The First EDP 2020 cohort under the new programme is made up of 63 organisations, who were accepted onto the programme in early 2020: 21 Homelessness, 16 Mental Health, 14 Equality, and 12 youth. We received a total of 150 applications and the overall success rate for applications was 42%.
Every region of England is represented overall, with two sectors (Homelessness and Mental Health) having at least one cohort member from each of the nine regions in their intakes.
In terms of diversity, the overall number of cohort members show a reasonable spread of leadership of people from different backgrounds:
All applicants | Successful applicants | |
Women-led | 63 (42%) | 29 (46%) |
BME-led | 23 (15%) | 12 (19%) |
Disability-led | 29 (19%) | 11 (17%) |
LGBT-led | 19 (13%) | 10 (16%) |
Please use the tabs to explore each of the cohort members and organisations we are supporting across each sector partner, and hear more about what they do and their hopes for how EDP will help them to maximise their impact.
Click to view all EDP 2020 Cohort organisations via our map through the image below.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
We have several enterprise activities that we would like to further develop including a community café, developing a weekly community cinema and a women’s sewing project and venue hire space of both our large main hall and smaller meeting rooms.
Key Hopes from Programme
We’re keen to build upon our entrepreneurial skillset and learn from comparable projects in other parts of the UK to enable the knowledge of best practice. Furthermore, we’re particularly keen to work on our commercial marketing and branding in order to attract future customers and potential business partners for future endeavors.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
We wish to develop the Community Group Programme (CGP), a 12-week psycho-educational, group work programme for children and young people who have experienced domestic violence in the family home. The Programme was developed in Canada and we originally rolled it out in England across 32 London boroughs with charitable funding from Comic Relief. The Programme is unique in working with children and their mothers concurrently and in a child-focused way.
Key Hopes from Programme
We’re keen to learn more about our potential customers and create a comprehensive marketing strategy. We’re also keen to learn alongside a group of like-minded organisations from across the equality sector and both and to assist one another in further growing our ideas.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
We have identified two associated areas of trading we want to develop and scale. Firstly, we want to develop our disability training, support and consultancy services to sell to other organisations. We are a Disability Confident Leader so we can support and assess other organisations through the process and levels of becoming Disability Confident and we want to develop an enhanced package of support we can sell. Secondly we developed disability awareness training for taxi drivers which is compulsory for all taxi drivers as part of the licence application process in Birmingham. We want to expand this in to other geographical areas.
Key Hopes from Programme
We are really excited to be part of the Enterprise Development Programme as it will mean we will be able to focus on developing our enterprise. Develop a competitive pricing structure. Learn from and share our learning with others. Develop a marketing plan for the enterprise. Be part of a peer mentoring network with other similar organisations.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
We want to leverage our knowledge and skills to develop from our existing activities and are open to considering different models and delivery partners. We would like to see how we can develop our training offer beyond the separate classroom based training and e-learning to extend our reach beyond the South East. Ideally, we would want to be able to support other activists and groups to deliver quality training across the country. We have some small funding to develop resources to support our cultural awareness theatre production but would be interested to see how this work could be integrated into the development of our other trading services.
Key Hopes from Programme
We’re keen to use this opportunity and thinking space to build additional skills and knowledge and an external perspective to review our current activity and the potential for development organisations.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
ICENA will, over the next twelve months deliver and develop online and classroom-based training. We have created a suite of training courses for the business, education, public and third sector. The training is split into three tiers; bronze, silver and gold and is a mixture of interactive and pre-recorded webinars. As well as delivering training we also intend to become an accreditation centre. This will enable us to not only deliver accredited training but also allow us to sell our training courses to other organisations through a train the trainer platform.
