EPL secures 500k grant for partner Gateshead CAB s

15/04/2010

EPL has been working with partner Gateshead CAB to develop the 'Elevator' - new premises in Gateshead. The CAB have new secured an important piece of the funding jigsaw and construction wok has commenced.

The Elevator is a unique enterprise incubation, conference, meeting and training space based in Gateshead serving as a dynamic hub to develop the capacity of the social economy in North East England.  It is an iconic statement of a renaissance; not just of the planned regeneration of Gateshead city centre, but a renaissance of the part the third sector will to play in future helping revitalise our region. The Elevator is a UK first, it is a unique initiative blending the financial inclusion expertise of CAB work with enterprise development to offer social inclusion to excluded and disadvantaged communities and a place that offers accommodation, training and enterprise development services to dramatically improve the capacity of the region’s third sector.

 

The vision is therefore to establish an incubator of a range of enterprise based activities that engage with excluded groups, in particular disabled people.  Its unique combination of social economy approaches to public service delivery, ‘business in a box’ methodologies, and modular building form will allow The Elevator to become an exporter of innovative approaches to social enterprise development.

 

The Elevator will provide an exciting, enterprising, and supportive environment for the establishment of social businesses that involve excluded groups, and contribute to the modernisation of public services.  In addition it will provide ‘safe haven’ for third sector organisation looking to rent affordable and attractive managed workspace in Gateshead.

 

The building complex also makes a statement about inclusion and enterprise.  Built across three stages, the new building will accommodate

 

·        Management/Administration functions

·        The ‘enterprise hub’ providing on-site business advice and assistance;

·        The Health & Social Care Hub featuring advice, information, support and access for individuals considering or in receipt of a personal budget.

·        Access to other business support services including a reception service, shared photo-copying, internet, fax, reference resources, and secretarial, marketing, and book-keeping services – a virtual office

·        Provision of trial trading ‘incubator units’/enterprise rooms;

·        Shared meeting/training room;

·        A research & resource room to enable groups to undertake guided feasibility study and business planning work;

·        Mutual support and ideas-generation amongst ‘resident’ enterprises;

·        A Rolling programme of Rapid Enterprise Development (RED) Workshops to generate enterprise activity in and around the Hub.  The RED Workshops are under-pinned by www.redcic.com, a ‘shared open resource’ website. 

 

In essence, The Elevator will provide

 

a)   A ‘one stop advice shop’ for people, particularly individuals from excluded groups, in Gateshead and the surrounding area.   

 

b)   an arena whereby embryonic social firm and micro-enterprise groups can meet on an informal basis, share experiences and generate ideas, in addition to motivating each other.

 

Set in a signature, eco friendly, fully accessible and central building, The Elevator is to be built across three distinct stages. 


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