With funding from Power to Change (PtC), along with our national partners, including Locality, we have been working with BME community-based organisations to support their development and their sustainability through the Mali Enterprising Leaders (MEL) Programme.
Over eighteen months the MEL Programme delivered tailored support to five London and Manchester organisations, which collectively managed a diverse portfolio of community assets including a large sports facility, art gallery and a community centre.
The package of support included an assessment of organisational needs, local development support and access to regional, national and international learning opportunities. A unique feature of the programme was a process of identifying and developing the next generation of community leaders, who will, in the coming years, assume responsibility for these assets.
The need for this toolkit emerged as a key recommendation of the MEL Programme and from Ubele’s experiences of supporting community businesses and social enterprises. It highlighted an urgent need for BME communities to be offered targeted support, advice, capacity building and investment to enable them to both establish and strengthen Community Businesses. This is particularly crucial in the context of the increasing threat to the community assets “owned” and utilised by those communities.
What’s next?
We are planning to deliver a 1-day programme to support the use of the toolkit.
If you would like to discuss your organisation’s needs or find out more about the toolkit, please contact Yvonne Field at Yvonne.Field@ubele.org