Key Hopes from Programme
Our key hopes for the programme are; To build relationships and partnerships with other organisations on the cohort. To build on our ideas and create a sustainable business. To learn, listen and share practices with others in the cohort and with our shareholders.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
We want to expand our trading activity by establishing an online shop, where people are able to purchase a range of products and consultancy services. Having received many enquiries about LGBT themed products and LGBT awareness training, we know there is a gap in the market. We already work in partnership with corporate organisations who offer a range of Pride products and have recently launched our Training Academy, which provides LGBT inclusion training. We therefore have access to stock, but need a platform. Setting up an online shop will facilitate sales, and generate vital unrestricted income to support our work.
Key Hopes from Programme
From the programme, we hope to be equipped with the skills and knowledge to be able to develop and execute our trading expansion plans. We hope to receive support throughout our journey, from the initial planning stages, to setting up the right infrastructure, to the implementation of the online shop. We also hope to link in closely with other organisations in our cohort, sharing learning as we progress, and forging long-term relationships.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
Our services include family law, immigration and welfare & benefits, discrimination, education and employment law to people on low incomes who cannot access legal aid. While most of our services are free, we have recently introduced a low cost, paid for service, for people who don’t meet its criteria for the free service. There is a high demand for this service, mainly from people looking for help in the area of immigration, but at present we’re only able to operate this service one day per week and would like support in further developing this offering.
Key Hopes from Programme
We hope that the programme will help us better develop our product menu and also drive sales and capacity for our paid for services. We’re also keen to work alongisde other civil society organisations during this enterprise journey.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
The current COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has highlighted to us; just how important it is to invest time in digitizing our training courses. We also aim to develop a range of sellable resources, aimed at professionals working with young people. These resources will empower professionals to initiate conversations about sexual/romantic orientation and gender diversity, with the young people they support. We will work alongside LGBTQ+ young people to develop training content/resources and product prototypes.
Key Hopes from Programme
Through the programme, we hope to gain support in developing our idea and develop meaningful connections with other organisations in the equality sector, expanding our support network that continues beyond the lifetime of the programme. As a community interest company, our aim is to reduce our reliance on grants and increase our trading income, allowing us to respond to community need more quickly and effectively.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
To start its enterprise journey, RAK has chosen a trading model of an online charity shop. This idea represents RAK’s response to the current environment and our role in it as a charity. The charity shop would trade items donated by the public by using an available online platform. A unique selling point would come from our clients who with their talents will improve, upcycle or customise donated clothes or furniture.
Key Hopes from Programme
RAK is hoping to start exploring enterprise model to diversify our charitable income. The expertise support from the programme will support our understanding of business processes so they could be embedded in the charity. We are looking to learn techniques to be able to build an effective business plan, identify potential customers and explore a legal side of trading.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
The Equality Trust wishes to support the sector by developing our consultancy work and training to advise on diversity, equality and related issues. Drawing on our expertise on corporate governance and pay inequalities, including equal pay and gender pay and bonus gaps, we are also developing related training in these areas.
Key Hopes from Programme
For The Equality Trust, our key hopes for the Enterprise Development Programme are: Develop a competitive pricing structure Develop and refine products that are bespoke and hone in on our USPs Learn from and share learning with peers and other programme participants.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
Wish is already trading in several areas, each service we provide is at a different stage with different target groups. We want to review and take forward as appropriate. We provide:
·Gender-specific advocacy to women in forensic units
· Gender training to staff in forensic units and in the community We are developing further services:
· Gender-specific counselling which is trauma informed, this is currently being piloted to build evidence to take forward as paid for/commissioned service
· Community Link Intensive support to women on leaving prison and secure units, we are just completing an evaluation which provides compelling evidence to present and gain commissioned services for women.
Key Hopes from Programme
We want to develop an integrated business model and implementation plan that boosts product development across our four traded activities. To include:
• Developing customer insights
• Strengthening customer relationship, marketing and communication channels.
• Improving customer acquisition and retention
• Increase sales across all four activities by marketing and promotion of our gender training modules, to include forensic units, prisons and community; extending our advocacy programme; further rolling out the gender-specific counselling; and gaining commissioned services for women we work with in the community.
