Project: Invest4Good Peterborough & Wider Cambridgeshire Part 2

Grant: £30,000

The project aims to embed enterprise development skills and increase the uptake of social investment in Peterborough. Part two of Invest4Good looks to build on the success and learning of the Community Hive project delivered with the support of Peterborough Council for Voluntary Service’s (PCVS) first Connect Fund grant. Part two will engage relevant stakeholders in the development of a local enterprise network, as well as embedding the learning and training methods within PCVS allowing it to run the programme again in the future at a lower cost. This will deepen the organisations knowledge and understanding of repayable finance opportunities. In addition, PCVS will look to work with Community Action Suffolk and Social Enterprise East of England to develop a good practice network.

The original Community Hive programme content of social investment masterclasses and business planning workshops will be re-delivered for a new cohort of organisations with the addition of a train the trainer approach to develop the skills of PCVS staff. PCVS also plans to establish a city-wide Enterprise Network, which will meet quarterly, linking those who took part in the first Community Hive programme, social investors, the Local Authority and others interested in social finance or supporting VCSE organisations to thrive and scale. On a regional level, PCVS will join with Community Action Suffolk (CAS) and Social Enterprise East of England (SEEE) to form a Good Practice Network. This will allow the three organisations to share learning, research and expertise drawn from their individual projects.

The four core staff members, who will take part in the coaching course, will be upskilled enabling them to mainstream this work into PCVS’ routine support package offered to the sector. More organisations will also benefit from the creation of the Enterprise Network, which will offer the VCSE sector in Peterborough with more information and better connections with investors so they are better able to take advantage of investment opportunities.