funds to keep everything going. It costs around £54,000 a day to run the Hospice, but that’s often something that the public don’t realise. They see the hospice as a community support system, which it absolutely is, but without the support of volunteers and the money raised by fundraising, it wouldn’t be able to survive”
Sara Godfrey, Area Operations Manager

St Helena Hospice has been a cornerstone of the community for nearly 40 years, providing essential care and support services. However, in recent years, the financial landscape has become more challenging due to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and rising living costs. The hospice receives only 20% of its funding from the NHS, with the remaining 80% coming from lottery revenue, retail shops, and fundraising efforts. Recognising the need for sustainable income streams, the hospice’s commercial team began exploring franchise opportunities.

Having already seen success through other franchise acquisition, the purchase of the Total Clean franchise was driven by a strategic decision to diversify income sources while ensuring alignment with the hospice’s values. Total Clean, a family-run business operating for 35 years, was selected due to its commitment to high standards, particularly in clinical cleaning—a natural fit given the hospice’s expertise.

Ingleton Wood LLP
Total Clean Colchester have been absolutely fantastic since taking over our cleaning contract. The offices are spotless and their representatives are a joy to work with. The best thing is that we are able to support the superb work of St Helena through the service that Total Clean provide.”

David Cresswell, Managing Partner

Dusting off the competition

Upon acquiring the Total Clean franchise, the team immediately focused on building a strong client base in its home territory of Colchester, and nearby towns of Ipswich, and Chelmsford. With a team of 50 cleaners and three operations managers, the company now provides regular cleaning services to 25 businesses, including large offices, dental practices, GP surgeries, and even car showrooms.

Ideal for businesses operating in larger office spaces, Total Clean distinguishes itself by offering more than just cleaning services; it integrates a social value promise. Clients receive regular audits and certificates recognising their contribution to the hospice’s mission, which enhances their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) profile as well as regular shout out on social media by the hospice. Total Clean have adopted the tagline “Gaining a Service While Giving Back” encapsulating how businesses not only benefit from a great clean, but they are also supporting their community.

Colchester Orthodontic Centre

We have been customers of Total Clean since October 2023, and we are very pleased with the standards that they deliver.  From the day-to-day cleaning standards to the monthly audits, I feel confident that we have made the right choice with our cleaning requirements. Thank you Total Clean!

Karina Fogarty, Practice Manager

A Tough Spot

The key challenges for Total Clean are around awareness and profitability. Operating a commercial cleaning business produces a narrow profit margin, particularly when navigating increased costs related to staffing, materials, and operational logistics. For Total Clean, In support of St Helena breaking even in the first year was a significant milestone, but the team is focused on growing revenue to meet their ambitious target of generating £1,000,000 by the end of the year.

Another challenge has been raising awareness about the commercial side of the hospice’s operations. While St Helena is well-known for its care services, the Total Clean initiative required a different approach to marketing, emphasising the service aspect rather than direct fundraising. Without the budget for extensive advertising, marketing efforts for Total Clean have been grassroots-driven, relying on networking, cold calling, and community engagement to build awareness and attract clients.

With some ambitious growth plans to expand into new areas, including Southend and Romford,  Area Operations Manager, Sara Godfrey recognised the need to seek some external help and advice, to put their plans into action.

Through her professional connections, and attendance at the Essex Chamber of Commerce networking meetings Sara met Patrick Maynard from Let’s Do Business Group, who introduced her to a business support programme fully funded by the North Essex Economic Board.

Designed to support businesses with the vital advice, access to finance and skills training they need to grow, Businesses based in North Essex districts such as Braintree, Chelmsford, Colchester, Maldon, and Tendring, can call upon a team of experienced business advisors or attend programmes of free webinars and workshops tailored towards business finance topics. This programme is one of the many implemented by the North Essex Economic Board, as a part of their ‘North Essex Vision’ strategy for economic development and growth.

“I met Patrick a while ago and he told me he worked on a business support programme. We met for a coffee and I chewed his ear off about the Hospice’s needs and what we’re doing. He’s just been amazing, a really good mentor. He put me in touch with different companies and networking events, and we actually won some business through him as well.
Patrick reminded me that people buy people and that it’s important to use our personality to get our message across. He helped me to get to more networking meetings and events, and be able to represent Total Clean and the hospice and present our mission and message across.”
Sara Godfrey, Area Operations Manager

A clean future

Looking ahead, the long-term goal for Total Clean is to fully repay the initial franchise investment and significantly increase the funds contributed to St Helena Hospice. As the business grows, the hospice hopes this will become a major revenue stream, helping to cover the daily rising operating costs.

Total Clean is a true representation of a successful fusion of commercial enterprise and charitable mission. By providing high-quality cleaning services and reinvesting all profits into St Helena Hospice, the franchise not only supports the hospice’s financial needs but also strengthens its ties to the community. This innovative approach demonstrates how non-profits can leverage business ventures to achieve sustainability and continue their essential work.