Support to help set up community micro-enterprise helping older people and adults with learning disabilities

Karen Williams, Community Enterprise Catalyst (Rochdale Borough)

Support for local people to set up a community micro-enterprise helping older people and adults with a learning disability to live a good life is available.

Community Catalysts is a social enterprise working across the UK to try to make sure that people who need care and support to live their lives can get help in ways, times and places that suit them.

Community Catalysts offers free support to those running a community micro-enterprise for older or disabled people, or those interested in starting a new venture- this may be as a sole trader, voluntary group, social enterprise or as a business.

Karen Williams, of Community Catalysts Rochdale, said: “We help bring local people’s ideas to fruition. We help local people use their energies and talents to deliver sustainable community micro-enterprises that can support other local people, creating jobs and volunteering opportunities.”

One project helped through Community Catalysts is Your Home Yoga, a community interest company which set up during coronavirus to offer yoga sessions to people in their homes virtually using Zoom.

Karen began working with Debbie and Lou from Your Home Yoga in early July, after they approached her with an idea to offer online yoga in response to the pandemic.

“They wanted support to help them diversify their offer and to reach people who would benefit from their classes.  Their ideas fitted perfectly with offering a choice of activity to older people and adults with a learning disability through their inclusive and specific classes for these groups,” Karen explained.

Community Catalysts has strong links to other local, strengths-based work and works closely with the Council for Voluntary Services, business enterprise support agencies and council teams. Community Catalysts Rochdale can help micro-community enterprises to set up or diversify in a safe and sustainable way.

For more information about the project, contact Karen Williams on 07880 388478 or karen.williams@communitycatalysts.co.uk

• www.communitycatalysts.co.uk/project/rochdale/