Case Study Mapper

Autism Plus supports adults and young people with autism, learning disabilities, mental health conditions and complex needs. They attract referrals from local governments and Clinical Commissioning Groups on a case-by-case basis. Autism Plus employ over 450 people across the north of England in care support services, employment support and social enterprises.

Established in 1990, Alternatives Activity Centre (AAC) is a registered charity that provides support for adults with learning disabilities in the city of Derby, in the form of an activity-based day centre, a training shop (which offers training workshops as well placements within their own charity shop) and community support.

Ambition Community Energy (ACE), is a Bristol-based social enterprise generating clean, affordable energy, run by the people of Lawrence Weston. 

Blackburne House is a Liverpool-based charity that supports the development of local - and often vulnerable - women. With a core focus on education, they offer a range of nationally-recognised courses and qualifications to women - particularly in sectors in which women are still under-represented. 

Café van Gogh is a restaurant with a social and environmental mission in Brixton. Apart from serving delicious vegan and seasonally changing food, the restaurant also provides employment and training opportunities for people additional needs, like learning disabilities and mental health challenges.

A community owned business using regenerative ocean farming, food security and sustainable job creation to improve both the coastal environment and the well-being of the local community.

Carrick Greengrocers is a community-owned greengrocer established by people who live in, work in, or are otherwise passionate about Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. They aim to trade in a way that supports a sustainable environment and economy and all profits are directed back into the business and local initiatives. 

Central YMCA is the world’s first YMCA, established in 1844, and a leading UK education, health and wellbeing charity. Their work includes creating alternatives to traditional education such as apprenticeships and study programmes, training fitness professionals who inspire communities, developing qualifications through an awarding organisation and helping people improve their health and wellbeing through the largest gym in central London.

Chocolate films is an independent, full-service video production company. They are an international agency based in London and Glasgow, with global partners and satellite offices in the EU and US. They make content with impact – from promo videos to documentaries, animations to event films, and more. 

Circus Strong is a community organisation dedicated to providing friendly, judgment free aerial circus and fitness classes. They especially welcome the LGBTQ+ community and individuals who suffer from depression, loneliness and anxiety.

Collaborative Women comprises CW Housing and CW Community. It was founded to address gender-based inequalities experienced by women in Trafford which lead to isolation, poverty and life limiting/life-threatening circumstances. 

Contento Social Homes exists to improve the support for survivors of domestic abuse and their children by providing safe accommodation and skills to improve their wellbeing.

Cornerstone Place is a social enterprise which supports homelessness charities to add fit-for-purpose properties to their portfolios.  Our unique ‘Shared Upsides’ model transfers more than 50% of the value in our project to our charity partners.

Corsham Gymnastics Academy (CGA) is an established gymnastics club based in Wiltshire. The club offers programmes that are inclusive to all from baby gym, pre-school, recreational and disability gymnastics which provide the opportunity for everyone to learn gymnastics.

Hosford is the homeless service of East Belfast Mission (EBM) based in the Skainos Centre on the Lower Newtownards Road in East Belfast, and for over 20 years, Hosford has provided services to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. 

East Street Arts (ESA) was established in 1993 when two artists couldn't find the support and infrastructure they needed to develop their art practice. ESA have worked to secure better livelihoods for artists and their neighbours and address issues of economic and commercial decline in towns and cities.

Egni Co-operative was established in 2013 and provides rooftop solar on schools, businesses and community buildings. It has installed solar panels on almost 100 sites across Wales.

Located at the heart of Perry Barr, Birmingham, Eidgah Academy is a community hub providing educational, recreational and social activities for economically disadvantaged children and young people. In Perry Barr, 60% of the population belongs to people from ethnic minority groups and 15% of the populations first language is not English. Eidgah Academy engages 130 predominately Muslim children and young people of Pakistani, Bengali and African backgrounds with opportunities through structured personal development programs and playing games.

Empower Community is a social enterprise that balances the interests of all stakeholders by developing projects that benefit all participants while providing high-quality, risk-mitigated investment opportunities.

