It’s no secret that the public and third sectors are facing some tough internal and external challenges, and we need big ideas and brave leaders to tackle them.
That’s where Capacity comes in. We provide the know-how, big-picture thinking, and hands-on time to get moving on the projects that really matter: the ones that make the biggest impact on the lives of everyday people.
In other words, you might call us a ‘do-tank’. Unlike a think-tank, we also go on to do the stuff we’ve thought about. That means we’re on the journey with the organisations we support; you won’t find us producing a shiny report and leaving them to it.
We also believe we’re better off together. By that we mean: we want all sectors involved and all sectors represented. We aren’t going to change public services for the better on our own, and neither is anyone else.
Speaking of teamwork, our people are a total mix – we all have different backgrounds and a wide range of expertise. That means we can apply a range of skills and viewpoints to the challenges we face and fill any gaps a team might have.
Ultimately, we want the North West to be the best place to grow-up, grow-wise and grow-old. If we do this well, public services will work for every person, every time. And as for us? Well, we’ll be out of job.
Where we came from
In 2015 national children’s charity Catch22 and public sector delivery partner Interserve PLC joined forces with the ambition of creating an organisation that would support the growth of the social enterprise sector in the North West. The aim was to help them more effectively compete for public sector contracts. By bringing sectors together the aim was to develop new approaches that created change on both the commissioning and delivery side of services, and put small and medium sized challenges in a stronger position when bidding for work. The potential of this idea was fully endorsed by Better Society Capital who offered funding (alongside ClubFinance) when Capacity won their Business Impact Challenge in 2016.
In 2017 ClubFinance were replaced by new investors Amberside Advisors Ltd.
In 2021 we ended our relationship with Interserve to become more socially owned. As things stand 90% of Capacity shares are held by social enterprise and social investors. This means that £9 in every £10 we make goes back to funding work with communities across the UK.
Our People
Like we say, our team is a total mix – made up of people from all sorts of backgrounds and all sorts of expertise. That means we can apply a range of skills and viewpoints to the challenges we face and fill any gaps your team might have. Our people are used to working with a range of clients and that means they can adapt –whether you need us sitting at your Board table or out and about with the people you’re supporting, we fit right in.
Our Values
We're grafters
We’re do-ers, not just thinkers.
We chip in and help each other out.
We don’t just work hard, we work smart.
We understand that a key part of our work is listening, not just doing.
We're proactive even when things are tough.
We're social beings
We prioritise our relationships, strengthening them at every opportunity.
We take our work seriously but not ourselves.
We respect each other and our different experiences.
We look after ourselves and those around us.
We're the genuine article
We don’t pretend to be something we’re not.
We believe in our fellow team members and want to help them grow.
We have no hidden agendas.
We deliver on our promises and work hard to build confidence and trust in internal and external colleagues.
We're easy going
We're humble and keep our egos in check.
We keep things simple.
We're always learning.
We're nimble and quick thinking.
We see the big picture
We think beyond tomorrow.
We have big aspirations for local people.
We're strategic, we find the end goal and work backwards from it.
We love to join things up and build new partnerships.
We anticipate risk internally and externally and do what we can to manage it.