ACCESS to BUSINESS: Social Enterprise Centre opens!

26th September 2024

Access to Business is proud to have launched Wolverhampton’s first Social Enterprise Centre in Tempest Street Wolverhampton yesterday as part of City of Wolverhampton Council Business Week. Josie Kelly, Access to Business CEO said,

We have taken this step as cities across the UK are seeing how the power of a vibrant social economy can transform communities, addressing local economic challenges and creating lasting change.

Social enterprises are high quality businesses which trade for a social or environmental purpose and prioritise benefit to people, place and planet. They don’t make profit but invest surplus funds to further their mission. Social enterprises contribute to improving lives through reducing economic inequality, improving opportunities and social justice and environmental sustainability. 

West Midlands Combined Authority has appointed Access to Business as the Wolverhampton Lead to support the growth of Wolverhampton’s Social Economy.   Josie said “Alongside eight other leads across the West Midlands, we’re dedicated to growing our region’s social economy and empowering local social enterprises to thrive. We are not just leaders in this movement—we have our own social enterprises. We support disadvantaged people and help other social enterprises grow, connect, and promote their services.” 

Access to Business are recruiting local Community Champions from businesses, stakeholders, funders and individuals to support the Social Economy growth and encourage others to pledge support to promote, buy from, invest in, sponsor or raise funds for social enterprises in our City to enable them to make a transformative difference to people, communities and our City economy. 

Some of Wolverhampton’s new social enterprises that Access to Business has supported attended the launch of the new Social Enterprise Centre, and were joined by guests from Business, Council and other voluntary sector providers.  The Centre was officially opened by Charles Rapson, West Midlands Combined Authority Lead for the Social Economy and Sarah Beaumont OBE, Director of BSSEC CIC, the organisation that supports Social Businesses across the West Midlands.  Josie said “Together, we can all help Wolverhampton become a thriving Social Economy City and follow the lead of other thriving Social Economy Cities”

Councillor Obaida Ahmed, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for Digital and Community, said:

I am delighted to support the launch of the Pilot Social Enterprise Centre during Wolverhampton Business Week – and I am sure it will prove an invaluable facility to our growing network of social enterprises in the city. Social value and environmental welfare form critical parts of the council’s plan, and it is important support is in place for businesses who put these priorities front and centre. Thanks to city partners like Access to Business awareness in this sector is being raised and encouraged as part of the business infrastructure in the city.

Sarah Beaumont, BSSEC CIC Director, added,

It was an honour to be invited to speak at this event and support the launch of the new Social Enterprise Centre. I wish Josie and the team at Access to Business every success in this innovative project and sure we’ll be hearing so much more from the work being done across the Wolverhampton locality to help grow the regional social economy.

Finally, a closing comment from Josie on the day,

The official opening of our Wolverhampton Social Enterprise Centre as part of Wolverhampton Council Business week was a great achievement.  Our Guest speakers Sarah Beaumont OBE, Director of BSSEC CIC and Charles Rapson, WMCA Lead for Social Economy Growth did a great job cutting our ribbon to cheers from the many businesses, social enterprises and stakeholders that joined us on this special day and we all look forward to supporting the growth of Wolverhampton’s social economy.