The Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, today visited CREATE, a social enterprise in Leeds, to see first hand how they are already embracing the principles of Big Society by giving skills training, work experience and real employment opportunities to vulnerable and homeless people.
Francis Maude said:
“Big Society is all about local people being empowered to bring about the changes they know their community needs – doing things for themselves and each other. I would like to see many many more people giving their time and energy to make positive changes in their community and to encourage people we are making it easier to set up and run a charity, social enterprise or voluntary organisation.
“CREATE is a really impressive social enterprise that has changed the lives of many vulnerable and homeless people in Leeds, Bradford and Doncaster. They are not only a profitable business but they have also identified a social problem in their community and acted to improve it.”
On his visit to ‘Found’, CREATE’s boutique shop which sells high quality donated high street items and retro fashion, the Minister toured the shop and met with staff and students from CREATE’s Potential Employment academy to hear how the business has helped them.
CREATE’s newly opened pre-employment training academy, Create Potential, will help even more people who were formerly homeless and rough sleepers into employment by giving them a mixture of real work experience in one of CREATE’s businesses, alongside accredited training and support to get a job and stay in employment. The academy will secure employment for 60 people in its first year.
Sarah Dunwell, Chief Executive Officer of CREATE, said:
“CREATE is passionate about working at the cutting edge of a big society where the government, charities, social enterprise and corporate partners work in robust and trusting relationships to deliver real social change. Big problems need big solutions and no one sector has the monopoly on being part of that solution. CREATE Potential builds on our business success and will increase the impact of our social success”
CREATE, which was established in 2007 in response to the growing number of homeless people in Leeds, now consists of three catering companies, five cafes and ‘Found’ a boutique shop across sites in Leeds, Bradford and Doncaster. CREATE have created 44 full time, permanent jobs for those who were vulnerable or at risk. They recently won the Trailblazing Newcomer of the Year award in the RBS Social Enterprise 100 highest growth social enterprise awards.
Image courtesy of Mark Skeet Photography
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