In the summer of 2019, OSEP embarked on a programme with OxLEP, Oxfordshire’s Local Enterprise Partnership, to deliver eScalate, a three-year project, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which runs until March 2022 to support Social Enterprises, social entrepreneurs, enterprising charities and purposeful businesses.
OSEP provide business support in the form of webinars, peer to peer sessions and one to one enterprise support from Grant Hayward, and in addition to this, qualifying organisations can apply for grants of £1,000 – £25,000 on the programme.
One of the organisations that has successfully received eScalate grant funding is Makespace Oxford CIC, which is a collaborative organisation formed between Transition by Design, Aspire Oxford, The Community Action Group (Oxfordshire) and the Broken Spoke Bike Co-op.
We caught up with Andy Edwards from Transition by Design, to find out how they plan to use the eScalate grant, the impact of social organisations, and why community is vital, particularly during the lockdown. >>
What is the vision of Makespace?
Makespace’s vision is to see Oxford’s once empty and underused spaces transformed into thriving communities of creativity and innovation. We do this by refurbishing empty and underused buildings and turning them into dynamic hubs for community action.
Tell us about The Community Works and why it’s needed in Oxford.
The Community Works will be a new community action hub, with individuals and organisations committed to social and ecological change, who would benefit from the centralised location, and who will reflect and connect with the diverse community surrounding the building.
Affordable, accessible and secure space for working, making, organising and connecting communities is sorely lacking across Oxford, especially around Frideswide Square and the city centre. We have a wonderful opportunity to breath new life into the area, connect with local communities and create a space where local groups and organisations can grow.
What support did you receive through the eScalate programme for The Community Works?
We were awarded a grant which is contributing towards the setup costs and improvements to the building to make it ready for community businesses to move in.
What impact will the grant funding have on the project?
Due to COVID the project has been split into two phases, the first of which will be providing studio and office spaces to purpose driven businesses. The second phase to come later, and which remains subject to further funding, will be the building of a central community hub.
The grant is supporting the setup costs of the first phase of the project including working with local tradespeople and architecture practice Transition by Design Cooperative to transform what was a dilapidated empty building into a 21st century work space. The grant has helped make the project possible and leverage more support and funding.
How would you define a purpose driven organisation?
A purpose driven organisation is an organisation whose purpose and impact is prioritised over profit. At Makespace Oxford, we prioritise supporting community led organisations and those with a focus on creating positive social change in Oxfordshire.
What impact do you think helping to grow more socially conscious organisations will have on the wider society?
We are facing an unprecedented number of challenges as a society and as a species. To address these we rely on unlocking our creativity and forging more collaborative ways of working. The kind of organisations we build and how connected they are is fundamental to meeting these challenges and at the same time offers us the opportunity to create more meaningful and joyful ways of working.
What do you think are the barriers to making a difference as a social entrepreneur at the moment?
Affordable, secure and quality work space, accessing the right information and resources, and being able to connect with and share learnings with a supportive community. Makespace hopes to address each of these through our core purpose.
Why do you feel community is important for social impact organisations?
Community workspaces give social impact organisations much needed mutual aid and support, and allow an open exchange of ideas and innovation. We encourage empowerment and participation, cultivating a diverse group of people who are eager to work side by side and build each other up.
What kind of people and organisations are you looking for, and who is best suited to The Community Works?
We are currently seeking organisations who are locally rooted, who deliver benefit to the local community of Oxford, are non-profit or charitable, and are keen to offer mutual aid, support and solidarity to our existing community.
In our first phase we are seeking purpose driven organisations who are able to offer strong support to the wider community and who are eager to find a centralised workspace in Oxford.
Once we have secured funding for the second phase we are seeking to find organisations who would benefit the most from solidarity and support from Makespace, and transform the ground floor into a space for creative and brilliant grassroots organising.
What is the best way to apply for, and find out about the project?
If organisations are interested in applying for the current spaces, which will be opening in November of this year, they should fill out our application form to let us know a bit more about their organisation, and send an email to info@makespaceoxford.org if they’d like to learn more about the project.
If you are more interested in getting involved in the next steps for The Community Works and being part of helping us transform the ground floor space, we would love to discuss your ideas.
If you would like to find out more about the vision and mission behind the work that Makespace do, read Andy’s blog on Creating The Change We Want To See In The World.
Find more information about the eScalate programme, including one to ones, peer support and webinars. Our next webinar, Legal Structures for Purposeful Businesses, takes place on 6th October, hosted by CAG Oxfordshire, followed by Get Social Procurement Ready, hosted by Aspire Oxford on 15th October.