Fair for You improves people’s lives through responsible lending, helping families access the things they need and supporting them along the way. They believe that affordable finance should be accessible to a wider range of people including many of the 17.5 million people excluded from mainstream finance due to low or fluctuating income or life events.

Farm Urban is a social enterprise based in the Baltic Triangle in Liverpool and they operate the city’s first vertical farm whilst also delivering a range of educational and outreach programmes. 

Freedom Foundation is a Nottingham based social enterprise working to improve children’s physical and mental wellbeing through music, dance, and mentoring.

Future Yard CIC is a social enterprise established in 2019 to use music as a force for good in Birkenhead and the wider Wirral area, with the ambition to reimagine the role of a community music venue. Alongside a busy programme showcasing exciting new music talent, Future Yard hosts an artist development hub and free skills training programmes to enable young people to pursue careers in the industry. The organisation has also committed to a long-term goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral grassroots music venue in the North of England, and one of the first in the UK.

Glan Yr Afon is a valued pub within the community in Pennal, which came under hardship during the Covid-19 pandemic, it is now community-owned after an initiative to save the pub.

Mae Glan yr Afon yn dafarn werthfawr o fewn cymuned Pennal. Bu trwy gyfnod anodd yn ystod pandemig Covid-19, ond mae bellach yn eiddo i'r gymuned ar ôl menter i achub y dafarn.

Gloucestershire Gateway Trust (GGT) is a social and environmental regeneration charity on the largest peripheral social housing estates around the edge of Gloucester by the M5. 

Grace Enterprises run diverse social enterprises which employ and support people who would otherwise struggle to find and keep a job. Through a commercial cleaning company (Radiant Cleaners), a marquee hire company (Jubilee Events) and a biscuit-making company (Half the Story), they make a positive impact on those individual lives and to society at large.  

Greater Change is a Community Interest Company that helps individuals to become free of homelessness.

Handcrafted Projects aims to empower those who have been disadvantaged or faced social exclusion due to crime, alcohol or substance abuse, poor mental or physical health, unemployment, or having experienced abuse or been in the care system. They work with individuals to help them make positive steps to turn their lives around, be part of a community and start to give back.

Tees Valley Community Asset Preservation Trust is a registered charity (CIO) which was established in 2015 in response to local government spending cuts. Its principle aim is to save community centres, sports facilities and village halls from closure by stepping in to offer free advice and support to organisations who feared losing their buildings due to funding cuts.

Home Kitchen is a not-for-profit restaurant and social impact programme. Developed with top chef Adam Simmonds, they’re serving the finest quality food while transforming the perception of homelessness and making a positive impact on the UK hospitality sector. Their mission is to help socially vulnerable people get out of poverty and into work. 

Homebaked is a co-operative bakery and community land trust, located opposite Liverpool FC’s Anfield stadium, serving their award-winning pies to both football fans and locals alike. 

HQ Recording Studio provides a relaxed, creative environment located in the heart of Leicester city centre. At the beginning of 2019, they completed an extensive refurbishment enabling them to have high quality recording facilities across two rooms, with the latest in cutting edge digital software and hardware.

InHouse Records is the world's first fully functionally record label launched in prison. As a label for change, their mission is to see safer communities, fewer victims of crime and rehabilitation and employment for ex-offenders with a focus on dignity and aspiration. Since launching in September 2017, InHouse's work has engaged hard-to-reach populations both in prisons and through-the-gate, through music-based training programmes for prisoners and ex-offenders. With a focus on using music to improve core competencies and employability skills, its long-term goal is to help graduates lead empowered, fulfilling, and crime-free lives and, ultimately, to reduce re-offending.

Inner City Music is an award-winning charity that exists to celebrate music and its power to engage, inspire and unify. 

IRIE! dance theatre is the UK's leading dance theatre company delivering creative, educational and artistic activities in African and Caribbean dance. Based in the historic Moonshot Centre in South London, IRIE!'s mission is to support the personal wellbeing and community cohesion of the diverse population in its local area through dance.

The organisation has two distinct but interrelated strands of activities: a wide-ranging community offer across diverse dance styles for young people, adults, families, and older people; and a comprehensive education, training, and professional development offer spanning schools workshops, a degree programme, masterclasses, and residencies for emerging dance artists.

