Junction Point CIC is helping drive an all new campaign to see Newcastle crowned as a ‘hot spot’ for social enterprise.
The Tyneside based company has carved out a reputation for providing first class consultancy. Helping not-for-profits and ethically focussed businesses since its formation in 2018.  Today they launched the project to ensure Newcastle earns this new title. They have called on the city’s 240 social enterprises to help achieve its goal.
Durham, Sunderland and Gateshead are already confirmed as being hot spots for social enterprise. Junction Point CIC believes there’s never been a better time for Newcastle to also achieve the title alongside its North East counterparts.

Social Enterprises Newcastle

Under the Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) places programme, the CIC is spearheading a partnership with Connected Voice, Project North East, Business and IP Centre and Newcastle City Council and aims to better understand the existing offer for social enterprises to determine what future resources are required to ensure the sustainability and growth of the sector.
Junction Point CIC Director, Kate Duffy, explains: “Seeing Newcastle as an SEUK recognised place of social enterprise is merely the first step. This new partnership symbolises a new approach to joined up support. It puts social entrepreneurs’ needs at the heart of future activities.
“I don’t want to pre-empt what the outcome will be from consultation activities, but I’m excited to be working from a strength-based approach to ensure existing strengths are built upon and gaps are understood and plugged.”
Junction Point and its partners are now calling businesses to help achieve its goal of making Newcastle a thriving hub for social enterprise by taking part in a series of consultations. The initial sessions run for just one hour via Zoom and the ideas discussed will help the company create a social enterprise plan for the city.
“Our aim is to gather information to better understand what the ideal environment required for a social enterprise to flourish is,” continues Kate.
“The information collected will feed into a local area action plan. This will detail the key aims and actions required to make this future vision a reality.”
Junction Point is keen to hear from potential social entrepreneurs and those who want to set up a social enterprise. As well as organisations which deliver social enterprise activities.

Making a difference

Tracey Moore, Executive Director of Project North East, who has over 30 years’ of experience designing and delivering projects that support businesses and individuals, added: “Newcastle is already home to some amazing social enterprises that are making a difference in our local communities and the wider region.
“With the social enterprise action plan, we are aiming to push the region’s social agenda forward. It creates new areas of support. It develops networks and it builds an environment where both new and existing socially conscious businesses can develop. Not only develop but thrive in and around our City.”
Opportunities to engage in the consultation, which is funded by The Business and IP Centre, includes different aspects. An online survey, online focus groups and the Design-Thinking programme run by Northumbria University under the Creative Fuse programme.
This will all culminate in an action planning session held in early April. This is specifically for professionals who support the Social Enterprise sector.
Lisa Goodwin, Chief Executive, of Connected Voice, concludes: “We have been supporting community action for over 90 years. In the last few years we’ve seen much greater interest from people in social enterprise models.
“As inequality widens and the climate crisis begins to show the collective impact of many small decisions. People are keen to think about models of business that achieve a community benefit, or a wider social purpose. It is brilliant to be able to work together with PNE and Junction Point. Helping create a space for these emerging social enterprise organisations to support each other and to grow together.”

Contact us

If your business wants to engage in any of these activities, which are open now, they should email us.

hello@junctionpoint.co.uk or for more information about Junction Point head to www.junctionpoint.co.uk