Powering Handsworth’s Social Economy: Legacy West Midlands in Action
16th September 2025
Last week, I had the pleasure of catching up with Aftab Rahman, CEO of Legacy West Midlands (Legacy WM) in Handsworth. Legacy WM has a long history of serving Birmingham’s diverse communities through its work in heritage, arts, well-being and with young people. More recently, through its work as a cluster lead supported by the WMCA, the organisation has been a key driver in stimulating the local social economy.
Legacy West Midlands was founded by Aftab Rahman, a community practitioner with extensive experience leading grassroots organisations. His vision was to celebrate the lives and stories of local people, particularly those who had travelled from around the world to settle in Birmingham.
Initially, Legacy WM began as a volunteer-led constituted group. Today, it is a thriving cultural and community organisation in Birmingham with impressive partnerships. These collaborations range from cultural institutions like the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), Birmingham Rep and the Birmingham Hippodrome to working with Soho Bid, helping to integrate diverse cultural celebrations like Diwali into the city’s economic life.
I asked Aftab about the key findings from the social economy mapping that they undertook. It was interesting to learn that Handsworth as one of the most deprived areas of Birmingham, had an underdeveloped social economy. While the team uncovered some hidden gems, like Bollywood dance studios and gardening projects, the total number of social enterprises was lower than expected.
As a result, to stimulate the environment and to attract early-stage social entrepreneurs, Dragons’ Den style events were held. These events have brought many more social entrepreneurs out of the woodwork, including artists. Artists in the area frequently collaborate with other creatives and community members to establish and run grassroots art spaces and projects. A prime example is Handsworth Creative, a Community Interest Company (CIC) that specialises in visual arts projects. They have developed initiatives like the Handsworth Park Arts Trail and community art activities in the Perry Barr and Ladywood districts. They will be hosting an outdoor cinema screening in the gardens of Soho House on the 19th September.
Legacy West Midlands aims to address job market inequality in the area by encouraging the creation of new social enterprises. They also plan to use their physical space as a hub for the wider community to showcase their products and services.
Legacy WM’s home in Soho House – Visitor Centre is central to its growth strategy. For those of you who haven’t visited, I would highly recommend seeing the venue and its luscious green grounds. Soho House, a Grade II listed building is one of Birmingham’s most historically significant sites primarily known as the elegant home of industrialist and entrepreneur Matthew Boulton. Today, Soho House – Visitor Centre continues to operate as a museum, hosting exhibitions and events that explore local history and the city’s rich heritage. Legacy WM took on a licence for the visitor centre, which they have transformed into a hub for community enterprise. Legacy WM are using the space in a range of different ways to diversify their income through:
- equipment hire – offering resources like a minibus, exhibition space, and even a popcorn machine for cinema nights.
- hot-desking – providing affordable office space for emerging businesses.
- venue hire – renting out the space for events, with a tiered pricing structure that offers both community and corporate rates.
This approach creates a self-sustaining model that supports Legacy WM’s mission and provides practical resources for the community.
For anyone looking to start a social enterprise, Aftab offers some essential advice:
- define your mission – by clearly articulating your mission and values, you will attract the right people and supporters to your cause.
- get your structure right – establish clear governance and ensure your operations are transparent.
- don’t rush returns – it takes time to build a sustainable model, so don’t expect immediate financial returns.
You can view the Handsworth social economy cluster video here: Handsworth Birmingham Legacy WM Cluster
Future plans
Legacy WM has ambitious plans. The organisation is actively working to secure a local asset. The asset will support economic activity in the area and house social enterprises. One of the big lessons will be about estate management, says Aftab. Acquiring assets brings with it a whole new knowledge and set of skills.
For the longer term, Legacy WM is focused on supporting and championing young entrepreneurs in the area and building partnerships with institutions like the CBSO, the Hippodrome, the REP, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the MAC to ensure cultural institutions are serving the entire city’s population. Watch out for the flagship festival, Bangla month in November. This is a direct response to a changing arts sector and the push for greater diversity. You can find out more here: BADA – Bangladeshi Artist Development Agency | Legacy West Midlands
