Oru’s Four Pillars of Purpose

With the name Oru derived from Tamil meaning ‘For One’, community is at the heart of everything we do. Whether it’s through co-working, hospitality or wellbeing, we believe bringing people together and supporting one another creates change - an inter-connected foundation from which social impact can flourish. Purpose-driven and people-centred, we currently have many social initiatives unfolding that support the local community.

OPPORTUNITY

  • We believe in careers, not jobs. We strive to create a working environment that supports employees in their ambitions, nurturing talent and providing opportunity for growth and progression.

    We offer free wellbeing classes, coworking space, daily staff lunch, paid volunteering days, opportunities for free spots on our retreats and are London Living Wage accredited.

  • Our hiring process is inclusive and anti-discriminatory, reflected in our management team being 63% female and 38% LGBTQ+. We have provided starter jobs to 9 people who were not previously employed, or out of work for over a year, and 6 of our employees don't have English as their first language.

  • Supporting local initiatives, organisations, small businesses and schools allows Oru to be connected its surrounding communities.

    We are committed to serve at least 75% local and independent clients/ customers.

    Oru donates profits from the sale of our sparkling water to the Albrighton Centre (Dulwich) and Community Works food bank (Sutton.)

    Partnerships Include:

    PECAN Foodbank, Migrant Help UK, Meet Bernard, Gathered, Dulwich Festival, Mull Club, Harris Academy, LEO Schools, Age UK and Well Grounded Coffee Training Academy.

SUSTAINABILITY

    • Rainwater collection tank

    • Low flow mist nozzle taps

    • Thermal massing (no aircon!)

    • Zero virgin material build

    • Stack effect ventilation

    • Single-use plastic free restaurant

    • Compostable takeaway containers and utensils

    • Fully vegetarian/vegan menu

    • Sustainable, locally sourced fresh produce

    • Alternative non-dairy milks free of charge

    • We donate the profits made from the sparkling water to the Albrighton Centre the Sutton Community Works Food Bank

    • Our furniture and decor is sourced second-hand or from sustainable suppliers.

    • Zero virgin materials: utilising brick and materials already on site from the old BHS building to re-design Oru Sutton.

BIODIVERSITY

  • We use propagated and rescue plants to fill our workspaces; improving air quality, boosting mood, relieving stress and curating spaces that live, breathe and nurture both plant and human life.

  • We are committed to creating green spaces amongst our sites that allow plant and animal life to thrive without human intervention.

    Inspired by our courtyard in East Dulwich, which hosts an abundance of plant and insect life, our vast rooftop space at Oru Sutton will feature a pond and many secluded green spots for bees, birds, insects and more.

  • At Oru Sutton composting will allow us to grow our own fruit and veg for the restaurant, using planting beds and a greenhouse to accommodate different growing environments.

ACCESSIBILITY

  • Coworking is a privilege for many, and is not always an affordable expense. To combat this, Oru’s bounceback membership scheme gives up to 40 free hot-desking memberships each year to those who may be starting a new business, searching for work or have recently become freelance.

    We offer use of our meeting and talk therapy rooms to local organisations and enterprises at heavily discounted rates.

  • Each week we host 2 free 30-minute community meditation classes, helping to support wellbeing during busy working days in a way that's accessible for all. It's been great to see a community of regular meditators flourishing, with over 1000 total attendees so far and counting!

    Every month we host Chair yoga, a free community class for those with limited mobility in mind. This has helped us connect to those who may have not considered yoga as something accessible to them.

    Oru is committed to donating at least 5% or more of our time to provide pro-bono services like the above, in order to ensure that we can serve the whole communities needs, not just few.

  • Our community cook-ups are welcoming, judgement-free evenings for people to come and eat, drink and enjoy performances. Our last two events have been to support Migrant Help, a local charity aiding people affected by displacement and exploitation. Over 150 people have joined us for home-cooked food, cake and live music by our staff, and it has been an amazing way to meet families new to the community and make them feel more welcome in a place so far from home.

    Trinco, Oru’s Sri-Lankan restaurant is driven to be accessible in price - with a main meal of rice, dahl and potato peretal costing £11.30.