Social entrepreneurs in the North of England, the Midlands and Northern Ireland are to receive financial support from a new two-year programme.

Lead the Change, run by UnLtd and the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, aims to help people develop entrepreneurial solutions to social need. Twelve community and voluntary organisations have been chosen as partners for the programme. Each will receive up to £25,000 to award to entrepreneurs in their area.

John Mulligan, senior grants manager at the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, said: "We are working with UnLtd to pilot this new model for finding and supporting grassroots social entrepreneurs who are passionate about changing their neighbourhoods for the better.  We look forward to supporting the work of the 12 chosen partners who are building social capital in their communities and finding solutions to local social need."

Lead the Change partners include MySupportBroker in Cheshire, Acumen Trust in County Durham, Participate in Bradford, Hamara in Leeds and Regather Co-op and Youth Discovery Ventures in Sheffield.  They are joined by Wellbeing Enterprises Community Interest Company (CIC), GMCVO in Manchester and Shared Future CIC, in Lancaster.  In the Midlands, the project will be led by Right Track Social Enterprise in Nottingham, The Aspire Group in Staffordshire and Boston College and Taylor ITEX CIC in Lincolnshire.  The partner for Northern Ireland is Omagh Enterprise Company, in Belfast.

Amjid Hussain, programme leader at UnLtd, said: "All our partners have demonstrated that they are embedded within their communities, have a good reputation locally and are trusted.  We will be looking to build a strong network with our partners through peer support and action learning sessions."

For more information about the programme visit:

www.unltd.org.uk/leadthechange.

Read more:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-2693036/GROUPS-TO-HELP-SOCIAL-ENTREPRENEURS.html