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Supporting the development of community micro-enterprises

Business case outlining the case for investment in support for community micro-enterprises. It brings together the findings from evidence-based research pieces by the New Economic Foundation and the University of Birmingham.

The business case shows that community micro-enterprises are well-placed to deliver support that generates positive outcomes for people and their families and contribute to wider social and economic policy priorities. They can adapt and change with the changing needs of their communities. They create wider benefits to their communities through ‘ripple effects’ (which are often harder to capture and quantify).

We believe that local authorities and integrated care systems will find the information within the business case invaluable as they work to transform health and social care services so that people who need support can get help in ways that suit them and let them live the lives they want – and local communities can thrive.

I think it is really important what we do actually. I think there are a lot of people that live on their own, whether they are in care homes or elsewhere, and they are really, really lonely, and really isolated, and culturally have very, very little access. So, if you are actually asking people to do some of the things that we ask them to do, you are really taking them into a completely different space which people are slightly challenged about, but they never say no, ever!

CME reflecting on why they seek to tackle social isolation and loneliness in the design of their services