{"id":10407,"date":"2019-02-05T09:18:14","date_gmt":"2019-02-05T09:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/?post_type=news_post&p=10407"},"modified":"2021-07-30T15:23:33","modified_gmt":"2021-07-30T14:23:33","slug":"3-2m-bright-ideas-fund-launches-help-community-business-start-ups-england","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/news\/3-2m-bright-ideas-fund-launches-help-community-business-start-ups-england\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a33.2m Bright Ideas Fund launches to help community business start-ups in England"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today (5 February) Power to Change is announcing a new \u00a33.2m Community Business Bright Ideas Fund to offer tailored support and grants of up to \u00a315,000 to 150 groups to develop their projects.<\/p>\n

Over three years, the fund will give community groups the early stage finance they need to carry out consultations with local people to develop a community business idea the community wants and needs and will also give them support and tools to start setting up their community businesses. The funding programme is delivered by Locality in partnership with Co-operatives UK, the Plunkett Foundation and Groundwork UK.<\/p>\n

The tailored support programme is open to community groups, associations and organisations across England which have a good idea for a community business but need help developing it, or which are just starting out.<\/p>\n

Kitty\u2019s Launderette applied to the Bright Ideas programme to help establish their community launderette and social space in Liverpool.<\/strong><\/p>\n

They want to create a vital amenity for their local area by providing affordable washing and drying facilities to residents, while also reimagining the underused space of the laundrette for a variety of social and creative activities. They want to increase access to services, combat isolation and increase social cohesion in the area.<\/p>\n

The Bright Ideas programme enabled them to develop their organisation and business model, access finance and bookkeeping training and expand its marketing and communications capacity.<\/p>\n

Grace Harrison from Kitty\u2019s Launderette, said: \u201cThe support and guidance we\u2019ve received has been absolutely fantastic!\u00a0 I was particularly impressed with how flexible the training has been and how it was able to address our specific organisational needs. It\u2019s been robust and detailed but not bogged down in admin which can obstruct what you\u2019re trying to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Locality Chief Executive Tony Armstrong said:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Bright Ideas Fund will give organisations a chance to make a real difference to the lives of people in their neighbourhoods by getting their community businesses off the ground.<\/p>\n

Whether you aim to start a local bus service, or set up a health and wellbeing centre, community businesses generate jobs, tackle social isolation and boost the local economy we want you to apply. People all over England are bursting with bright ideas and we are really keen to find them in the areas that need them most like Bradford, Leicester, Hartlepool, Plymouth, Grimsby, Liverpool and Bristol\u201d<\/p>\n

Kate Stewart, Director of Programmes at Power to Change, said:<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the organisation set up to support and grow community businesses in England, we\u2019re delighted to be continuing Bright Ideas, to provide crucial support and funding for local people who have a great idea but need some support to make it a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

PermaFuture relaunched their veg box scheme to fight food poverty, with the support of their Bright Ideas Fund Advisor.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The town of Bentley near Doncaster in Yorkshire was a classic \u2018food desert\u2019 \u2013 94% of people live within walking distance of a fast food outlet and there is no independent greengrocer serving the town\u2019s 21,000 strong population. Falling within the top 10% poorest regions in the UK, Bentley faces a range of food poverty issues. To tackle this Permafuture teaches people how to save money by growing their own food at home at Bentley Urban Farm.<\/p>\n

Their veg box scheme sells locally grown produce to local people to tackle some of the issues around food poverty in the area. It offers subsidised boxes for poorer families and also teaches people how to save money by growing their own food at home. Permafuture even buys produce from local members of the community they\u2019ve taught so they can make some extra money.<\/p>\n

With support from their Bright Ideas Fund Advisor, PermaFuture completed a successful revision of the veg box business plan and cash flow forecast\/sales projections. This helped them to prepare for the launch of the scheme in May 2017. Permafuture were also able to launch a new website and social media accounts, which has been crucial in promoting sales of the boxes. They are currently selling 20+ boxes per week and increasing, even over the summer holidays.<\/p>\n

Warren Draper from Permafuture, said:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe advice from our Bright Ideas mentor was invaluable, as was the knowledge and advice<\/p>\n

from the experts who helped guide us. The fact that it allowed us to operate for a period of time without worrying where our salaries were coming from was also very helpful.<\/p>\n

\u201cBright Ideas put us in touch with two mentors who had been responsible for founding the Suma food co-operative. Their vital knowledge allowed us to set up a co-operative company in an area which had none to begin with. More importantly, it allowed us to provide fresh, healthy food to one of the poorest regions of the UK. I would highly recommend the Bright Ideas programme as it provides access to essential expertise as well as much needed funding.”<\/p>\n

The Community Business Bright Ideas Fund will be open for applications from Tuesday 26th February 2019 until Tuesday 9th April 2019 at mycommunity.org.uk\/bright-ideas-fund\/<\/a><\/p>\n

There will be additional funding rounds in<\/p>\n