Plymouth’s guide to
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
WELCOME Welcome to our Social Enterprise Showcase, which highlights Plymouth’s commitment to social enterprises in the city and the support we can offer to help businesses to flourish. This publication also gives us the opportunity to showcase a selection of social enterprises giving you a flavour of the diverse range of businesses located here in Britain’s Ocean City. Plymouth is an ambitious city with huge growth potential and exciting major changes ahead. We have already seen Plymouth University become the first Social Enterprise University in the world and gaining Social Enterprise City status in 2013 has put us on the map as a progressive city. We are aware of the incredible contribution social enterprises have made to our economy, with over 150 social enterprises located in the city, employing over 7,000 people. This is something we really want to shout about! As a council we see social enterprises as key to the growth of our economy and we are developing robust relationships within this sector. Plymouth is rapidly developing as a global Social Enterprise City, with the sector set to grow even further in the future by creating sustainable business models. There is a wealth of support and training on offer detailed in this brochure, for existing and aspiring social enterprises. We look forward to working with you in the future. Councillor Chris Penberthy Cabinet Member for Co-operatives, Housing and Community Safety
Gareth Hart and Councillor Chris Penberthy
SUPPORT TO BUSINESSES Locally, the Council’s Enterprise and Inward Investment team is here to support new and existing social enterprise businesses, offering a range of services to help secure new investment in the city. We have invested in the Social Enterprise Investment Fund, designed to assist social enterprises with limited financial resources to establish themselves and grow with the help of high quality business support . In 2014, one third of business relationship visits carried out by the Council’s Economic Development team involved social enterprises, and we expect this to grow in 2015 and beyond.
providing networking and other opportunities. Social enterprises have the additional benefit of the Plymouth Social Enterprise Network. The Plymouth Social Enterprise Network has been at the centre of the drive for growing the breadth and quality of the social enterprise sector in the city over many years. The network has become a prominent focus for social enterprises in the city and has become a recognised and well-respected organisation in its own right. The network’s flair for working innovatively and effectively in partnership marks them out as a highly successful and thriving body with a clear mission. www.plymsocent.org.uk
Business organisations including the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federation of Small Businesses and the Plymouth Area Business Council, are also on hand with support,
Plymouth City Centre
PREMISES The city offers a diverse mix of high quality and affordable business premises which are on average 35 per cent cheaper in Plymouth than in the South East. We have a number of business parks including two business centres managed by Plymouth City Council, aimed at supporting the needs of new emerging and expanding businesses, and a team of dedicated staff who are able to search for your ideal premises. Wolseley Community Economic Development Trust Business Park is owned and operated by Wolseley Trust who manage two business parks, consisting of 60 affordable high quality independent office and light industrial units across both sites. Created to support economic and social regeneration of the area, Wolseley Trust was the first not-for-profit community managed development trust in Plymouth, opening in 1997. It recycles trading surplus to commission health and well-being improvements for local people and to support other local organisations and social enterprises that share our values. The Millfields Community Economic Development Trust Community Interest Company provides a platform to enable small and medium sized businesses to grow and develop. A package of measures including: high quality affordable accommodation, flexible tenancy terms and adding value to the tenancy are used to attract and support businesses. In return companies employ local people, purchase in the local community and provide goods and services. Millfields invest its profits in developing more business space and Millfields Inspired Charity, works with local schools to build aspirations and achievements in young people.
City Business Park
East End Business Park
PLYMOUTH YOUR SPACE Plymouth Your Space is a partnership project between Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Waterfront Partnership, City Centre Company, Plymouth University and City College Plymouth. It is about opening up opportunities to use vacant space, buildings or areas of land. Creative businesses, communities and enterprises can use the space on a temporary basis to create a whole range of options such as, pop-up shops, art galleries, temporary cinemas, outside dance events, floating restaurants, temporary salons, bike repairs or other good ideas which can draw a crowd. For budding entrepreneurs and those who want to give a business idea a go it provides: Low cost, low risk, low commitment space Space in a high profile location A chance to try out ideas.
Effervescent worked with the Your Space project: through a successful business relationship with the Council, they have benefited from the Social Enterprise Investment Fund. Effervescent is a social enterprise working with children and young people through arts. Radiant, Effervescent’s new base, offers an art gallery, studio and conference space, and offices for start-up creative enterprises. Radiant is home to Effervescent’s sister company RumpusCosy, the charmingly eccentric tea parlour and bistro, which is run by a gentleman badger.
Millfields Trust is a thriving social enterprise in the heart of the city and is a place where business and community come together. Located in the heart of Stonehouse, the trust comprises over 130 commercial premises situated across two sites. With affordable office and light industrial space available, Millfields Trust is the perfect place for small businesses to accelerate their growth and success; as well as existing companies who are looking to develop their business. A new £5 million build Genesis, is the trust’s brand new, stateof-the-art business centre on Union Street funded by the European Regional Development fund under the Urban Enterprise programme. Offering an exceptional choice of modern and contemporary offices and suites located across four floors, Genesis is set to become a landmark destination for business. The Council is acting as guarantor to the Millfields Trust’s £2.1 million loan obtained through the Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) Growing Places Fund.
