Wales News

£2 MILLION BOOST FOR SOCIAL ENTERPRISES IN THE SOUTH WALES VALLEYS.

Social Enterprises in the South Wales Valleys will receive a £1.8 million boost to help improve the quality of life of those living in former mining communities, Deputy Minister for Regeneration, Leighton Andrews announced today. [2nd December 2009].

Up to 40 new jobs will be created by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust investment programme which will help almost 100 organisations to develop into social enterprises and deliver vital services for their communities..

Community and third sector groups will be amongst those that will be receive help with start up costs, building refurbishment and staffing costs to enable them to develop into social enterprises.

The aim is to offer more community services, particularly where there is a gap in provision, such as training, childcare and food cooperatives.

The new jobs will be created as a result of the increased staffing needed within the organisations supported.

The Coalfields Social Enterprise Development Scheme is backed with £900,000 from the EU’s European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Assembly Government, which has been matched by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.

Announcing the project, Deputy Minister for Regeneration, Leighton Andrews, said: “Social enterprises have a central role to play in providing services to local people, helping to regenerate communities and creating local wealth.”

“This project will help establish thriving and sustainable social enterprises and demonstrates our commitment to creating a situation where they can grow to benefit society, the economy and the environment.”

The scheme will also offer help with business planning, IT equipment, improvements to IT infrastructure and web design to prepare organisations to better serve their communities.

Siân Sykes, Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) Operations Manager for Wales, said: “We have spent the past decade helping improve the quality of life in former Coalfield areas through a wide range of programmes.

“We work in the heart and soul of communities, investing resources, expertise and knowledge to ensure local people are able to fulfil their potential .This new initiative, which aims to give Wales more and better equipped social enterprises than ever before, embodies everything that we are about.”

Focus on: Crafts for Everyone

Since starting out three years ago with £38,000 CRT funding, Crafts for Everyone (CFE) has blossomed into a strongly emerging social enterprise with a staff of nine and an in-demand product.

The Crumlin-based project trains adults with learning difficulties and mental health problems to make products for its Ichthus Ceramics brand, as well as providing therapeutic classes offering a wide range of crafts for people with high support needs.

CFE has recently taken on a design ceramicist - financed by Coalfield Regneration Trust’s Bridging the Gap programme and the Rural Industry and Produce Innovation Fund - moved to larger 1,700 sq ft unit to increase production capacity, and developed an exclusive range of porcelain daffodil broaches, dragon mugs and tableware, soon to be on sale at the Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

CFE Chief Executive Maggie Betty. said “The CRT support has made a tremendous difference. It introduced us to the concept of being a social enterprise, rather than just a charity, and opened up to us the idea of being able to generate income for the good of the people we offer a service to.

“It also gave us the opportunity to employ three new members of staff, and the therapeutic classes are now more or less self-sufficient.”

For further information on Coalfields Regeneration Trust scheme visit the Coalfields Social Enterprise Development Scheme pages of the CRT website

Notes to editors:

The funding will be available to communities and organisations within former coalfield areas of West Wales and the Valleys wishing to start up new social enterprises. It will also develop support to address needs within disadvantaged communities where there are gaps in services and provision such as childcare, transport and food cooperatives.

There will be three tiers of support available:

Level 1 - consultant and associate support
Level 2 - small grants (£500 to £10,000)
Level 3 – large grants (£10,001 to £100,000)