Started: June 2011
Based: London
Website: www.dotdotdotproperty.com
Twitter: @3dotproperty
Category: Community Action

Dot Dot Dot is a social enterprise that lets people who volunteer locally live as property guardians in buildings that would otherwise be empty.

The volunteers are given affordable accommodation and property owners are able to protect their buildings.

Dot Dot Dot was founded by Katherine Hibbert who came up with the idea after discovering the number of empty properties in the UK had reached almost half a million, while many people can’t actually afford to rent or get onto the property ladder.

The Dot Dot Dot property guardians usually have to pay around £50 a week towards running costs and a £500 deposit. They are encouraged to decorate the buildings they live in.

Since 2012, Dot Dot Dot property guardians have contributed over 20,0000 hours to charitable projects including The RNLI, Samaritans, The Big House Theatre Company and Spitafields City Farm.

The team are now hoping to expand the intiative outside of London and to sign up a bigger roster of commercial landlords.