Social Enterprise Rebuilds

3 years ago

This year marks 20 years of investing for our long-standing client, Key Fund. We’ve worked with them for ten years, and have been proud to help tell the stories of their remarkable clients, and the work of this dedicated team.

The pandemic has hit all sectors hard, but the social enterprise sector was unable to turn its back even when forced to shut its doors in lockdown. As trading stopped, need increased. Social enterprises often work at the coalface of their local community. They support the elderly, those with learning disabilities, families in poverty, teenagers at risk, people struggling with mental health. They help address entrenched problems in society, from loneliness to the homeless.

It was a privilege then tell the stories of five enterprises who received support from the Social Enterprise Support Fund, made possible thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.

Key Fund is one of five social enterprise support agencies that came together to deliver the £18.7 million in grants.

The Key Fund case studies include a mother who set up Pulp Friction to help her daughter Jessie get a foothold into the world of work. Jessie has learning disabilities, autism, epilepsy and Dyspraxia. Starting with a pedal-powered smoothie bike, Pulp Friction grew into a canteen, café, allotment, choir and more, offering support and skills to young adults with learning difficulties. In lockdown, these young people delivered food parcels and over 1,000 hot meals to those in need.

In fact, the majority of social enterprises we profiled – from an arts and crafts enterprise to a day-care centre for the elderly – delivered thousands of meals and food parcels to the vulnerable in their communities, alongside welfare checks, activity packs and support.

Key Fund is working with the Social Enterprise Mark on the run up to Social Enterprise Day on November 19th to recognise the vital support that social enterprises provide to local communities.

Follow #SocEntRebuilds to view a new #SocEnt story every day until November 19 (#SocialEnterpriseDay) including @KeyFund case studies from across the North and the Midlands.