Support for Social Enterprises

There have been many developments in the Social Enterprise arena over recent years, much of this driven by the actions of the NorthWest Development Agency (NWDA).

During 2003 the NWDA recognised that by building the capacity of Social Enterprises in the Region substantial economic and social benefits could be delivered across all five sub regions – Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.

To this end, a series of specialised support measures were introduced
advising the Social Enterprise sector around matters such as marketing, Finance, the rights and obligations of Trustees, Governance and so on. This programme of support should continue until 2007

The Lancashire Strategic Action Plan helped establish SELNET ( Social Enterprise Lancashire Network) and identified further development measures that will come on-stream in the near future Additionally, a fund to help Social Enterprises become more sustainable was also made available – The Sustainability Grant Fund. At the time of writing, (Jan. 2005) grants of up to £10,000 are still available for Social Enterprises located in ‘Objective 2 and transitional areas’.

For Further details:

NWDA Web Site: www.nwda.co.uk