GROWING SOCIAL ENTERPRISE IN PLYMOUTH
The building brings excellent green credentials with a living green wall to a rejuvenated part of the city.
Stone freeze ornament on Genesis building
Ocean Studios is a community interest company and received funding from the European Regional Development fund under the Urban Enterprise programme to deliver artist studios, including capital contribution from the Council’s Investment Fund. The Council is also acting as a guarantor to the Local Enterprise Partenrship’s (LEP) Growing Places Fund loan. The £4 million building will create 1,906 sqm of artist workspace. inside it will create 31 individual studios,, two large open plan areas, specialist and fully equipped workshops in printmaking, cold glass finishing, small scale metals, ceramics and mould making, photography and digital suites. The development in the stunning Royal William Yard will encourage artists from all genres to stay and build their portfolios in the city.
Royal William Yard
Bikespace’s Gareth Thomas and his team have been recycling bicycles and providing young people with skills for the future at their workshop in Devonport for over four years. They are well thought of within the business community of Plymouth, offering green travel alternatives to large organisations including the Council. Gareth said: “We have recently been awarded funding through the Social Enterprise Investment Fund which will open up opportunities to provide jobs and further training through expansion”. “The first phase is already well underway with our retail premises Bikespace Store, open at 60 George Street in Devonport. This will provide customer service apprenticeship opportunities and a space for us to sell our recycled bicycles alongside brand new electric bicycles.”
The Council has helped unlock a number of assets across the city. In Devonport, through Community Asset Transfer, the Real Ideas Organisation (RIO) has created a social enterprise hub in the city. RIO acquired the near derelict Grade I Listed Devonport Guildhall from the Council in 2007. The Guildhall is now home to six successful social enterprises and is a cultural centre and venue for conferences, events, weddings and entertainment. In addition the reopening of the historic Devonport Column now helps to attract 35,000 visitors each year. Plymouth City Council’s Corporate Property team is always happy to discuss the asset transfer procedures and will allocate a dedicated officer should you wish to pursue a transfer.
Prime Skate Park recipient of the second tranche of the Social Enterprise Investment Fund.
SKILLED AND ADAPTABLE POTENTIAL WORKFORCE Plymouth’s two universities, along with Plymouth College of Art and City College Plymouth continue to grow, with around 50,000 students here in Plymouth every year. Between them they are creating new talent and providing a potential workforce of highly skilled and motivated people. Plymouth University is ranked among the top 300 universities in the world and a top 50 research institute in the UK. Plymouth University became the first university in the world to gain social enterprise status along with the social enterprise mark. Students and businesses have access to the Futures Entrepreneurship Centre launched by Plymouth University in November 2013.  The purpose of the centre is to provide a creative and social space in which entrepreneurship and social enterprise can flourish.
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE AND SCHOOLS A key part of being a Social Enterprise City has been the desire to ensure that we create a generation of future social entrepreneurs with the skills and vision to develop world class businesses. As one of the founding Plymouth Social Enterprise Network members, RIO aims to see that every young person in Plymouth has a social enterprise experience during their time at school. RIO delivers the Urban Enterprise Social Enterprise Programme which has successfully engaged more than 700 learners and more than 10 schools in social enterprise activity. They delivered a series of social enterprise challenge days within secondary schools in Plymouth and supported more than 300 young people to work towards the Social Enterprise Qualification.
CROWDFUNDER Plymouth City Council, Crowdfunder and Plymouth University have come together to help projects that improve the city and make it a better place to live, work and play through this innovative initiative. Crowdfunding can support ideas from social enterprises as well as businesses, communities and charities in Plymouth by providing an alternative means of funding and turning ideas into reality with the power of the crowd. It is a great way for you to gather visibility and support from people in the local area for what you might want to do and put your enterprise on a strong footing. Your great idea could also benefit from a share of £60,000 from Plymouth City Council’s Change Fund by putting projects onto www.crowdfunder.co.uk/plymouth. Crowdfunder and Plymouth City Council are on hand to provide tips and advice and there is loads of information on the website. It is certainly worth checking out. #CFPLYMOUTH
“Plymouth is the best place to live in the country in terms of good schools, clean air, value and quality of housing and access to sparkling sea…”The Guardian 2013
PLYMOUTH BRITAIN’S OCEAN CITY Plymouth is the largest port city on the south coast of England, and is the greenest city in the UK, with 40 per cent of the city being green space. Offering an outstanding quality of life, the city is framed on one side by its harbours and marinas and on the other, by the dramatic Dartmoor National Park. Plymouth has ambitious plans for growth both economically and culturally. Ranked 10th out of 64 cities for life satisfaction House prices well below the national average Fairtrade City since 2004
Plymouth City Council’s dedicated account managers welcome social enterprises and are on hand to help find sites and premises, including soft landing packages. The team also facilitate access to the Council’s planning services, assist with relocation, recruitment, skills, networking, supply chain and knowledge. Please contact the Enterprise and Inward Investment team: T +44 (0) 1752 398048 E invest@plymouth.gov.uk www.investinplymouth.co.uk www.plymouth.gov.uk/invest Twitter @investplymouth