We are also planning to develop a cooperative to help women develop the skills and experience they need to gain meaningful employment by carrying out a feasibility study and developing a business planning framework.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
WRC has recently redesigned our website and now have a shop function on the site. We would like to get our website shop up and running as it is currently dormant with the book as our first product for sale. We also wish to expand the products available, which would be products made by women, who would use our shop to sell them and donate a small percentage of the income to WRC for each sale. We envisage the shop growing with time and benefiting both WRC and women entrepreneurs, with a range of products for sale made by women. We therefore see this trading option as in line with our organisational values.
Key Hopes from Programme
We’re especially keen to work on our product design platform and costing strategies. Alongside this, we also want to build our technical skillset when it comes to platform design and commercial marketing.
Click below to see our Equality 2020 EDP Cohort Map
Accommodation Concern are looking to build on their current offer of providing supported accommodation through the housing first model increasing their income through rent. They are also looking at online sales of surplus donations as well as a new opportunity to take over a recycled paint project which also allows beneficiaries to be involved in the trading activity.
Key Hopes from Programme
We’re keen to build upon our entrepreneurial skill set and learn from comparable projects in other parts of the UK to enable the knowledge of best practice. Furthermore, we’re particularly keen to work on our commercial marketing and branding in order to attract future customers and potential business partners for future endeavors.
Made in Marylebone are looking to scale their existing offer of space hire for meetings and catering services both for which involve their service users to provide training and employment opportunities.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years be generating at least £100,000 per year from our meeting room hire and catering business combined, with at least £30,000 of this income generated by Munch in Marylebone.
They now want to open Clean Socks Furniture, a social enterprise that sells up-cycled furniture. The trading arm will operate as an independent operational entity, wholly owned by the company limited by guarantee.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years time we will be… employing 1 full time and 2 part-time members of staff. We will have a financially sustainable business with a turnover of £150,000 providing training for around 40 of our clients every year.
The daylight centre fellowship are looking to scale up their retail offer and grow online sales as well as test the feasibility of a horticulture project engaging their service users to grow produce to sell across the community.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years time we will be…. an increased trading income (circa 50% of turnover) from socially impactful and sustainable businesses
DEN’s currently have three trading areas, a bike up-cycling shop, a coffee cart and a catering offer all of which involve their service users. They are looking to develop these areas and solidify their offer.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years time…have three tremendous social enterprises that will have changed many many lives and made valuable funds for DENS while offering fabulous services to the public and businesses.
Ellas are looking to grow their traded income through rental income and property management which will also increase the amount of beneficiaries they are able to support.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years time… we will have tripled income from trading activities
Handcrafted are looking to scale their construction and renovation trading offer to new regions and engage more vulnerable people through growing this activity.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years time…We will have three established renovation projects and a diverse network of small enterprises employing people with lived experience of homelessness.
Invisible Cities are looking to scale their walking tour offer to franchise to more cities in England.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years time….Be a leader in sustainable tourism in the UK and Europe
NE Homeless are looking to develop their social enterprise offer of a hub offering pop-up spaces, venue hire as well as looking at other areas to develop in.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years time…have a number of social businesses, generating surplus and have excellent employment/training outcomes for service users, which will also allow them stability around their tenancy or living arrangements.
Our project, Paper Cup Coffee, is the launch of a coffee shop/cafe which will offer opportunities to enable homeless and those vulnerably housed to develop skills and confidence and enable them to get back into the workplace.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years time… Have a proven success rate of supporting people back into full time employment in the hospitality industry from within a profit making business.
Second Shot Coffee are looking to scale their trading activity throughout their coffee shops and increase the number of trainees they can support. They have also recently acquired their own brand of coffee beans too.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years time…Be an established, debt-free business that has grown organically through new venues and online growth.
Settle are looking to scale their trading activity by winning local authority contracts to franchise across England and support more young people to maintain tenancies.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years time….Be selling our programmes nationally, winning multi year contracts with a sustainable business model that generates £1m+ turnover and enables us to support 1000 young people per year.
