Locality

Locality

Project: Knowledge and skills for social investment and enterprise
Grant: £61,000

The project aims to connect the community enterprise sector with knowledge, skills and confidence to seek social investment. The project will provide a framework, resources and a website platform for community organisations to collaborate with peers so that they can take the next step towards seeking social investment. In Spring 2018, Locality will launch a new website to facilitate peer connections and collaboration, and a diagnostic tool, Lighthouse, an online resource that allows community organisations to identify organisational strengths and weaknesses. Locality will supplement this website with practical resources that are collaboratively produced by community organisations and social investors. A key element of the project is the peer to peer engagement to showcase exemplar community enterprises that have made use of social investment or new revenue streams through enterprise. Key areas for knowledge and skill development in relation to social investment will include financial modelling and resilience, investment structuring, business planning and ownership of land and buildings.

The overall aim is to raise the confidence and capacity of community organisations to develop financial strength and resilience, at scale. Locality expects to increase the knowledge and skills of community organisations to seek social investment through practical support and better understanding of organisational strengths and weaknesses.