Marks & Spencer and Power to Change are working together to support community businesses to transform local economies by with an innovative new project: The Community Business Challenge.
This film gives a flavour of our first flagship event in Liverpool, where seven finalist community businesses showcased their work to a prestigious judging panel.
All seven finalists won receive a package of £10,000 funding and business support:
- TARGET Football in Toxteth will expand the Stany Fields sports centre so that it reaches more people, offers more sporting activities, and benefits the community for years to come.
- The Rotunda in Kirkdale will be developing a garden bistro, complete with a new healthy menu, staff training and a new external event catering service.
- Lister Steps, which provides affordable childcare in Tuebrook, use their win to create a skills and education programme, community gardens and a café.
- Kitty’s Laundrette in Anfield will use their funds and support to develop their business operations in preparation for their launch in the new year.
- HomeGrown Collective, which delivers horticulture training in Anfield, will be exploring and developing innovative new food and drinks projects with the expertise of M&S staff.
- Homebaked, a community bakery in Anfield, will create a new production facility, freeing up the bakery for training and courses.
- The Florrie, a community heritage venue in Dingle, will hire a chef to create a tasty, affordable menu for their community café.
The Community Business Challenge was piloted in the Liverpool City Region in 2018, as part of M&S’s Community Transformation Programme. The retailer is currently trialing a range of actions in Liverpool to help tackle the issues that matter most to communities – such as unemployment, skill shortages, loneliness, mental health and wellbeing.