Beyond the Barn develops social enterprise across the borough of Tower Hamlets and was born out of the Bromley by Bow Centre Enterprise Barn. In the years since its launch, it has proved to be a great success story.

History

In 2005, Beyond the Barn embarked on an ambitious three year programme funded by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. The aim was to identify local entrepreneurs and back their ideas, helping them to start their own business and support them with expert advice and support through the first years of trading.

Beyond the Barn has guided the launch of 17 successful new social enterprises to date based across Tower Hamlets. All of these businesses have a shared mission to create local jobs, deliver vocational training, recycle profits back into the local community, provide goods and services for local people and improve the environment across the borough - in other words, true social enterprises - and cover a wide range of sectors, such as floristry, IT training, and health and wellbeing.

These enterprises now have a combined turnover in excess of £1m per annum and have created over 100 new jobs.

In helping to nourish social enterprise in deprived communities, Beyond the Barn is a powerful tool for economic regeneration. It has helped to create jobs and wealth on a sustainable basis at a local level.

Current Programme

Social enterprise has now entered the mainstream as more and more people realise how it effective it can be in promoting regeneration. Beyond the Barn is now working to share its experience and expertise with other organisations who believe in nurturing social enterprise.

By engaging with the Local Area Partnerships, Community Hubs and other relevant bodies across the Borough, we aim to help create a better understanding of social enterprise and increase its potential to thrive in Tower Hamlets.

Beyond the Barn also continues to support the established social enterprise network.

Supported by:

Bromley by Bow Centre, St Leonards St, Bromley by Bow, London E3 3BT The Bromley by Bow Centre is a registered charity, no. 1041653. Company Registration no. 2942840 (England and Wales).