Inspiring Enterprise

Building Better Opportunities

By

Social Kitchen: EdAble

I am waiting in the queue at Costa’s looking at all the sugar laden cakes and tarts. Do people still eat those these days? The sugar tax, the increase in vegan and vegetarian food, obesity…you would have thought that a more healthy option would do well.

Now I am not a buyer for the coffee chain or one of their marketing analysts, I am here to meet with one of our Inspiring Enterprise participants, Suzanne O’Hara who has just launched her Social Kitchen ‘EdAble’ in the Addlestone area and her business Advisor Richard Ryan from the Inspiring Enterprise project.

Having worked for the corporate food giants, but now needing to spend more time at home due to family circumstances, she felt that the time was right to make her dream come through to start her healthy food business.

Suzanne, enjoys honest food, hates waste and has always been keen to provide a place to work and flourish for people with disabilities. And with this love for food, she launched EdAble, a Social Enterprise producing home-style meals using gluts from local suppliers that might otherwise go to waste.  It is a win-win for everybody involved: suppliers see there produce being put to good use, customers get to eat healthy, wholesome meals and EdAble provides a workplace for people who would find it difficult to work 9-5.

She started working with Inspiring Enterprise Partner Surrey Community Action in 2017 and business advisor Richard helped her get the business off the ground. He comments: ”It is key for Suzanne to develop an income stream so the project is sustainable. Focus, dedication and a business strategy are all important to make this a success.  Suzanne is very motivated and I am confident that she will do well.”

EdAble Social Kitchen is open every Thursday at the Addlestone Community Centre. You can eat in or pick up your meals to eat at home.

Edablesocial.com

facebook.com/EdAbleSocial

Suzanne@edablesocial.com

 

By

Successful participant: Shamala Moodley

I suddenly realise I am really hungry when I walk into Shamala’s kitchen. She is cooking several dishes for our lunch today to show off her skills and discuss her options going forward.

Shamala is a highly skilled senior teacher who due to ill health had to leave the teaching profession.  But she and her husband are  keen cooks and have always dreamed of starting their own food business.

Whilst off sick following a difficult time during her last job, Shamala came across the Inspiring Enterprise project and teamed up with Business Advisor Susan Reviere to develop her ideas and business plans.

Initially they explored having a catering van in the centre of Staines, selling street food to shoppers and passers-by. Whilst this was very popular on certain days, she felt that there was not enough passing trade to fund a business. She also recognised that next to setting up and running your own business you need another form of income to pick up the high and lows in the beginning.

Together with Susan she scaled back her business to preparing home-cooked meals for local people in Staines whilst working again part-time at a school. Many people met her whilst selling street food in Staines and the idea for delivered home-cooked food immediately caught on.  

People order through her Facebook page the day before and the meals are delivered hot at the requested time. Since switching to this approach, orders have steadily increased through word of mouth and Social Media. With her regular income secured, she is now gradually building a customer base in South West London. It is a shame I don’t live nearer…

You can get hold of Shamala’s lovely home-cooked food menu when you follow her on Facebook: foodhype.co.uk

Shamala specialises also in gluten free and vegetarian dishes.

By

Life is Sweet for Surrey Based Social Enterprise

Inspiring Enterprise project officers Erica Sandford and Claire Dawson, both with Surrey Community Action, have been working with Sophie Foote, Manager of the County Care Community Skills Project, to assist adults with learning difficulties to launch a successful business making and selling sweet bags. They have produced a business model for the group and have helped them to develop essential business skills such as money handling and customer service, as well as developing confidence.

The Candy Care Enterprise group now orders stock, makes up and sells the product

in nine Addlestone High Street shops – clearing £150 in the first month alone.

They also offer party packs so people can send in an order by email and it can be made up ready for collection. These can be for children’s parties, baby showers, weddings, and birthday or engagement parties.

Sophie said: “I cannot praise Erica and Claire highly enough. Their support and advice has been invaluable in helping us run this programme which so encourages our participants and allows them to progress and thrive.”

The Candy Care Enterprise group will be working with Claire to go through their takings and help make keeping records as easy as possible. They are also going to be expanding the Candy Care idea and adding in a second enterprise – hopefully there will be more exciting news soon

By

Inspiring Enterprise success story: Rachel Tapping

‘I’ve always wanted to run my own business but it’s taken raising three children, running playgroups for eleven years and attending university as a mature student to bring me to a point where I am ready. It’s scary starting out at my age with all the responsibilities that go with it, so being given this great opportunity to have my hand held on the way has been invaluable. I am bringing together the things I know and love best – working with parents and their small children and providing the playthings that really inspire healthy, imaginative play. I’m developing playgroup experiences that will educate parents whilst also providing a peaceful, relaxing environment for them and their children. This is complimented by the range of playthings I’m developing. My focus is on the first three years but the products are not exclusively for this age group.

My revamped website should be open for business soon at www.firstplaytime.co.uk.’

You can also see what I’m up to on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FirstPlaytime/ and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/first_playtime/

blog written by University of Winchester

 

Rachel was supported by the Inspiring Enterprise, a Building Better Opportunities project.

Funding supports projects in England that tackle poverty and promote social inclusion.

It is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and the European Social Fund

By

Inspiring Enterprise success story: Lloyd Attrill

 

Founded at the beginning of 2018 The Socialtree is a social media management and marketing company based in Hampshire created by a Winchester Business Management Enterprise and Innovation  Graduate – Lloyd Attrill. After running a variety of small start ups including a fashion brand, Dropshipping store and successful arbitrage store, Lloyd took what he learnt about Social Media, both what worked and more importantly what didn’t work and applied that to helping other companies avoid the pitfalls of social media and help them maximise their potential via these social networks. Today he and the team work alongside a variety of companies, from Corporate businesses and SME’s to personal brands.

Their goal is to help you branch out on social media. Head over to the website at www.thesocialtree.co.uk to check them out or give them a follow on social media to keep up with their story.

blog written by University of Winchester

 

Lloyd was supported by the Inspiring Enterprise, a Building Better Opportunities project.

Funding supports projects in England that tackle poverty and promote social inclusion.

It is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and the European Social Fund