Shiloh have been looking to become more enterprising and have two areas of growth, an online Ebay shop and the possibility of becoming a social landlord or manage properties for their beneficiaries.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years time….Have multiple properties and a thriving eBay trading project.
Solo Housing Association are looking to develop trading activity in becoming a social lettings agency through managing properties on behalf on non-professional landlords.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years…be a more robust organisation in receipt of more diverse revenue streams to address homelessness needs in our catchment areas.
Standing Tall CIO are looking to develop their trading offer to support homeless individuals in Birmingham intro employment through a social imapct recruitment model whilst also workign with local landlords to arrange short term lodgings.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years….we will have developed a number of Standing Tall trading enterprises as vehicles to employ people who had previously been experiencing homelessness.
Arc are developing their cleaning and maintenance trading model across their properties to offer beneficaries training and employment. They will need expand their offer across the community.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years time…Financially sustainable enterprise with progressing customer base and plans to expand further and having agreed target numbers of former clients in employment.
The Foyer Federation are growing their trading activity through focusing on the development of a leadership programme and asset based learning approach – advantage thinking. Both will support sector knowledge and allow them to work with more individuals.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years time…We will have developed two additional communities of practice outside of our current network that contribute an additional 150-200k of income per year. We will have won contracts with local authorities to deliver asset based quality development programmes to their commissioned youth support services. We will have developed an online network of ‘young influencers’ that connects young people across our communities of practice and amplifies their talents, voice and campaign.
The Friary are developing a retail trading model to open a charity shop, providing training opportunities, a new income stream and a focal point for supporters away from the operational site.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years….Have a charity shop making profits that can be fed back into the charity.
The running charity are growing their trading offer to launch a Virtual Race Platform which will enable TRC to host virtual running events to cooperates and individuals. The second phase would be to launch corporate wellbeing and fitness training delivered by graduates of the programmes.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years time…1) Have grown enterprise income to cover 25-33% of organisation costs 2) To have diversified enterprise range and services 3) To have our enterprise creating meaningful employment to at least 3 young people.
Unseen tours plan to develop 3 trading activities: engaging corporate clients with a bespoke offer of private tours and away days, engaging student groups with a bespoke offer for schools, universities and language students and developing more tour routes for the public.
Key Hopes from Programme
2) In three years…be financial resilient, able to pay guides and other members of staff to run the business without grant funding (through our enterprise activities), and be able to employ more homeless people.
Click below to view the Homelessness 2020 cohort organisations via our map.

Top-Line Enterprise Idea
Anxious Minds are keen to explore selling their counselling and back to work services to businesses in the North East area.
Key Hopes from Programme
Three years from now we will… be able to use trading surpluses to ensure we can sustainably support more people in crisis, with better mental health and well-being services and also emergency accommodation.
Top-Line Enterprise Idea
Arts on Prescription services for groups of people in health centres, care centres or business settings, focused on a creative health coaching approach and developing self-sustained ‘move on’ plans.
Key Hopes from Programme
Three years from now we will… have built our earned income to constitute at least 25% of our total income. We’ll begin to receive enquiries through word-of-mouth, having built an effective reputation.
Top-Line Enterprise Idea
The selling of arts and crafts materials, potentially via online retail and a physical premises. The product range and desired market segment(s) are to be tested through some feasibility work and market research.
Key Hopes from Programme
Three years from now we will… be at a stage of significant growth and able to employ more staff with confidence, have a physical space and be delivering wellbeing workshops and gallery space.
Top-Line Enterprise Idea
Counselling and coaching services for individuals affected by cancer, sold to employers to form part of their employee support packages.
Key Hopes from Programme
Three years from now we will… be generating £20k of annual revenue from this new service.
Top-Line Enterprise Idea
Harmless deliver bespoke training programmes centred around mental health, self-harm prevention, and suicide prevention. Training content consists of facilitated face-to-face sessions and virtual learning environment which facilitates e-learning. These programmes are delivered through Local Authority and CCG commissioned work, and through more proactive “external sales” to individual businesses and VCSE organisations.
