Community business support to drive economic growth in West Midlands neighbourhoods

Entrepreneurs in some of the region’s most ethnically diverse communities are to get better access to support and advice to help grow their businesses through a new network of community led business hubs.

Thanks to a £270,000 investment from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), five established community organisations will work with the region’s Race Equalities Taskforce and Business Growth West Midlands to connect local entrepreneurs to regional business support.

All five hubs will be run by organisations that already have a strong track record of supporting diverse communities by connecting them with new opportunities. 

They are:

• Highlife Centre in Coventry
• iSE Women’s Enterprise Hub in East Birmingham
• Legacy Centre of Excellence in North Birmingham
• Skills Work and Enterprise Agency (SWEDA) in Sandwell
• Access to Business with Wolverhampton Black Business Network 

The targeted business support will help grow the region’s economy while supporting the West Midlands Race Equalities Taskforce’s commitment to help even more people from ethnically diverse communities unlock their full potential by overcoming barriers to success.

This is the second major investment by the WMCA in this part of the economy. 

Earlier this year, the WMCA and the Taskforce handed £100,000 to Aaina Community Hub in Walsall to help extend its skills and enterprise support for local residents and boost its own resilience, so the hub can secure further external funding in the future.

Aaina is working closely with the five new community led business support hubs to share early learnings and work together to improve lives for disadvantaged communities across the region.