In early March we had some fabulous news which I am delighted to share. After a long and arduous process, it was confirmed that City Bridge Foundation would be funding the BEC for the next three years to deliver a new project. The Project we call Building Bridges will start in earnest in May and we are busily beavering away in set up mode to ensure the project is good to go. Now one could argue as to whether it is a new project as the BEC has been supporting charities and social enterprises with business support for several years, which happened as a response to a gap in provision. What is new is to have dedicated funding and a targeted approach over the next three years, we are elated to be able to offer local charities, social enterprises and those people who want to start a not for profit access to business mentoring, training and support in the same way we do commercial businesses.
The social sector locally is close to my heart it would be having worked in the borough for 25 years both in the social sector and in local government. I describe it as poacher to gamekeeper and back again but even when in local government those relationships I had made in the social sector made the work in adult social care so much easier. I have always valued the contribution the social sector makes locally, and I know more widely to supporting people, and changing people’s lives.
I hate to mention the C word but the response from the social sector to covid and the impact of the pandemic happened overnight, vulnerable residents were supported to access prescriptions, medication, and groceries through a network of social sector organisations including charities, faith groups and social enterprises. I must acknowledge our local council who provided financial support to the organisations to deliver this vital work, without a lengthy process to get the funding. For me personally this demonstrated a measure of trust in the sector and how the council views the sector as a trusted partner.
However, the aftermath of the pandemic and more recently the cost-of-living crisis has left many of our residents, businesses and social sector organisations facing challenging times. The reduction of central government funding to local councils, means that they can no longer give grants in the way they have done previously. The old mantra in life if you have not got it, you cannot give it. How the funding landscape is difficult to navigate and the complexities of bid writing when you are a new organisation is daunting and challenging. For some social sector organisations, they are of a size and proportion that they can employ or engage bid writers (yes that is someone’s day job). For most, like the BEC that falls to the senior person in the organisation, and it is a lonely and arduous job. A decent bid can take up to 8 working days and then to get a rejection at the end is soul destroying and plays havoc with your self-esteem. So, you can see why I was delighted when the people at City Bridge Foundation said yes!
You may be thinking, what are our plans for the Building Bridges Programme? Well our primary objectives revolves around fostering collaboration, capacity building, and sustainable growth within the social sector. We aspire to equip social sector entrepreneurs with the tools and knowledge necessary to establish robust organisations founded on sustainable business principles and growth strategies.
We want to bolster the capacity of existing small groups, enabling them to realise their full potential and contribute meaningfully to the community.
The Building Bridges Programme is not just about supporting individual businesses; it's about building a resilient and interconnected ecosystem where social sector organisations can flourish and collectively address the needs of the community.
Together, we can build bridges to a brighter future for Barking and Dagenham if you would like to find out more then please reply here and I will send you an invite for Thursday 25th April.
