Building Enterprise is a project led by Community Housing Cymru, which is the representative body for Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) across Wales.
The aim of Building Enterprise is to support the local economy, individuals and enterprises to lock the Welsh pound into Welsh communities.
The project supports social enterprises and Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) to partner and encourage new business models that will create and anchor wealth in disadvantaged communities.
Project Description
As part of the Building Enterprise framework, two Perform Green consultants supported Coastal Housing with two projects.
Iceland Building
This is a building that housed a former supermarket and is somewhat iconic within the environs of Swansea High Street. Coastal acquired the building in 2013 and wanted to utilise it in a way that:
- Fit with their organisational values
- Contributed to the regeneration of Swansea High Street and its creative identity and;
- As a minimum covered its costs
A local theatre group was using the ground floor and the top floor was used to provide local artists with workspace.
Ynys Lee
Ynys Lee is a housing estate on the outskirts of Swansea, positioned up on a hill, that Coastal Housing own. Its reputation has been transformed from a place where nobody wanted to be housed to one where tenants are content to live. The ambition is for it to build on this reputational improvement and become a place where people are proud to live.
The Challenges
We were engaged to work with Coastal to develop business ideas that could lead to the utilisation of the 1st floor of the Iceland building, made up of 10,000 square foot of space. Additionally, in order to be progressed, any ideas had to contribute to the regeneration of the High Street whilst providing social purpose to the community.
Ynys Lee is a housing estate on the outskirts of Swansea, positioned up on a hill, that Coastal Housing own. Its reputation has been transformed from a place where nobody wanted to be housed to one where tenants are content to live. The ambition is for it to build on this reputational improvement and become a place where people are proud to live.
What did Perform Green Deliver?
Iceland Building
We designed and facilitated a joint planning day with Coastal Housing setting out clearly how the two organisations work best together, how we communicate, setting goals and setting expectations for the engagement.
We supported development of a business idea (training facility) and the working up of various options that were presented to Coastal’s senior management team. A preferred option was worked up and a business model produced together with a developing business plan, owned by Coastal.
We identified and engaged with stakeholders of the Iceland building – holding two events that clearly positioned Coastal as the organisation that could be the catalyst for the regeneration of the High Street through their commitment through the Iceland building. This was achieved through skilful facilitation ensuring that Coastal were positioned correctly as a strong ‘team’ member of the High Street business community rather than an ‘owner’.
Ynys Lee
We designed and facilitated a joint planning day with Coastal Housing setting out clearly how the two organisations work best together, how we communicate, setting goals and setting expectations for the engagement.
We then worked with the Coastal team to drive clarity of thinking around the business idea, putting a process in place for the goals to be realised. We worked with Coastal to develop a business model and a detailed business plan that provides the basis of any business case for capital expenditure funding requirements.
Key Success
Iceland Building
Through our involvement, Coastal now have a viable business opportunity together with a business model and business plan. They are well positioned to achieve their objectives around changing the High Street identity and, most importantly, have capability within their organisation to identify, evaluate and execute business opportunities in the future.
Ynys Lee
Through our involvement, Coastal were able to develop a robust business plan that was based on a defined business model. We also provided them with an exit strategy for the business to spin out as its own legal entity together with a recommendation for type of Social Enterprise the business could become.
Why Perform Green?
We were able to supply expert knowledge and advice for developing commercially viable social enterprises to Coastal Housing. This was build of prior experience of many years working within the fields of social & community development, community engagement, enterprise development and business development.
