{"id":29141,"date":"2021-11-30T15:19:29","date_gmt":"2021-11-30T15:19:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/?p=29141"},"modified":"2023-06-06T13:20:46","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T12:20:46","slug":"how-can-community-businesses-thrive-and-be-sustainable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/news\/how-can-community-businesses-thrive-and-be-sustainable\/","title":{"rendered":"How can community businesses thrive and be sustainable?"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_team_member name=”Mylene Pacot” position=”Senior Project Manager \u2013 Research and Evaluation at Renaisi” _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”||||||||” body_font=”|||||on|||” position_font=”|||||on|||” position_text_color=”#1E2D5A” text_orientation=”left” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”bottom” animation_delay=”200ms” animation_intensity_slide=”4%” link_option_url_new_window=”on” hover_enabled=”0″ custom_css_member_image=”max-width: 150px;” border_radii_image=”on|50%|50%|50%|50%” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” alt=”Headshot of Mylene Pacot” title_text=”Mylene Pacot” image_url=”https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Mylene-Pacot-500×500-1.jpeg” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_team_member][et_pb_team_member name=”Joyce Chan” position=”Project Manager \u2013 Research and Evaluation at Renaisi” _builder_version=”4.17.1″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”||||||||” body_font=”|||||on|||” position_font=”|||||on|||” position_text_color=”#1E2D5A” text_orientation=”left” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”bottom” animation_delay=”200ms” animation_intensity_slide=”4%” custom_css_member_image=”max-width: 150px;” border_radii_image=”on|50%|50%|50%|50%” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_team_member][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

In this blog, Renaisi<\/a> outlines key findings from two reports published today. The evaluation report<\/a> and learning paper<\/a> focus on three Power to Change programmes \u2013 Bright Ideas, Trade Up, and Community Business Fund \u2013 which intended to help community businesses through a linear journey of growth, providing early-stage support, advisory for growing income, and offering capital investment to support their long-term sustainability. The reports outline the elements of each programmes that helped community businesses grow, their impact on people and places, and the key challenges that community businesses faced.<\/p>\n

Bringing together research across the programmes, evidence confirms that community businesses are uniquely placed to deliver social impact. They have a deeply rooted understanding of community needs, and their organisational culture, values, and nature of existence help realise significant impact on people and places.<\/p>\n

In particular, community businesses help achieve:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Reduced social isolation<\/strong> by providing places for people to go, opportunities for volunteering and learning new skills, and improving mental health.<\/li>\n
  2. Improved health and wellbeing<\/strong> by building connections with others, improving feelings of belonging, engagement in meaningful social activity, and increasing confidence and community wellbeing.<\/li>\n
  3. Increased employability<\/strong> by creating local jobs and training opportunities, supporting those likely to experience exclusion, and by increasing confidence.<\/li>\n
  4. Improved access to services<\/strong> for local people.<\/li>\n
  5. Greater community cohesion<\/strong>, by creating a sense of purpose and contribution, and sector- level cohesion through collaboration and partnerships.<\/li>\n
  6. Greater community pride and empowerment<\/strong> by providing opportunities for local people to actively participate in community initiatives.<\/li>\n
  7. Improved local environment<\/strong>, by regenerating derelict building or spaces, or by directly maintaining the local natural environment.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    What helped to achieve this?<\/h2>\n

    A combination of internal and external factors, as well as programme design elements, enabled community businesses to thrive under these programmes:<\/p>\n

    [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_accordion _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Bright Ideas: helping early-stage organisations develop” open=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

    Programme design elements that supported community businesses:<\/strong><\/p>\n