Supporting Voluntary and Community Action
Here are some examples of organisations doing social good that the Local Access Programme has supported to date:
Bristol Digital Radio CIC is a Bristol-born start-up social enterprise. It is a collaboration between the city’s community radio stations – Ujima, BCfm and Bradley Stoke Radio – who all broadcast to their local communities through FM. With FM listening declining to less than 33% as the majority of people use DAB digital radio, there’s a risk of community stations unable to reach their audiences and provide the local news, information and sense of community they get from them. City Funds and the Local Access Programme has provided funding of £70k to purchase and install digital audio broadcasting radio transmission infrastructure.
Ambition Community Energy CIC is a fully owned subsidiary and project of Ambition Lawrence Weston. It was created to develop and build a large-scale community-owned onshore wind turbine, thereby helping the generation of renewable energy with additional community benefit. City Funds has provided funding of £750k into the project, of which £150k has been fully repaid.
AutonoMe provides educational smart phone apps and personal support for adults and young people with Learning Disabilities needing skills for independent living. City Funds has made a working capital funding of £300k to expand the delivery of learning apps and specialist support assisting learners into good quality paid employment in Bristol.
All on Board Bristol CIC and Eco First Bristol are both the brainchild of a local social entrepreneur that have been supported by the Local Access Partnership, specifically through the Social Enterprise Incubator programme run by Black Southwest Network. The programme has provided them with a nine-month customised programme of support and 1:1 mentoring, networking and desk space at the incubator hub.
True Talk Africa CIC seeks to develop holistic narratives about Sub-Saharan Africa in England and Wales, particularly to children and young people. It has also been supported through Black Southwest Network’s Social Enterprise programme, providing business development and planning support, as well as connecting it with other likeminded CICs.