Community organisations within the Liverpool City Region can get free training and financial support thanks to a new programme.
The Financial Capability Improvement Academy, set up by The Women’s Organisation and Power to Change, is designed to help organisations and businesses maximise impact within their community, develop strong networks of support and build financial capabilities. Up to three people from each organisation can benefit by joining the programme.
Community-minded businesses will receive pre-designed workshops addressing their needs. The programme will offer a combination of group sessions, peer mentoring and one-to-one advice and began in April and will run until August 2022.
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The programme is open to women and men who must demonstrate they operate under the values of community business, are locally rooted and accountable to the community. They also need to show they’re trading for community benefit and creating local impact through jobs and investment.
Tim Davies-Pugh, interim CEO at Power to Change, said: “Across the country, particularly post pandemic, more businesses are altering the way they operate, prioritising local needs and taking action to make the places they live and work better. Community businesses improve communities in a real and demonstrable way; saving local shops, creating leisure facilities, providing training and employment opportunities for local people and helping to build affordable housing.
“In essence, community businesses can be any type of business that trades products and services such as shops, transport, farms, hubs, pubs, gardens or leisure centres, run by local people for the benefit of the local community. If your organisation reflects those three core values, we want to hear from you".
The Women's Organisation can provide assistance and guidance writing applications through their business advice team and the programme will be delivered at their headquarters in Liverpool. Funding is provided by Power to Change and can be used at the discretion of participants, but must support the journey of the organisation in building their financial capabilities.
The programme is designed to help participants identify revenue and funding streams while focusing on the needs of their community post covid. It also aims to strengthen future collaborative opportunities in working in their respective sectors.
Lisa McMullan, director of development at The Women's Organisation told the ECHO : “We’re pleased to be partnering on what we believe is a vitally important project. Community businesses across the LCR provide valuable services and employment opportunities across all six boroughs.
“Businesses are faced with a growing number of challenges, particularly as we recover from the pandemic. Community businesses should be integral to any strategy to advance or recover. They’re the foundation of our local ecosystem, essential in terms of empowering and harnessing local talent, as well as attracting and sustaining local investment.
“Across the UK, we’re concerningly close to losing many community businesses that are the lifeblood of local economies, help create a sense of belonging and community cohesion. We believe we must do all we can to preserve, protect and promote them if we stand any chance of a successful recovery post-pandemic".
Contact The Women's Organisation at hello@thewo.org.uk or call 0151 706 8111 for information on how to apply.
