Buy Local, Buy Social On Social Saturday

The City of Cardiff Council has teamed up with social enterprises across the city to launch Social Saturday in Cardiff – with the clear message to the public to buy local tomorrow to benefit the communities they live in. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

There are 70 000 social enterprises in the UK that contribute £24 Billion to the UK economy. In Cardiff we have 100 of these companies and the City of Cardiff Council is helping them to aid their development by giving them a chance to bid for funding through our Social Innovation Fund. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Social Innovation Fund has been set up to instigate business ideas and create jobs to benefit the communities we live in. A specialist team of officers are available to give support and advice on the scheme for social enterprises that are either starting up or already in operation. These businesses are being encouraged to get in touch and learn more about the scheme, by emailing buisnessadvice@cardiff.gov.uk ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Peter Bradbury, Cabinet Member for Community Development, Co-operatives and Social Enterprise, said: “I am pleased that we have already been able to offer grants to a number of social enterprises in the city including Cycle Training Wales, Vision 21, the Wales Restorative Approaches Partnership (WRAP) and the Chapter Arts Centre. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Cycle Training Wales has invested the grant in their equipment to better their business offering, Vision 21 – which recently took over the Old Lodge Building on Allensbank Road as a Community Asset Transfer have used the grant to make improvements to their building, which is fantastic as they offer opportunities in training schemes, gardening and landscaping for those with additional needs. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Chapter Arts Centre has used the money to buy new equipment for their catering department which will improve their offering to all those that use this facility. Finally, WRAP have invested the grant to help start up their business – which supports restorative approaches through training in the areas of education, families, communities, criminal justice and business. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Our message this Saturday is for everyone to make a special effort to go shopping in their local community. By doing this the society that you live in will benefit. These companies have social objectives and are not driven by profit alone.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​