The Capacity Building project supported local groups and social enterprises to improve their ability to use assets to increase their sustainability whilst providing spaces to provide their services to the community. Support was targeted to the individual organisation and included business planning, coaching and mentoring, strategic development and dealing with property, construction and planning issues. The project also supported the transition of locally-led groups into social enterprise status.

The project, which ran from April 2023 to March 2024, was delivered by Raise Partnership who have extensive experience in capacity building for organisations and locally-led regeneration projects.
Organisations benefiting from the project were based in both urban and rural areas and included those supporting marginalised communities, youth clubs, village halls, health and wellbeing services, and local neighbourhood groups. All were seeking support to increase their ability to provide services from buildings, whether by securing their tenancy, seeking funding for physical improvements or setting up a Community Land Trust.

In localities where there have been similar issues and interests groups have been joined up to maximise viability and to deliver long term outcomes. This has led to four strategic projects to be taken forward by the organisations themselves:

• Creation of a Community Land Trust to develop affordable housing/VCSE premises to support and sustain a collaborative approach to servicing the marginalised in Weston
• Identification of long term sustainable alternatives and developing an investment proposition and business case for a collaborative centre for culture in Weston
• Utilisation of property assets to resolve sustainability issues through a collaborative approach to community and arts in Clevedon
• Development of a new collaboration providing health and wellbeing services to local people in Portishead who don’t currently have access to these services and activities

Support from the project has also enabled some organisations to apply for funding to develop their forward plans beyond the end of the project; this has resulted in awards of £130,000 in total.

Further information: Josyanne.clarke@n-somerset.gov.uk