![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/0_LC_150425boom_00.jpg\")
The boomsatsuma team<\/p>\nA quiet revolution is helping hundreds of grassroots ventures thriveThe boomsatsuma team<\/p>\n
Social enterprises in Bristol are having their cake and feeding their communities too, thanks to a pioneering \u00a312 million investment programme that\u2019s been quietly transforming the city.<\/p>\n
Over the past three years, a mix of grants, loans and mentorship has helped 165 organisations, many led by people from minority backgrounds, to expand their work and deepen their local impact.<\/p>\n
The Bristol Local Access Programme<\/a> launched in April 2021 as part of a nationwide initiative funded by Access \u2013 The Foundation for Social Investment<\/a> and Big Society Capital<\/a>.<\/p>\n It has since funnelled a total of \u00a312 million into local communities, including \u00a32.7 million in blended finance and enterprise support, \u00a31.3 million of which was delivered in the past year alone.<\/p>\n The scheme, which is designed to offer fairer access to finance for social entrepreneurs, has targeted support at organisations led by people who typically face barriers to traditional investment \u2014 such as Black-led businesses and those rooted in economically marginalised communities.<\/p>\n Sally Britton, chair of the LAP, said: \u201cThe work the Bristol Local Access Programme has done has demonstrated how important it is to support social enterprises to grow, develop and become sustainable, making them less dependent on grants and more able to make a real contribution to the local economy. It is vital that we find the funding to continue this essential work\u201d.<\/p>\n One such enterprise is boomsatsuma<\/a>, a Bristol-based creative college helping marginalised young people unlock careers in the digital and media sectors.<\/p>\n With \u00a3500,000 of capital investment underwritten through the LAP and delivered via impact investor BBRC<\/a>, the organisation has doubled its outreach and is creating more than 20 new jobs this year.<\/p>\n Mark Curtis, creative director of boomsatsuma, said: \u201cWe are passionate about Bristol, its richly diverse communities, and its world-leading creative and digital industries. We believe that every young person should have the same opportunity to access an education that delivers on that young person\u2019s aspiration, regardless of their economic or cultural background.<\/p>\n \u201cThis investment takes the brakes off our plans that were slowed by the last three years of access restrictions from Covid and means that we can reach twice as many young people from across the city and this investment means we can confidently recruit over 20 new jobs this year alone.\u201d<\/p>\n Another enterprise to benefit is The MAZI Project<\/a>, which supports care leavers, young asylum seekers, and others affected by homelessness or domestic violence through food. Known for its \u201caMAZIng\u201d recipe kits and dinner table-based community sessions, the charity is using the LAP\u2019s support to explore sustainable funding and leadership development.<\/p>\n Melanie Vaxevanakis, director of The MAZI Project, said: \u201cThe LAP team helped me to understand the very complicated world of social investment and ensure it is a great opportunity for MAZI\u2019s growth and support for those in need.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to build a financially sustainable organisation by diversifying our income and building our own revenue streams \u2013 whilst working with our young people to deliver the best and more valuable services for each of them and the city.\u201d<\/p>\n In Knowle<\/a>, Inns Court Community and Family Centre<\/a> has been reborn as a local hub for more than 550 weekly visitors, thanks to training and consultancy delivered by LAP partners including Voscur<\/a>.<\/p>\n From soft play sessions to a revamped community caf\u00e9 and social transport services, the centre has seen income and engagement soar since receiving tailored leadership and marketing advice.<\/p>\n Richard Reddrop, operations and development manager, said: \u201cSupport accessed through the LAP has been an incredible boost for the centre and charity. It has helped us to add to our trustee board, refined our community support mission and increased excitement to deliver. Through the LAP support we have accessed more funding and revolutionised how we reach out to local people like Gemma.\u201d<\/p>\n Gemma, a regular visitor to the centre\u2019s Boing! softplay, said: \u201cWhat makes the centre even more special is the sense of community. It\u2019s a safe space where you can talk to other parents, share experiences, and feel truly supported. I\u2019ve met so many wonderful parents here and made some great friends along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Belcho Care<\/a>, a health and social care start-up led by former NHS<\/a> nurse Bella Cho, received expert advice through the LAP\u2019s Health and Social Care Accelerator. The support helped Bella to upgrade her registration with the Care Quality Commission and secure her first contract with Bristol City Council<\/a>. She now offers care from birth to end-of-life, and has developed new private client opportunities through online platforms.<\/p>\n Bella Cho, manager of Belcho Care, said: \u201cThe most important thing for me was the networking, meeting with like-minded people on the programme, meeting experts, to find out how to move on, how things work, and it\u2019s very knowledge based.<\/p>\n \u201cI was able to find out how to move on from here. One of the others showed me how to get private clients to start, and I registered with the website and am seeing clients almost every day. I wouldn\u2019t have been able to do this without accessing this programme.\u201d<\/p>\n The programme has also supported charities such as Baby Bank Network<\/a>, which supplies vital baby items to 30\u201340 families in poverty each week across Bristol. With help from LAP, the organisation launched a pilot charity shop, gained strategic advice and began exploring longer-term enterprise models.<\/p>\n Becky Gilbert, chief executive of Baby Bank Network, said: \u201cThe ongoing enterprise support that we received was fantastic. Setting up a pilot charity shop was brand new to us, and having a friendly face to bounce ideas off, think aloud with and who could point us in the right direction for further support was really useful.<\/p>\n \u201cThe support helped me think about the bigger picture but also focus on our most important aims to make it achievable and avoid overwhelm. This has been a great service and I would definitely recommend it\u201d.<\/p>\n Behind the scenes, a coalition of expert organisations makes the LAP work. Alongside BBRC, the delivery partnership includes Black South West Network<\/a>, School for Social Entrepreneurs<\/a>, Voscur, Ashley Community Housing<\/a> and Street2Boardroom<\/a> \u2013 all working to ensure Bristol\u2019s economy is inclusive and resilient.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/0_LC_150425boom_03jpeg.jpg\")
The Mazi Project<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/0_LC_150425boom_01jpeg.jpg\")
Inns Court<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/0_LC_150425boom_02.jpg\")
Softplay for 0-5s<\/p>\n