'Never more needed, never been harder':
‘Never more needed, never been harder’. That’s the message we’ve been hearing from socially trading organisations across the Liverpool City Region who are expanding their organisation’s reach and impact. Demand for services and support is high and the funding environment has been tough. The cumulative effects of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis are hitting organisations who are providing vital services to communities across our region.
This context forces a conversation about growth – to reach more people, to deepen impact, or to ensure financial viability. Sometimes this happens organically, but often it requires intentional, strategic leadership and the ability to grab opportunities as and when they arise. We have no shortage of talented, passionate leaders across the region, yet we’re hearing again and again that they do not have the headspace or time to step away from day to day delivery. This means that long term thinking about growth often takes a backseat.
We’re on a mission to create this headspace, giving leaders and doers the chance to sit down, slow down and think about growth. With the support of Postcode Innovation Trust (made possible by the players of People’s Postcode Lottery) and funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, we’ve partnered with Kindred, School for Social Entrepreneurs and others to set up our Social Climbers programme. This programme offers support to socially trading organisations across the LCR to grow their operations and impact through focused work. We’re helping organisations make their ideas a reality, expanding their operations and reaching more people.
We’re optimistic about the power of social enterprise in the Liverpool City Region and the opportunities that come with public sector transformation and ongoing devolution. We balance this optimism with realism; we exist outside of the system which means that we don’t face the day to day realities and challenges of firsthand service delivery. Yet, we’re finding that this separation from the system is one of our strengths – organisations value our objective ‘outsider’ support and the opportunity (and permission) to create space for thinking about real change.
Throughout 2024, we’ve had the chance to work alongside some incredible local organisations, with social purpose at their heart. This work isn’t done yet – our Social Climbers programme will continue into early 2025. As these projects are delivered, we’ll be sharing our learning and insight to support other organisations in the Liverpool City Region and beyond. In the meantime, we’ve established our Social Climbers Learning Community sessions. These are monthly, online sessions bringing together local, socially trading organisations to connect, share learning and think about growth.