If you're a social enterprise, or interested in becoming one, Citylife can help you start, survive and grow.
We offer a range of support services across Cambridgeshire, and have recently expanded to maintain several vital services previously provided by The Social Enterprise People (TSEP). The ways we can help are listed below and we'll be growing our social enterprise programme further over the coming months. So if there's any support you need, just get in touch.
Business development
When social enterprises need support, they need it from someone who can not only give excellent business advice but also understands the issues specific to social enterprise. Our Social Business Advisor has been supporting social enterprises in all aspects of their development for many years. Whatever your support need - from pricing to legal forms, business planning to governance - Citylife can help you to develop your business for a more secure future.
For more information contact George Ruddock – Social Business Adviser 07872 111837 george@citylifeltd.org
Enterprise Healthchecks
We want to see all social enterprises trading well to ensure their sustainability. Through CVSIC's Cambridgeshire United Programme, we are now offering free enterprise healthchecks to community organisations throughout Cambridgeshire to help you identify opportunities to trade. Organisations who have good potential to trade will be able to access further support to develop their idea.
Training
Citylife offers high‐quality, accessible training on a variety of subjects. Over the next year, free training will be available through the Cambridgeshire United Programme on subjects such as: Opportunities for Enterprise; Product Development; Marketing; Introduction to Commissioning; Engaging in Commissioning; and Full Cost Recovery and Pricing.
Social impact measurement
Being able to demonstrate the social impact of your organisation is more and more important in this competitive and increasingly socially‐aware environment. Citylife has expertise in a wide range of social impact measurement tools and techniques and can help you to decide which is the one for you, as well as supporting you throughout the process. With staff trained in Social Accounting and Audit, Social Return on Investment and the Outcomes Focus, Citylife can help you get to grips with this exciting but occasionally daunting field.
Incubation space
Citylife currently operates two buildings in Cambridge offering affordable accommodation to social enterprise and charities. By offering supported offices with shared facilities we help social enterprises keep their standards high while reducing their costs. Click here for more details.
Networking
We all need support to keep us in the loop and help us tackle the everyday struggles we face when operating in this tough (but rewarding!) sector. The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Social Enterprise Network (CAPSEN) is a sub‐regional network managed by Citylife. The network gives local social enterprises (both existing and aspiring) the chance to get together, share information and experiences, and influence the development of Citylife’s social enterprise development services. We are always looking to expand the network even further so if you are interested in joining please do get in touch.