Key Hopes from Programme
Three years from now Harmless are aiming to… have significantly increased the percentage of trading income through training sales
Top-Line Enterprise Idea
Art Therapy services for Health, Education and Corporate sectors utilising indoor and/or outdoor spaces. Supporting mental health, increasing confidence and resilience, reducing stress levels and building social connection.
Key Hopes from Programme
Top-Line Enterprise Idea
The organisation are exploring developing and extending their training services for local community VCSE organisations. They are looking to build on their experience of delivering digital training in subjects such as domestic abuse, mental health, data protection, health & safety to additionally offer organisational consultancy services to help issues around sustainability, governance and action planning.
Key Hopes from Programme
Three years from now we aim… to create an income of £50K per annum, whilst looking to grow that by 10% per year, and to be in a position to begin to generate a surplus.
Top-Line Enterprise Idea
The digital Hope Programme is accessible by smartphone, tablet or computer, and comprises of text, images, downloadable documents, links to external websites. The content is configured into interactive activities (quizzes, self-monitoring tools, diaries) to be used by participants (with long-term conditions) to learn and consolidate self-management skills. Completion of the programme, sees an average of 40% improvement in depression and anxiety and 40% increase in skills to manage own health.
Key Hopes from Programme
Three years from now we will… be a sustainable enterprise with 3 staff, annual turnover of £450k with net profit growth of 5% annually. Reaching 10,000 participants per year through portfolio of at least 30 partner organisations.
Top-Line Enterprise Idea
Services for businesses which comprise of bite-size presentations, workshops and coaching. All services increase knowledge and understanding of how to deal with mental health issues in the workplace.
Key Hopes from Programme
Three years from now Illuminate are aiming to… be able to generate a third of our turnover from trading income
Top-Line Enterprise Idea
A variety of wellbeing focused products manufactured at the Just for Women Centre, supported by the stories of women who have been able to positively transform their lives.
Key Hopes from Programme
Three years from now we will… have unlocked new markets with continued innovation of new products and services, with a recognised brand supported by the transformation stories of our beneficiaries. And we will be more sustainable.
Top-Line Enterprise Idea
Wellbeing in the workplace services to help reenergise, engage and motivate employees within a work setting. The offer comprises of bespoke workshops, wellbeing weeks and train the trainer programmes.
Key Hopes from Programme
Three years from now Make a Move are aiming to…derive half our income from traded services.
Top-Line Enterprise Idea
A new school-focused mental health qualification. Through the postgraduate diploma, individuals will develop the knowledge and skills to become the mental health specialist in their school and help address the various mental health issues and situations that arise in schools.
Key Hopes from Programme
Three years from now we will… be in a position where the School Mental Health Specialist qualification will be seen as the main mental health qualification for schools seeking in-house mental health expertise.
Top-Line Enterprise Idea
The Bazaar programme is an online-based mindfulness and CBT programme aimed at supporting individuals in creative and time efficient ways to improve their mental health, resilience and knowledge around emotional health triggers. Current customers comprise of large institutions such as young person-focused businesses and universities.
Key Hopes from Programme
Three years from now Open Door Centre are aiming to… have key customers across the country who will be using our programmes for the benefit of individual beneficiary’s and generating significant, diverse income to protect our charity’s longevity
Top-Line Enterprise Idea
Oasis Gardening Services currently provides gardening services to private residents of Sheffield, whilst providing employment opportunities for individuals living with mental ill-health. The services are considered to have potential to extend in their remit, (e.g. towards planting services) but also in terms of customer type (e.g. local VCSEs and businesses).
Key Hopes from Programme
Three years from now Sheffield Flourish are aiming to…have taken on bigger contracts with businesses and the VCS with a larger pool of gardeners with mental health lived experience, who have been through a training progression programme to become one of our gardeners.
Top-Line Enterprise Idea
A Mental Health specific Employee Assistance Programme (MHEAP). This will involve launching a multi-tiered, mental health-focussed programme of support that organisations could buy-in as a product.
