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Launch of exciting new community enterprise project in Oxfordshire

8 October 2020 · Categories: Communities Care

Community Catalysts are excited to start a new partnership with Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) with the focus on the Cherwell District.

We are working with OCC, Cherwell District Council and other local partners on the Oxfordshire Community Enterprise Project which runs from September 2020 for 2 years. The project aims to work with local people in Cherwell who want to develop small enterprises and ventures offering highly personal care and help at home and in the community to older people, those with learning disabilities and others that need support.

As well as helping people to set up new enterprises Community Catalysts will also advise existing community enterprises already established in the Cherwell District who are looking to diversify or extend what they offer.

Anita Wingad has been employed by Community Catalysts to lead the project in Oxfordshire, having previously led our partnership project in Dorset.

Anita shares some reflections from her first couple of weeks in post on the Oxfordshire project…

I am amazed and inspired by the amount of community groups, charities and initiatives that already exist in the area and the synergies between them – this will provide a strong foundation for building collaborative partnerships across the community.

I find our holistic approach adds value to the current local, person-centred activities which are already working well and highlight peoples’ strengths and assets. Everyone has their own activities, hobbies and pastimes that makes their lives richer and fuller – this could be board games / music / animals / reading / dancing / cycling / mechanics / knitting / woodwork…by using our local knowledge to connect people and communities together through these shared interests, skills and resources we can make a real difference and open up the options for people to live the lives they want.

Our project will build the care and support marketplace, providing quality choices locally, which in turn:

  • offers people attractive career choices with good pay and a positive home and work life balance
  • helps to retain experienced staff in the sector and provides job sustainability
  • improves the local economy – find out more about the economic impacts here

The project also aims to capture learning and actively use this to affect local system and culture change – working hard to improve the way that health and care works for everyone in the county.

Having already met and talked to some very enthusiastic and connected professionals and Cherwell District residents I look forward to achieving the task ahead. Keep up to date with the project here

Anita can be contacted on:

·       Email a.wingad@communitycatalysts.co.uk
·       Telephone 07341425126
·       Twitter @CommCatsOxford
·       Facebook @CommCatsCherwell

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