Kendal Mountain Events brings thousands of outdoor enthusiasts from across the globe together to share and celebrate the best stories from the world of adventure. 
Their vision is to inspire more people to enjoy, respect and represent the mountains, through their annual festival in Kendal, Cumbria, and more recently school engagement programmes. 
 

Kidsgrove Sports Centre Community Group is a CIO set up to save and then re-open Kidsgrove Sports Centre. Following extensive refurbishment the sports centre re-opened in 2022 and is now operated by the charity. Through the charitable community ownership model, every penny spent in the centre gets reinvested. Back into the Centre and back into the community. No shareholders. No profit-making. Just local community facilities for all.

Lighthouse Pedagogy Trust is a charity that creates children’s homes where children can thrive, with education at the centre of their holistic approach, enabling children in care to have the same opportunities as everyone else.

Lightning Reach is a financial support portal which makes it easy for people to find and apply for a wide range of personalised support (including grants, benefits, help with bills and other resources) in one place. The platform can be used by organisations to streamline or enhance the support they offer to vulnerable customers, using innovative technology like open banking and ID verification, or by individuals seeking to improve their financial wellbeing. Lightning Reach has registered >100,000 users and enabled >£10m in funding to individuals. Partners include The Royal British Legion, Lambeth Council, British Gas Energy Trust, TSB and more.

LEYF runs 40 nurseries across 12 London boroughs, delivering high quality Early Years education and care to children aged from birth to five years old. 

Mansfield CVS is an infrastructure organisation that has been supporting the community and voluntary sector in Mansfield for over 40 years.

MCVS are a landlord providing serviced offices for tenants and individual room hires for events. They also deliver local authority contracts e.g. public patient engagement CCG, County Council - volunteer co-ordination and Sport England.

MiMe Heuristics CIC trading as The Wildings established a new, specialist independent school in Devon for children with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health needs. 

Miss Macaroon, founded by CEO Rosie Ginday MBE, sets aside its profits to fund the store's MacsMAD (Macaroons that Make a Difference) programme. Producing over 2.5 million tasty macaroons in 50 different flavours, Miss Macaroon has helped improve the lives of 82 people, all aged 18 - 35 years old, over the past decade.

Omnis Circumvado CIC is a specialist sports coaching company dedicated to providing inclusive and adapted physical activity opportunities to people of all ages with complex needs.

Outside the Box Café is an inclusive community café based in Ilkley, Bradford. Their mission is to enable young people and adults who have learning disabilities to have more fulfilled, independent and healthier lives. 

Paces is a leading charity for children and adults with Cerebral Palsy and other neurological disorders. They used social investment to refurbish and fit out their new premises, making it fit for purpose. 

Projekts MCR is a skatepark and community development organisation in Manchester that provides a space for young people and their families to enjoy skateboarding, meet and connect with others, and access wider social support. It’s one of the largest outdoor, concrete skateparks in the UK. 

Prom Ally offers the free loan of prom dresses and suits to school children, sixth form students and college students who otherwise couldn't afford one. All outfits are used and either purchased from charity shops or donated directly. Prom Ally has helped hundreds of girls since it began and has recently opened up to boys too offering suits in addition to the dresses.

Proper Job Theatre is a social enterprise creating meaningful work opportunities through teaching drama workshops.

Established in 1998, Readipop is an innovative music and arts charity with a strong reputation for inspirational, engaging arts projects that make a positive difference in people's lives.

They provide access to music for vulnerable young people from hard-to-reach areas, including young offenders, the long-term unemployed, Special Educational Needs students, individuals from pupil referral units, and those who are not able to access conventional education. Their music leaders empower young people to learn and improve their music skills; helping them gain confidence in their chosen area and achieve their own goals while improving their emotional and social wellbeing. Readipop work closely with a whole host of other locally based community music programmes and projects to maximise reach and impact.

