Birmingham philanthropist tells the story

Local social entrepreneur Bhavesh Patel puts his story on the map.

Lawyer, philanthropist, and founder of Storyteller, Bhavesh Patel has turned his passion into a purpose driven company with a social mission, focusing on helping individuals in underprivileged areas of the world obtain access to education.

Practicing as a lawyer for a number of years, Bhav knew that he wanted to do more. After years of volunteering for a number of charities and projects all over the world, he turned his passion into philanthropy, creating Storyteller in April 2018, a company that manufactures and sells travel accessories but also does good by using a share of its profits, resources and volunteers to help individuals in underprivileged communities.

To do this, Storyteller partners with like-minded organisations such as Unicef NextGen (UK), Global Citizen and The Barefoot College as well as a team of dedicated volunteers across the globe to facilitate the development and implementation of educational programmes and workshops in underprivileged nations.

Whilst travelling, Bhav discovered many incredible sights, but also got a first-hand perspective on one of the world’s biggest problems – children not having access to quality education. When he visited India and Peru the problem hit home, and he discovered the real, long-term effects of the lack of education and the impact this was having in these countries.

“I will never forget the experiences I had in those local communities. It made me understand how big the problem really was and how the deprivation of education was not only a long-term consequence for the individuals affected, but also for the next generation who become part of a repeat cycle of inequality and poverty.”

Bhav couldn’t understand why the issue surrounding education for young people and adults was still a constant, ongoing battle. He simply wanted to make a change and believes that the Storyteller community he has created will help to build the communication around this issue, creating global awareness amongst those who want to travel and make a real impact in the world.

Bhav commented on the exciting venture, setting up the company with a social purpose:

“I set up Storyteller after leaving a comfortable job and stepping boldly into the entrepreneurial world, to create a company which was meaningful and encouraged people to travel more and ultimately, do good! Although banks and investors only look at profit margins, I wanted to create a company that was not just about making money, but for a higher cause bringing individuals from around the world together to create a positive impact.”

Storyteller shares how travel helps us see the world, grow as individuals, but also helps us to understand how we can all do our bit to help eradicate global problems. Over 750 million people in the world do not have the ability to read, 66% of those are women, highlighting the importance even more so for sustainable projects and funding initiatives to help impact and eradicate such a huge global issue.

“My vision is not just for Storyteller to do good as a brand, but to bring together passionate travellers from around the world in unity, with a mission to make a change in the world. I hope many more people will support us and join us in this incredible journey we’ve already started, and together we can make a big difference for our future generations.”

To find out more about the work Bhav and the Storyteller team do, visit the website or follow them on social media @StorytellerTeam.