The Social Enterprise Loan Fund for the East Midlands

Avril Howker
Regional Director

I've been working for the loan fund since early 2007 and I am managing East Midlands and West Midlands regions.

I'm a chartered accountant, and previously I was a financial manager in the regeneration department of a local authority where I was responsible for making loans to businesses including social enterprises. The local authority is no longer providing this service so I am delighted to be able to provide financial assistance to social enterprises via TSELF.

I love the concept of social enterprise - where the social purpose is as important as the bottom line. It's such an effective way of improving the lives of disadvantaged people.

We may be able to help you with

Examples of clients we have helped

• Wheelbase
  Works with young people between 14 - 25 and provides accredited qualifications in motor vehicle and key skills alongside a Life and Social Skills Programme
  
• The Healthy Hub
  A vibrant café/restaurant, wholefood shop and gift store aimed at promoting healthier lifestyles
• Nottingham Community Sports
  Operates an indoor sports centre in an area which is recognised to perform poorly when it comes to levels of crime, health and living environment
• STRIDE
  Providing work experience by renovating furniture
• Unique Coffee Bar
  Drop-in centre for young people

Wheelbase

Despite the continuing global recession, and small businesses reporting difficulties getting loans from the banks, one innovative Nottingham firm – Wheelbase – is going from strength to strength and winning national awards, thanks to funding from TSELF.

Launched in 1991 in Denman Street East, Radford, Wheelbase works with young people between 14 - 25 and provides accredited qualifications in motor vehicle and key skills alongside a Life and Social Skills Programme. Recently it has been awarded two National Training Awards (NTA) – the most prestigious awards for training in the UK.

A loan of £150,000 from TSELF enabled Wheelbase to move to new premises in Newark Street, Sneinton, Nottingham, helping to increase its ability to support greater numbers of students in the area.

Mick Clifford, CEO of Wheelbase, said they were delighted to win the two awards at a recent ceremony at East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham. “This is just fantastic. Wheelbase has an innovative view of how to change the lives of young people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and the awards recognise that.

“With this recognition and the support from TSELF, I know we will be able to help more young people who will benefit profoundly for being helped with life, education and real work skills,” he said.

For further details visit the www.wheelbase.org.uk.

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The Healthy Hub

The Healthy Hub, a new Community Interest Company in Lincoln, benefited from loans totalling £100,000 from TSELF to purchase fixed assets and fund the refurbishment of an old parish hall in the centre of Lincoln, known as The Hub.

The Healthy Hub offers a vibrant café/restaurant, wholefood shop and gift store aimed at promoting healthier lifestyles, while at the same time providing jobs for disadvantaged people. The building is already established as a centre for voluntary/community organisations and will now also provide a range of conference and meeting rooms available to hire as well as an online store.

“At The Healthy Hub, we employ people who may otherwise have difficulties finding or maintaining a job,” says Chief Executive Rebecca Dray. “This may be for a variety of reasons, but could be the result of social stigma, mental health difficulties, a physical disability or other long term medical condition. We are delighted with the loans from TSELF, which will help us get the business off the ground, and we are extremely grateful for their help.”

One of the main aims of The Healthy Hub is to help people off benefits by providing a supported and safe working environment which offers realistic earnings. Staff members receive recognised City and Guilds training as well as being educated in the benefits of healthy food and how to prepare meals. There are also opportunities for volunteers and work placements for students. Through its activities, The Healthy Hub aims to give funds to local voluntary organisations and charities, such as Linking Voices, which supports people with mental health issues.

To find out more about The Healthy Hub visit www.thehealthyhub.co.uk.

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Nottingham Community Sports

Nottingham Community Sports Ltd (NCSL) was formed in June 2008 to operate an indoor sports centre in the Basford area of Nottingham, an area which is recognised to perform poorly when it comes to levels of crime, health and living environment.

The company aims to help generate an increase in sporting activity in the community, especially among youngsters for whom school based sport is declining, and to help increase inter-community sport and social inter-action. NCSL is committed to developing local sports facilities and increasing the level of sporting involvement, especially among the young, deprived and disabled, whilst keeping prices at a level which is accessible to the community it serves. Links have been made with local schools, Children’s Links charity (which is setting up a cricket project within the East Midlands) and the local Rotary Club. There are plans to involve users in consultation groups.

Previously known as the John Birch Sports Centre the business under its previous owners operated for 6 years but, although well established, was essentially under-marketed and the facilities allowed to fall into disrepair. A £35,000 loan from TSELF is helping NCSL to refurbish the premises.

The new sports centre will have two Indoor cricket / practice nets / netball courts and two 2 indoor five-a-side football courts as well as offering touch rugby, table tennis, volleyball and indoor bowls.
The centre is fully floodlit and also provides up-to-date technology through its electronic scoreboards & internet utilisation.
There is perimeter spectator viewing for all courts and full disabled access.

For more information visit www.nottinghamcommunitysports.co.uk

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STRIDE

STRIDE is the trading arm of the Leicester-based charity SHARP. (STRIDE stands for SHARP Training, Recycling & Income Development Enterprise.)

The organisation assembles, refurbishes and sells furniture to people in need, providing work experience and training opportunities for the long-term unemployed.

TSELF supported the business by providing a loan to purchase a much needed van to transport furniture to their outlet shops and for deliveries.

Recently STRIDE expanded into larger premises and we were pleased to have been able to help again, this time with funds towards the refurbishment of the building.

For more information about STRIDE visit www.leicesterstride.co.uk

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Unique Coffee Bar

The Unique Coffee Bar was set up in 2001 to provide alternative education to young people and a ‘drop in centre' in the Newark area of Nottinghamshire. The aim is to support, advise and train in health and social issues, the internet and computer access, with an ultimate view of reintegration into mainstream education.

The coffee bar provides a base for 14-25 year olds for recreation and other leisure time occupation with the objective of improving their conditions of life. TSELF provided support to expand the activities of the coffee bar.

Last year 800 people made 14,000 visits to the coffee bar.

Over the last few years the organisation has gone from strength to strength  forming Unique Social Enterprise CIC as a trading arm of Unique Coffee Bar. Leasing and renovating a warehouse for the collection, recycling and resale of materials from industrial and domestic sources for use in art and play projects, the business, amongst other activities, now provides training to NVQ and City & Guilds standard to young people in the management of the store which includes bar coding and stock control.

For more information about Unique Coffee Bar visit www.uniquecoffeebar.com

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