Bolton Neighbourhood Challenge

Read the Bolton Neighbourhood Challenge blog

About the approach

The approach is based on a belief that social entrepreneurs can generate innovation and leadership in response to community led ideas. The focus of the approach is to find and develop peoples' ideas for action through a local community entrepreneur hub that supports communities in developing their ideas into social enterprises.

The project aims to leave behind a legacy of community-led action and social capital in the chosen neighbourhoods. There are four strands to the approach. Firstly, a Challenge Award Fund will provide finance to individuals and groups with ideas for entrepreneurial solutions to local issues. Secondly, there will be leveraging of existing local assets to attract investment and resources from local private sector organisations and individuals. Thirdly, a package of tailor-made training and support will be offered to each award winner. Finally, UnLtd will support the Interfaith Council to develop its own capacity to provide effective support to community entrepreneurs.

Challenge Awards programme

A Challenge Award Fund, with a pot totalling £50,000, will offer cash incentives to help build on the ideas generated by community entrepreneurs to provide solutions to local issues. The Project Development Officer will work with the entrepreneurs to develop their proposals which will be judged by an independent panel. Recipients will be asked to match a minimum of 50 per cent of the funding they are allocated with cash or in kind.

About the organisations

The lead: Bolton Interfaith Council

Bolton Interfaith Council is a well-established, respected local organisation that runs a programme of ongoing events and activities to promote greater awareness, understanding and trust between different faith communities and those of no particular faith. Council membership includes all major faith groups in Bolton, working together to make Bolton a more integrated community, where no-one is excluded because of their faith, race, culture or origin; a town where everyone is valued and has a sense of belonging to the Bolton 'family'.

Expert Partner: Unltd

UnLtd is a national charity that finds and supports the development of social entrepreneurs. Its mission is to reach out and unleash the energies of people who can transform the world in which they live. It seeks out motivated people who are resourceful and resilient, and then builds their confidence and skills to achieve impact through developing sustainable social ventures of all kinds - from voluntary groups through to social enterprises to social businesses.

UnLtd's skills lie in finding, assessing, funding, supporting and developing the people who step forward with solutions to the problems within their communities. It offers a 'staircase' of opportunities for taking people up to the point of being ready for major social investment and large-scale expansion.

About the neighbourhood

Bolton Neighbourhood Challenge will focus on three inner urban areas of Bolton - Rumworth, Halliwell and Great Lever. These represent a very diverse community of approximately 45,000 people, around 16 per cent of the borough's total population. The wards are characterised by high population densities and high levels of worklessness. They have also been identified in Bolton's Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy as target areas for interventions to reduce deprivation. It is the experience of the project partners that people living within Rumworth, Halliwell and Great Lever have innovative ideas but limited opportunity and support to progress or contribute to civic life. They would therefore like to support local people in making the most of their hidden talents through finding and helping good ideas to become social enterprises.