PEEK had been testing out free cinema experiences to disadvantaged families in the East-End of Glasgow. Families were known to not be able to afford going to the cinema together, as it has become far too expensive. PEEK identified that cinema brings a whole host of benefits to families, both educationally and socially. PEEK asked themselves: How could we make the programme sustainable, as PEEK pride themselves on free opportunities for families and young people?
The Accelerator Event was the perfect opportunity to ensure sustainability. After winning, PEEK employed an intern to get the business model prepared and marketed. They marketed to the private sector, creating four different cinema packages of varying costs. From this, 100% of profit goes back into the community pop up cinema programme. Ever since, the community cinema has continued, with young people taking ownership in planning and provision.

Amina explained that to many Muslim women that used their services, ‘cooking and cleaning’ were their main skills. They recognised an opportunity to tap into the women’s talents, and pilot a culinary enterprise initiative. Complementing their innovative practical ‘business block’ model, funded by RBS Skills and Opportunities Fund, where women are supported to embark on an entrepreneurial journey experiencing brainstorming, product design and production, budgets and costings, marketing and selling, Amina proposed to run a pilot programme of six ‘Taste of . . . ‘ events, bringing home cooked, authentic dishes from across the globe to the people of Dundee.

The proposed programme intended to provide free training and offer work experience opportunities in administration, customer service and hospitality, equipping local Muslim and ME women with sought after UK experience in growing sectors, enhancing their employability prospects, boosting their confidence and challenging the negative stereotypes propagated by the media.

So far, Amina have run a “Taste of…” lunch (which was very successful), provided food hygiene training opportunities for 11 of their service users, hired a kitchen team leader, and gained lots of interest in the local community.

Centre 63 is based in the borough of Knowsley, which stands as the 5th most deprived Borough in England. Many residents face disproportionate repercussions from statutory funding cuts and benefit sanctions, so much of the community struggle to buy food, let alone buy furniture. The Remake Yourself Project aimed to create a hub that could divert waste from landfill, whilst supporting the skill development of young people and building their aspirations. The project would then offer sustainability to Centre 63 through the sale of upcycled furniture.

After co-winning the Rank Accelerator Event, Centre 63 has offered meaningful, skilled work to people in the local community via the following avenues: Upholstery courses engaging 12 volunteers with a passion for crafts, recycling and working for the good of the community; Design, Craft and Carpentry Workshops; Day care for the children of parents who are engaging with the sessions, so they can engage in social contact with others who are in similar positions; and an Earn Furniture Scheme. The scheme allowed beneficiaries to not only make use of their new skills, but also work towards claiming a piece of their own work to take home for their own use. This is really important to volunteers who are financially very stretched.