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Launch of exciting new community enterprise project in Suffolk

23 July 2020 · Categories: Communities Care

Community Catalysts is working in partnership with Suffolk County Council, alongside other local partners, on a community enterprise project. Initially, the project will run for a year until June 2021 and is focused on the Waveney district, including Lowestoft, market towns and rural areas – a diverse range of communities.

Older couple laughing

Taking the learning from Community Catalysts projects in many other parts of England, including the highly successful York project, the aim is to support local people with great ideas to establish enterprises that offer older and disabled people help and support. Building on the understanding that communities are full of skills and strengths and know what’s best for them, the enterprises will help local people to live a good life.

As well as helping people to set up new enterprises, Community Catalysts will be able to advise small groups and organisations already established in Waveney and looking to diversify or extend what they offer.

We are both delighted and excited to be working with Community Catalysts CIC on an asset based approach, working within our communities to develop enterprises which help people in their own homes and in the community. Asset based working is key to our desire to promote independence and build strong, resilient communities for the benefit of all those that live within them. We believe that working in this way will enable people to live independently for longer.

Colin Baldwin, Resilient Communities Officer, Public Health, Suffolk County Council

The local Catalyst leading the project in Suffolk is Joseph Young, who can be contacted at joseph.young@communitycatalysts.co.uk or on 07341 425103. Joseph has a background in community development in Suffolk so will build on his relationships in the voluntary and community sector and work in a wider partnership to capture learning to influence system and culture changes, improving the way that health and care works for people in Suffolk.

Community Catalysts’ strong track record in supporting people to set up sustainable and high-quality community micro-enterprises which truly meet the needs in their communities gives us the confidence that they are absolutely the right people to help us with this journey.  We look forward to seeing this initiative develop and thrive.

Colin Baldwin, Resilient Communities Officer, Public Health, Suffolk County Council

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