Nurturing community assets into sustainable and impactful enterprises with Helen Allen, Community Catalysts and Harry Clarkson, Speakup

Welcome to episode 393 of Business Live, for purpose-driven entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs. When Rotherham wanted to transform its adult social care offer for people with learning disabilities and autistic people and offer personalised services that people wanted, local social and micro-enterprises proved crucial. Helen Allen and Harry Clarkson tell me how.

Community Catalysts (www.communitycatalysts.co.uk) is a thriving community interest company, running since 2010 and operating across the UK. Speakup (www.speakup.org.uk) is a Self Advocacy Group run by and for people with learning disabilities and autistic people. Employment is for Everyone ( (www.employmentisforeveryone.org.uk) is a social movement that aims to improve the employment rates for people with learning disabilities and autistic people.

Also on today's show:

• New CAF Venturesome funding for charities and social enterprises operating across the UK, including those with international projects. https://www.cafonline.org/about-us/caf-venturesome
• Funding for starting up up to £8,000) and  scaling up (up to £18,000) social enterprises from UnLtd, the foundation for social entrepreneurs: https://www.unltd.org.uk/awards/
• Event: 19 January, Refugee Entrepreneurship Network and Centre for Entrepreneurs Corporate Roundtable: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/refugee-entrepreneurship-network-corporate-roundtable-tickets-759765548207
• Sheffield City Council has commissioned the Sheffield Social Enterprise Network to create the Social Enterprise Growth Accelerator (SEGA), providing specialist business support and advice for social enterprises in Sheffield. More details: www.ssen.org.uk/sega and www.scci.org.uk
• Book recommendation: Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn