Be Involved secures ERDF funding for social enterprise support

Be Involved has secured funding for a new programme of enterprise support which will see the amount of assistance to community organisations and social enterprises increase dramatically over the next two years. Building on the success of the Kickstart small business mentoring programme, which now has over 100 volunteer mentors from established companies working with new and growing businesses in the district, we have been succesful in securing European Regional Development funding for the delivery of a business brokerage service to SME's and social enterprises in the district.

Under this new initiative we will be matching organisations with support from the private sector including skills sharing, pro bono work and mentoring. Be Involved supporters will have the opportunity to work with a whole range of organisations which include a really diverese range of socially responsible businesses. Some of the organisations already being helped include:

• Manningham Mills Community Association - a community centre based in the redeveloped Listers Mill which has recieved a environmental review and support with energy consumption
• Schools Linking Network - a programme to tackle a range of cultural barriers through creating connections between schoools and other organisation which are recieving support to develop a sustainable corporate engagement startegy
• Scholemoor Beacon Ltd - ongoing assistance for the redevelopment and use of the former Scholemoor Sporst Stadium site
• Bradford Community Environment Project - support in securing business volunteers for environmental projects in Shipley
• The Delius Centre - business development and management mentoring for a new arts centre in Bradford

Other elements of the programme include environmental support to social enterprises and the opportunity for SME's to receive assistance with developing their community engagement strategies and activities.

As part of the new programme there are some new faces in the Be Involved team. Joining us in September as the project coordinator willl be Gemma Firth and Sam Saxby, currently employed by Bradford Chamber to manage the Better Buisness Environment Forum will be spending one day a week providing specialist environmental support to social enterprises. A further full time project facilitator will be joining the team shortly.

If your business would like to be involved in this exciting project we can find the right opportunities for you. If you would like to discuss this with a member of the Be Involved team, or if your social enterprise might benefit from support through the programme, call Claudia Powell on 01274 770458 or email claudia.powell@beinvolved.co.uk