In the final of this blog series, we’re looking back at this difficult, unforgettable year and the many ways Power to Change had to adapt to support community businesses during the pandemic, specifically at how we celebrated the sector in 2020.
We made time to celebrate everything that makes the community business sector so incredible…
With in-person events like Community Business Weekend postponed and then cancelled, we moved online, hosting our first-ever Community Business Festival. The event, on Zoom and Facebook Premiere showcased 35 different community businesses and attracted over 220 people joining our live sessions, not to mention those who joined us on Facebook for live premieres of over 21 pre-produced videos. It was our biggest social media campaign, reaching over 389,000 people on Facebook alone.
We relaunched our podcast this year with a brand-new look and name (Then One Day…) and welcomed our brilliant new host, Veronica Gordon. Despite logistical challenges, we heard from community businesses all over the country, from Jubilee Pool in Penzance to Stitched Up in Manchester. These stories show the human side of community businesses, introducing us to the people behind them – the people who wanted to make a difference to their community, and then one day they did.
This year has been a rollercoaster. We’ve lost face-to-face interactions, and instead are relying on video calls and instant messaging to maintain those vital connections. At Power to Change we formed new teams, collaborated and pushed ourselves to ensure we provided the highest quality support possible. 2021 will bring its own challenges, as the organisation begins to deliver a new five–year strategy to advocate for and strengthen the community business sector.
We’ve had some fantastic successes in 2020, but one thing that the whole Power to Change team has missed has been visiting community businesses, stopping for a cuppa and a chat. Next year, we’re looking forward to getting out there again, in person – and we can’t wait to see you!