Stories
These are the stories of amazing community businesses across the country working to make their communities better places to live. Get inspired.
Region
Type
Evolving out of the New Deal for Communities in the early 2000s, Back on the Map is a changemaking community business based in Hendon, on the outskirts of Sunderland, which works to make Hendon a place of opportunity to live, work and thrive by creating a better place, a stronger community and a local voice.
On the High Lanes estate in Gateshead, Edberts House is more than just a building—it’s a warm, welcoming space that has been that listening ear
since 2009. With a pioneering approach to community-led health and wellbeing, Edberts House is proving that real change starts on your doorstep.
Community businesses are making an impact in Grimsby, creating local employment opportunities, tackling deprivation and restoring pride in the community, while finding new ways to generate income to become self-sustaining.
Founded in 1977, October Books is a co-operative, a radical neighbourhood bookshop and community hub in Southampton. The shop provides a mixed retail offering, complemented by a range of spaces available for hire for community-led events and services.
Beginning life as a heritage organisation, Legacy West Midlands has become a catalyst to the growth of the social economy in Soho and Handsworth. As well as delivering health, wellbeing, culture, and youth programmes to its community, it now has a hand in connecting local community groups and social entrepreneurs.
West Midlands Combined Authority is committed to tackling inequalities through inclusive growth. To do this, they have set out a bold vision to double the size of the social economy.
We've partnered with West Midlands Combined Authority to implement their social economy growth strategy, making the West Midlands a better place to live and work in, for everyone.
The North East Combined Authority is determined to maximise the region’s potential and address deprivation and socio-economic challenges facing their communities. Power to Change is supporting this goal with a partnership to help grow and develop the region’s social economy.
Liverpool City Region is transforming into a place with a diverse and vibrant social economy, circulating profits locally to tackle deprivation head on.
Since 2018, Power to Change has partnered with Liverpool City Region to help grow and develop the community business sector, as part of the wider social economy.
As entertainment venues across the country are struggling, Star and Shadow Cinema is offering a vibrant, multi-arts and community-focused programme to the community in Newcastle’s East End. They’re breathing new life into their local area and inspiring and training the next generation of entertainment.
After saving a cherished Victorian grade II listed ballroom through a community share offer, Friends of Stretford Public Hall have transformed the space into a vibrant community hub. They've now set their sights on helping the community have more say over their town centre's regeneration, including through participation in our Community Improvement District pilot.
Empowering residents in a new build estate to create the community assets and shared spaces they want and need.
Three Seas is helping to tackle the housing crisis in Cornwall by developing old coastguard cottages into affordable long-term rental accommodation for local people.
Ryde on the Isle of Wight has a rich cultural and artistic history - with one of the UK’s oldest carnivals taking place in the town. Shademakers UK are helping to tell the story of Ryde’s creative past by restoring a 300-year-old former department store. They are very hopeful that the project will create pride in the area and bring more people to the town centre.
When a flagship department store closed in Bristol, two local organisations took on a mission to revive the building and help regenerate the city centre. Sparks, the reimagined department store, opened in 2023. With more than 750,000 visitors to date, they’ve made a significant impact on their community by creating a vibrant space for everyone and attracting new people and businesses to the area.
Westcliff-on-Sea is a suburb of the popular seaside city of Southend-on-Sea. Westcliff is undergoing an exciting transformation, emerging as a thriving hub for businesses and a vibrant destination for the Southend community. Central to this is the community-led revival of a historic department store.
In 2016, a Victorian Arcade in Dewsbury closed after the number of shoppers fell drastically. Dewsbury Arcade remained empty for seven years. Now, a community is determined to refurbish the Grade II listed site and inspire further investment in Dewsbury. They want to create the UK’s first community-run shopping arcade and pave the way for the transformation of the town centre.
This Kindred investee is using food to support refugees and asylum seekers, build connections, and break down barriers with the local community.
Sheffield-based charity, The Heeley Trust, owns and manages multiple community-owned spaces across Heeley and Meersbrook as well as community bike shop, A Different Gear.
Community anchor organisation in Birmingham, providing over 200 affordable homes for local residents. They transformed derelict land into useable green space and turned the old park keepers cottage into an eco community facility, reducing energy costs by 55%
England's first community-owned, chemical-free farm in Shropshire. Educates on sustainable farming and supports local communities.
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