Radiant Cleaners, a social enterprise cleaning company, is an UnLtd award winner

Bontagu and UnLtd are looking for people who could make a difference in the community

Local residents group Bountagu Big Local have teamed up with UnLtd, the foundation for social entrepreneurs, to bring a range of funding and support to Edmonton.

Bountagu Big Local’s mission is to get local people working together to create a positive and lasting difference to the area. The name ‘Bountagu’ captures the Bounces Road and Montagu Road area situated in Lower Edmonton, N9. In 2013, Bountagu was awarded £1million over ten years by the Big Lottery Fund and became part of the ‘Big Local’ initiative, managed by Local Trust, which provides funding to 150 areas across the country and helps them to “transform and improve” people’s lives.

In October 2019, Bountagu Big Local unveiled a new action plan, with four key priorities; children and young people, people over 50, the environment (including outdoor spaces and community safety) and developing opportunities for local people. Working with UnLtd, they have unlocked a new stream of funding for people who live, work or create a positive impact in the Bontagu area.

Between January 2019 and December 2020, the initiative will release £50,000 in awards to local people through a competitive application process. There are two main awards open to residents; the ‘Try It Award’ is worth £500 and is aimed at people with the passion and determination to test an idea and see if it works. The ‘Do It Award’ is up to a maximum of £5,000 and is aimed at people who have already done some testing, research or work on their idea to see if it has potential.

In making these awards the four key things that UnLtd and Bountagu will be looking for is:

What is the problem you’re trying to address?
What is the difference you want to make?
How will you make money to keep it going, as a business?
Who will your idea benefit?

Since January 2019, UnLtd and Bountagu have already made five awards, tackling issues such as emotional resilience, helping people move into work, flexible childcare, low-cost or no-cost tuition for young people, and loneliness affecting people in later life. Over the coming months you can read their stories here in Enfield Dispatch.

Joel Attar is an UnLtd award manager working with Bountagu on the initiative. He told the Dispatch: “We’re trying to spark a culture of social entrepreneurship in the Bountagu area. Our mission is to find, fund and support people with enterprising ideas that benefit the community. We call these people social entrepreneurs.”

To find out more about this opportunity and if you could be eligible, you can come to any one of the upcoming open events listed on the opposite page. If you’d like some help to develop your idea, there are also two workshops designed to help. Participants can join with no need to register – just be sure to check whether you live or work in the Bountagu area or have an idea that can make a difference here.

This article is sponsored by UnLtd, the foundation for social entrepreneurs. Find out more about UnLtd’s work in Edmonton:
Call 0207 566 1100
Email [email protected]
Visit unltd.org.uk

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