Rene House is a small social enterprise based in Nottingham, they provide supported accommodation for homeless and vulnerable adults and families. They currently manage a portfolio of 7 properties comprising of 18 units. Rene House aims to create a sustainable stepping-stone service for individuals and families that need support to get back on their feet.

Resultery Projects Cymru is a sports facility in Bettws. They provide a space for the community to enjoy a range of activities from sports clubs, dance to community gardening.

Cyfleuster chwaraeon ym Metws yw Resultery Projects Cymru. Maen nhw’n cynnig lle i’r gymuned wneud amrywiaeth o weithgareddau, o glybiau chwaraeon a dawns i arddio cymunedol.
 

Rose Tinted Financial Services offers Personal Financial Support and Mental Wellbeing Services for people from all backgrounds and ages who are in debt, just live from paycheck to paycheck and are struggling to take control over their financial situation provoking a negative impact on their mental health.

Social adVentures is dedicated to helping people and communities in Greater Manchester live healthier and happier lives, by providing a variety of interventions designed to help people take control of their lifestyle and to be less reliant on more serious intervention in the future. 

Tafarn Yr Heliwr is a Community-Benefit Society based in Nefyn, Gwynedd, Wales and was established in order to raise money and re-open the village pub as a not-for-profit community-owned business. 

The Bike Project are a charity that takes in second-hand bikes, refurbishes them and donates them to refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. The bikes help them to access food banks and other critical services as well as improving their general wellbeing. 

The Energy Training Academy (ETA) is a community interest company that specialises in providing high-quality training and education in the gas and renewables industry. ETA works with young people, veterans, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds to ensure they gain valuable skills for the green energy transition.

The Ledge is a registered Scottish charity dedicated to changing lives for the better via the medium of climbing. Climbing helps build confidence, teamwork, and resilience. It helps develop diverse skill sets, improves focus, and increases co-ordination. On top of all that, it’s a whole heap of fun!

The Urban Factory is 13500 square foot manufacturing unit that was upgraded to provide the regions first dedicated training facility for cheerleading, tumbling and parkour. 

TLC: Talk, Listen, Change is a relationships charity that has supported people in the North of England for over 40 years. Their aim is to ensure everyone within their community benefits from good emotional wellbeing, and they believe the key to this is maintaining safe, healthy and happy relationships.

Trees for Life is home to the first (known) rewilding centre in the UK and their vision is of a revitalised wild forest in the Highlands of Scotland, providing space for wildlife to flourish and communities to thrive.

Tumble Gymnastics and Activity Centre is a facility that offers physical activity and wellbeing for everyone regardless of age and ability in a family fun environment creating a unique experience. Focused on gymnastics, their social mission is to encourage and support young people and adults who are currently physically inactive to increase their activity levels to improve their physical and mental health.

Valley Heritage is a not-for-profit organisation established in 2015. It seeks creative approaches to bring historic buildings back into use while simultaneously supporting the growth and development of the local community. 

We are Juno is a not-for-profit children’s residential service, creating a sustainable alternative to profit-driven models that dominate the children’s residential landscape. 

Wolverton Community Energy are based in Milton Keynes. They develop and manage community-owned solar PV and supply greener, cheaper solar energy to local businesses, the majority of which are charities and social enterprises. In addition, they run projects which help to improve energy efficiency within their community. This includes the Home Energy MK programme, supporting homeowners wishing to stop heat loss from their homes and cut energy costs.

YMCA Robin Hood Group provide a range of frontline services across Greater Nottingham, York and East Riding, plus Newark & Sherwood, to encourage young people to belong, contribute and thrive. This includes residential settled care homes, supported housing and numerous support programmes. Explore how they used social investment to grow and innovate their service offering. 

Zion Community Cafe is well-loved Cafe in Bristol that runs a large variety of community events, children’s groups, support groups, ticketed events and provides spaces to hire for meetings, groups and private events. They used Community Shares and the Community Ownership Fund (COF) to save their venue. 

Citizen Coaching & Counselling provides timely, jargon-free coaching and counselling to young people and adults in Birmingham with a friendly professional approach. We provide a choice of talking therapies, most of which are free to access, delivered by a team of 45 specialist qualified counsellors and psychotherapists.