Today marks the start of Communities Week, an annual celebration of all of the amazing things that people do to improve their neighbourhoods. At Power to Change, we’ll be celebrating the community businesses and their leaders taking steps to rebuild and recover their local areas and announcing support to enable them to continue supporting those in need.
#CommunitiesWeek
Today, we are proud to launch a new £5 million package of support to enable community businesses affected by the Covid-19 crisis adapt, renew and rebuild their businesses so they can remain financially viable and best serve their local communities during the pandemic’s ‘new normal’. Find out more about the Community Business Renewal Scheme.
Throughout the crisis, community spirit has felt heightened, with many people signing up to volunteer and give back locally. Not sure about the next steps to take or how you can get involved? Watch our ‘Helping Hand’ video, originally shown at this year’s Community Business Festival:
Or perhaps you’re wondering how to use your skills in a different way to support community organisations? Perhaps you could become a trustee? Find out more about who would be eligible (anyone!) and how to do it:
As always, Power to Change is here to support the community business sector, and our free Twine Visitor app allows you to sign people in on a tablet as they walk in to your community business, providing track and trace support.
Coming soon, we will be launching Community Business Trade Up, supporting businesses under five years old, to develop with a free learning programme and a Trade Back grant of up to £10,000. Trade Up gives community businesses the skills to grow your income from trading, have more impact and be sustainable.
Sign up for a free webinar to find out more about this transformative programme, and see if it’s right for you on Wednesday 15th October. The programme, run by School for Social Entrepreneurs with partners Power to Change are prioritising applications from communities hit hardest by Covid-19 including BAME-supporting organisations.
And don’t forget to check out our funding programmes that are already open:
The More than a Pub programme offers business development support, advice and loan and grant funding to community groups in England to help them establish community-owned pubs. Find out more about the More than a pub programme.
Community shares are an ideal way for communities to invest in businesses that serve a community purpose. Through Community Shares Booster programme, we offer support to get a community share offer off the ground and match fund it when you meet your target. Find out more about the Community Shares Booster programme.