Making a difference

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Many organisations are reaching out to make a difference to the communities in which they live and work. Aspire works with them to provide analysis on how they can best support community enterprise; advice on strategy; and management support and training. Our advice is based on years of experience of  building community enterprise from the bottom up. Our experience straddles government, business and the local community.

Our work

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We have helped organisations undertake feasibility studies to support or set up new enterprises, design business cases for them and help them measure and tailor their social impact. We have a particular interest in promoting responsibility in supply chains so that organisations that can demonstrate public and social value can be rewarded by acting good.

Green jobs

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Aspire was responsible for the contract management of The Green Jobs Partnership of over seven hundred organisations which brought together leading, national players in the community recycling and reuse sector to create green jobs for people who were long-term unemployed in community-led enterprise. Eighty nine jobs were created within 24 community enterprises working to improve the environment.

Assessing progress

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Aspire has designed and developed its own bespoke measurement tool for social enterprises working in the homelessness sector to assess progress in their early years. This was created with the close involvement of homelessness organisations themselves.

Building enterprise

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Aspire has advised housing associations and other not for profit organisations with bespoke business development advice and support and advice on social and community enterprises.  Organisations with whom we have worked include Wolverhampton Homes, Guildford Borough Council and the YMCA.

Research

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Aspire worked with the Housing Federation and Groundwork Trust to produce the Greenlight report which examined how housing associations and social enterprises could work more effectively together. We are currently carrying out work on procurement and public value.