Key Hopes from Programme
At the end of the EDP support we will… have developed a self-funding and sustainable trading model that we can then grow, based on providing substantial mental health support to employees of organisations.
Three years from now we will… have embedded a service delivery model that brings in a sustainable revenue stream into the organisation, supporting companies to better support their staff with their mental health. We will have a robust delivery model in place and any profits created from this business model would be used to create more services to better support the local community at no charge.
Top-Line Enterprise Idea
Tyneside Counselling Service CIC has been set up to use the charity’s counselling expertise to deliver ‘paid for’ counselling services to the general public and businesses.
Key Hopes from Programme
At the end of the EDP support Tyneside Women’s Health aims to… have the service up and running, developed a business plan and marketing plan, and broken even.
Three years from now Tyneside Women’s Health are aiming to… be generating a surplus that is sufficient to cover overheads and donate sums back to the charity of approximately £5000, explore other markets such as EAP where increased surplus can be generated.
Click the image below to view the EDP Mental Health 2020 Cohort map.

Top Line Enterprise Idea
We are developing one of our most successful projects as a stand-alone cost-effective resource which can be bought by schools and community groups around the country, while developing the leadership skills of the young people who take part.
Key Hopes for the Programme
The feasibility study which we carried out, funded by SIB, determined that our project has the potential to impact on many young lives, so securing the support through the EDP was just a natural progression for us.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
We wish to continue to develop our Futures Academy and Experience Lab programmes time reach more young people through possible social franchising or licensing approaches.
Key Hopes for the Programme
We received a feasibility grant to test our idea which has been very successful for us and we wish to continue this work through the EDP programme with further support.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
Following participation in Round 1 of the programme we carried out some research with consultants as well consultation with parent carers. We looked at revenue streams for the organisation which we would like to diversify. Families told us that in Sunderland there was a lack of soft play facilities suitable for families where there is a child with disabilities eg with quiet areas, large changing facilities, adapted café areas, accessible parking etc. We would therefore like to develop an accessible soft play area suitable and accessible for all the family where there is a disabled child. This is in line with our mission and would enhance the support services we currently offer.
Key Hopes for the Programme
As an organisation we are keen to diversify our income streams to become more sustainable. The EDP presents this opportunity while staying true to Grace House mission. We need the expertise and resources the programme can offer to carry out a detailed feasibility study. We have only carried out some initial research both in terms of the parent/family consultations but also in terms of identifying premises, financial planning, looking at similar successful models. Both Trustees and staff are very excited at the potential for this enterprise and welcome the invaluable support from the programme.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
Break is developing a mobile coffee training enterprise, called “CoffeeBreak” for our young people to develop and learn hospitality, and entrepreneurial, skills in a safe and supportive environment. However, our young people have decided that they would also like to develop their own CoffeeBreak Beans to sell on the CoffeeBreak vehicle, in our 50 charity shops and through our corporate and community supporter network. So, our idea is to develop a coffee roasting enterprise through which our young people can develop skills and qualifications of their choosing, for example, business, marketing, packaging, logistics and distribution, alongside barista and hospitality.
Key Hopes for the Programme
The Enterprise Development Programme was the crucial link in the chain for us to develop our CoffeeBreak mobile coffee training enterprise, as it provided the seed funding for the feasibility study. Three of our care experienced young people undertook this study with support and mentoring from the Norwich Business School, from the University of East Anglia. This feasibility study then enabled us to secure further funding to develop the CoffeeBreak project further, recruit an Enterprise and Youth Development Lead, and purchase our first CoffeeBreak van!
Top Line Enterprise Idea
We have now trained over 600 young people, many have stayed in touch with us. We are proposing to develop an enterprise whereby we use our own core staff skills + our trained apprentices in Film & Television and Games Design to take on Corporate Contracts, Government Contracts, Charity Contracts to provide the commercial world our ‘industry standard production skills’ and in doing so bring in additional finance to our organisation making it more sustainable and also to provide our young people with work experience. Many young people struggle to get into their first job and so by us employing them they immediately go from education into a job, and getting work on their CV.
