In partnership with Suffolk County Council, Community Catalysts is building a network of community micro-enterprises that can offer care and support to people in their local community.
This is Lenka’s story of setting up a community micro-enterprise and how her support is changing people’s lives.
In January 2025, Lenka contacted Amy, the Community Catalyst for West Suffolk. She was thinking about setting up her own business and had read about the Community Micro-enterprise Development Programme on the council’s website. Lenka was looking for some help to navigate business start-up and was keen to get things right, including everything from training and support to the right insurance and help with marketing and promotion.
Lenka was working for a local charity supporting adults with learning disabilities. She also had some lived experience supporting older relatives, a neighbour living with dementia and family members with neurodiversity. Lenka’s vision was to use her passion, skills and experience to set up a flexible community micro-enterprise that would provide help at home and support for people to get out and about in the local community. The support would celebrate people’s unique interests and needs and help them live a good life.
“A lot of home care and support is functional and does not celebrate the uniqueness of the individual… I would love to help fill that gap. I want to help people gain confidence and their sense of self. And help them live an independent and fulfilling life. I love using my compassion and creativity to help people take part in activities they enjoy.”
After an initial chat with Amy, Lenka was inspired to learn that Community Catalysts could help her achieve her goals through their free development programme.
Over the next two months, Lenka had weekly virtual catch-ups with Amy to get support, advice and encouragement. Amy provided information and guidance on regulations, templates and guidelines for paperwork and procedures. She also assisted Lenka to obtain a DBS check and insurance and offered access to funding, training and marketing opportunities.
Amy supported Lenka to set up a community micro-enterprise that was safe, legal and as sustainable as possible.
“The support you get from Community Catalysts was incredibly helpful – they are extremely knowledgeable, could work at my speed and helped increase my confidence. I feel very lucky to have had Amy as a mentor. She has been fantastic and I am so grateful for her time and care. I would not have achieved this without Amy.”
Lenka Bashford, HandS Help and Support
In April 2025 HandS Help and Support launched to help people who needed support to get out to community clubs, activities and social events, or some help and company at home.
After three weeks, Lenka had started working with four people in her local area, providing 25 hours of support a week. Two customers were able to pay for Lenka’s support via their direct payment.
Over fifty percent of enquiries Lenka has received have come via the Small Good Stuff directory of local care and support services.
Rosie, who is living with dementia, has greatly benefitted from Lenka’s dedicated efforts to help her lead a fulfilling life. Rosie’s daughter, Rachel, shares how Lenka’s community micro-enterprise has positively transformed her mother’s life.
Lenka is a breath of fresh air. She has such a calmness and natural talent to see through the cognitive impairment to reach the person – who they are and were before.
When I first spoke with her, I’d asked Lenka that she take mum out and ‘try to get up to as much mischief as possible’. Lenka has made a considerable effort to research activities specific to mum’s individual tastes and interests and now they have all sorts of mischief planned!
As a result, mum has a new spring in her step and a renewed interest in conversation – she’s a person again with a life to talk about and experiences to share. Mum already loves Lenka, especially her cooking, I’m so pleased to have found her and cannot recommend her highly enough.
Rachel (Rosie’s daughter)
Freya, 18, lives with additional needs. Her father, Steve, was seeking flexible, personalised support – someone who could help Freya build her cooking skills, accompany her to the gym and swimming sessions, and support her in attending the clubs and activities she enjoys. Steve shares his experience of finding the right support in HandS Help and Support.
Finding Lenka through Community Catalysts has been a brilliant experience for us and more importantly, our daughter. Totally professional, highly capable and more than anything else, here for the right reasons. We feel blessed to have found her!
Steve (Freya’s dad)
Like what you’ve read and keen to set up or develop your own community micro-enterprise? Contact us to find out more.
You can find many other community micro-enterprises like HandS Help and Support on our Small Good Stuff directory.