Who and what are the Demonstration Projects?

 

The Cultural Shift South East Partnership had two strategic aims: To model inclusive employment models delivered through independent social enterprises and to create new protocols for entrepreneurial partnerships between mainstream public sector providers and social enterprises in the South East.

Each demonstration project consisted of a multi-sector board that will be led through a process of intensive incubation of their enterprise idea.   Each case study will demonstrate the cultural, regulatory and organisational barriers faced by each team as they seek to set up and run social enterprises.

 

The following  demonstration projects have been piloted through the Cultural Shift Programme:

 

1. HMP Standford Hill (Isle of Sheppey)

The potential for social enterprise in the context of the prison service was recognised by those charged with reducing re-offending at HMP Standford Hill.  As a result of this, the Genesis Project was created to become a Cultural Shift South East Demonstration Project.  This Project established an Enterprise Board to look at market opportunities for what it hopes will be the Prison’s first foray into social enterprise.  Since its inception, the Enterprise Board has been attended by representatives from the prisoner community, local borough and parish councils, private companies plus prison service management and members of the local community.

 

 

For further information, please contact kathryn.prentice@hmps.gsi.gov.uk

 

The Genesis Project

 

2. The Really Helpful IT Company (Portsmouth)

The Really Helpful IT Company (TRHITC) provides an IT support service and by operating a cross-subsidiary model, the profits generated from contracts with the private sector enables services to be delivered to the voluntary and community sector at an affordable price.  

                                                           

Through the Cultural Shift Programme, TRHITC has also operated an Intermediate Labour Market (ILM) Training Programme. The ILM model of waged work in specially created temporary jobs, is one tool to move people from long-term unemployment to sustained work.

Please click here to view The Really Helpful IT company Net:gain leaflet.

 

For further details please contact: Paula Graham at paula.graham@trhitc.co.uk

The Really Helpful IT Company

 

3. Social Business Solutions (Portsmouth)

Social Business Solutions was established to help stimulate, create and sustain other social enterprises through the facilitation of 5 Community Boards. The Social Business Solutions Project (SBS), worked with individuals, Trustees and Board Members of the five organisations that were Portsmouth Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) Community Boards. A community asset has been purchased by HOPE Ltd as a legacy to the SRB element and Cultural Shift South East. This asset will be used to sustain the work of the new organisations that were previously known as Community Boards. Omega Street Café has relaunched after just over a year of closure whilst SBS, Portsmouth City Council and a task group of residents and supporters worked on the next phase of development. This facility is now operating as a training kitchen being run by Enham, an organisation that helps people with disabilities into work. The output of the training kitchen is a community café - now called Café Enham. Enham is hoping that this will be the first of a chain of such cafés.

Other outputs to date include Heart of Portsmouth Enterprise Ltd, Leisure and Learning Centre, PATCH Ltd, Paulsgrove and Wymering Community Action Board Ltd (including Paulsgrove Carnival and Showcase of Talent event) and assisting the sustainability of Triton Training CIC through a Maritime Project. Other emerging projects that have been assisted include the merger of 2 formerly SRB Boards, one other SRB community board, 4 community newspaper projects, a TV Production company, a recruitment company agency, a Work and Learning project and a small heritage project, commemorating Mud Larks near the Naval Base.

 

For further details, please contact: Linda Taylor, Social Business Solutions Champion, Directorate for Economy, Culture and Community Safety, Portsmouth City Council at linda.taylor@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

 

 

Social Business Solutions

In addition to the 3 main demonstration projects that were supported by the Cultural Shift Programme, a further 8 were facilitated through the sector development groups.