Client
Switch Midlands is a Wolverhampton based organisation who provide social and emotional well-being support to pupils, schools and families in the Black Country. They provide sessions covering issues such as stress, anxiety, attachment, developing confidence, managing emotions, healthy relationships and more.
The organisation aims to support young people to make good choices, both in their educational and personal lives, giving them the ability to recognise and respond to their own emotions.
Project
Tim Wakefield, Director of Switch Midlands, contacted the Black Country Growth Hub at the beginning of the COVID19 disruption to discuss potential funding streams to help them stay accessible to students when schools were closed as that was the company’s main source of income.
Solution
One of the BCGH team spoke to Tim about the company’s future plans and to discuss how the business can continue and grow, despite the pandemic.
After this discussion, BCGH recommended that Tim apply to the School for the Social Entrepreneurs and Lloyds Bank Scale-Up Programme and went over the application criteria. This programme suited the business and their situation and would help them to grow and learn new skills.
Conclusion
Tim and Switch Midlands successfully moved through the application process and impressed representatives of the School for Social Entrepreneurs which has gained them a place on the 2020/21 programme.
Being on this programme means the business will have access to an instant grant of £3,000, up to £4,000 in an incentivised grant, a free learning programme focused on recovery and rebuilding, an exclusive business support network and business mentoring.
The company are very happy with their place on this programme and are looking forward to continuing their support services in local schools and eventually expanding to new areas outside of Wolverhampton.