Key Hopes for the Programme
We are involved in the EDP because we are looking for support to take us into the next stage of our enterprise. We were in a good forward momentum stage just before lockdown and feel we need to retrieve that lost time and so the support that EDP can give in terms of expertise, advice and finance would enable us to move more speedily into a profitable enterprise stage and in doing so we will be able to help more young people, more speedily and more successfully.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
Our Enterprise concept is called Bold and Brave: it is an innovative test and learn employment project for 450 vulnerable young people in Somerset per year. It combines a retail venture with employment and life skills training, whilst challenging stigma and tackling isolation. It is based on a pilot of 4 6-week pop-up shops in 2019. Our ambition is to develop a self-sustaining and scale-able model.
Key Hopes for the Programme
Young Somerset is delighted to be involved in the EDP as we have had ambitions to diversify our offer to Somerset’s young people to include enterprise, entrepreneurship and trading. We support young people who tell us that they want to learn the skills to work for themselves as much as to work for others; who want to be creative; who want to find their way of working that embeds them in their community. This programme will enable us to support young people in an innovative and productive way that is bespoke to them – creating sustainable skills for their long-term economic activity.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
Our project is twofold, to build an 11 v 11 All Weather Sport facility and renovate our Pavilion which was built in 1933. By building an All Weather pitch on our 14 acres we will reduce maintenance costs and increase footfall. This will cost in the region of £600,000 to build and we are in discussion with our local Council, FA and the Football Foundation as there are grants available of up to around 65% to support this type of facility. We are trying to raise funds towards the 65% and so far have raised £10,000. The second part of the project is to renovate the Pavilion, orginally built in 1933. We will build a community space where we plan to run various training/educational opportunities for young people as well as hiring it out to local organisations. This space will be managed by young people for young people.
Key Hopes for the Programme
We were successful in getting an Enterprise Grant from SIB to undertake a feasibility study on new ways to trade. The outcome of this report was that local stakeholders told us that they wanted to see a 11 v 11 AW Pitch as this would allow for sport all year whereas currently they rely on good weather from November to February due to the area being grass. They also stated that they would like to see an updated pavilion. This support from the EDP programme could help us to more forward and take the next step into trading differently.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
Our enterprise idea is to sell artisan bread made by disadvantaged young people. The project will initially provide a nurturing space for young men who are facing difficult life challenges, especially with mental health and wellbeing, to be able to talk in a relaxed, supportive way. The project will not overtly be focused on ‘talking about feelings’ but will use the therapeutic benefits of baking bread as a springboard. We anticipate working with small groups which will enable bonding and relationships to form between the participants, many of whom are socially isolated. Baking bread enables skill development in planning and timekeeping, working with numbers and proportions, and healthy eating.
Key Hopes for the Programme
We believe there is potential in our idea to provide a different angle to support the personal and social progression of vulnerable young people and generate income for Soft Touch Arts. We have a commercial kitchen in our building which is under-used – we run a café staffed by young people two lunchtimes a week, which generates a small profit, and also use the kitchen to run healthy eating sessions for young people. This idea relates to capitalising on the kitchen to generate more income for Soft Touch whilst offering an additional activity to support our target participants.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
‘YEP Breakers’ a vehicle scrap-page Social Enterprise to be run by and for our young people. We train young people on how to dismantle scrap cars and we sell any parts that are usable.
Key Hopes for the Programme
We are part of the EDP to develop the ‘YEP Breakers’ project and YEP’s capacity to deliver services to its users.
Top Line Enterprise Idea
Our enterprise idea is to effect systemic change at a deeper level, and develop our income through trade of our trauma informed consultancy and training into community partners (for example local authorities and police forces).
Key Hopes for the Programme
We are involved with the EDP programme to support our plan and develop our enterprise over the next three years and have a space to share our learning with others.
