The doors of the Lowther Arms pub in rural Cumbria re-opened in June after a long-running community campaign.

The pub was re-born as a social enterprise after closing in 2018. Its return was due in large part to the spirit of the Mawbray community, who refused to lose a valuable local asset, and also to those who supported them along the way.

One of those organisations, Cumbria Social Enterprise Partnership (CSEP), believes social entrepreneurs have a key role to play in the county’s business make up.

Social enterprises create employment by selling goods and services in the open market and reinvest profits back into their business or the local community. Businesses can tackle social problems, improve people’s life chances, provide training and employment opportunities, support communities or help the environment. Profit is therefore used for a social purpose.

Cumbria has a proud tradition as a breeding ground for social enterprise with around 1,100 registered enterprises. Cumbria and the pioneering town of Alston Moor are among just 32 areas where activity is thriving, according to Social Enterprise UK.

CSEP has supported the launch of a diverse range of businesses from pubs to a community energy company, children and young people’s charity to female-focussed gym and mental health service providers.

Cumbria County Council is the lead organisation in CSEP which provides business advice for new and existing SEs along with networking activities. It has helped lever-in more than £1.5m of support.

Economic programmes manager Martin Allman has recently taken on the role of the county council’s Social Enterprise Manager as a full-time position – and believes this commitment from the county is just one reason why now is a great time for new social entrepreneurship to spring to life.

A new three-point plan aims to strengthen the social enterprise sector, grow the pot and enlarge the sector.

Martin said: “Post austerity there is very much an outward-looking philosophy that says, ‘we can’t do everything we would like to on our own because the money isn’t there, but there are partnerships that we can form with other organisations, including the social enterprise sector, to make change happen’."

There are also new funding streams coming online to help get businesses off the ground.

Cumbria has an application in with the Community Renewal Fund (CRF) to provide intensive, week-long pop-up events to support social enterprise launches. That fund is a pre-cursor to next year’s intended launch of the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF), a replacement to European structural funds.

And the UK Community Ownership Fund (COF) is a Government initiative that will comprise £150m of investment to help communities take ownership of assets and amenities at risk of closure.

Voluntary and community organisations can bid for up to £250,000 match funding (or up to £1m for sporting venues) on a pound-for-pound basis. Funding may support the purchase and/or renovation costs of community assets and amenities.

CSEP is keen to discuss how it can support groups across the county access this funding.

Martin said: “This is where pubs, clubs, shops, post offices, could really be supported through this funding. So, in that model we had with the Lowther Arms, where else in the county is there a pub or shop at risk that can provide a range of community support features? That can be a one-stop shop that helps a community thrive.

“We would like people to bring their thoughts and enthusiasm and let us, through the partnership, help develop that into a prospective community enterprise. There is funding out there but if you’ve never applied for public funding, we can de-mystify the process.”

The pandemic saw many new groups leap up to run local services and CSEP also wants to see what support can be offered to ‘bake in’ that can do attitude as part of strengthening community resilience.

Bridging the gap between traditional and social enterprises businesses and realising the two can help each other is also an important factor.

Martin said: “If we put ‘Cumbria plc’ and community at the centre of this we could wrap around experience to achieve co-benefits.

“There is an awful lot that business does routinely that could be delivered through the social enterprise sector. How could we work together through the partnership and private enterprise to maximise social value within Cumbria?

“For example, if you have office space, and you outsource facilities management, the next time you procure that service could you procure it through a social enterprise? You still get your building looked after, but the surplus on the service delivery cost will land in the county rather than it going out to shareholders, wherever in the world.

“How can we make the pound that businesses spend stay in the county?

“Also, if you have CSR funding set aside but you need support in identifying what that can be spent upon then CSEP could have the discussion with you. What’s the local issue that you would like to see resolved and be a part of that resolution?

“A lot of businesses in Cumbria do like to buy local. And if we can help them identify those social enterprises that can deliver for them we could create a positive loop.”

CSEP delivers two sectoral support programmes: A countywide programme to help form new start-ups and support existing social enterprises.

And through the Transforming West Cumbria Programme, funded by Sellafield Ltd and delivered in partnership with the Cumbria Community Foundation, there’s The Spark – support for pre-starts, start-ups and the existing social enterprise sector in Allerdale and Copeland.

Cllr Deborah Earl, Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “Social enterprises not only bring to communities services that may not be provided by private companies or the public sector, but they also offer a different route to employment.

“Cumbria is very fortunate to have some strong, pro-active communities where there’s no shortage of willing volunteers. All they often require is a little expert know-how to help them get new services up and running.”

Details of the ways CSEP can help communities are on their website http://www.secumbria.org or contact martin.allman@cumbria.gov.uk

More on the Community Ownership Fund at http://www.communityownershipfund.co.uk

The Lowther Arms

Mawbray villagers created a Community Benefit Society to buy and re-open their pub. The Lowther Arms Community Project (LACP) are now the landlords and lease the pub to tenants.

The project has more than 300 shareholders from the local community and beyond. They were guided through the final stages to re-opening by a business advisor from CSEP.

Vivienne Coleman, company secretary of LACP, said external support had been a vital component in realising the villagers’ dream of once again having their own local.

She said: “Having that independent experience to guide us and someone who understands how social enterprise companies operate was an incredible benefit.

“There are regulations to be met and investors have to be satisfied, so having consultancy support to plan through all that made the process smoother.”

Cllr David Southward, Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: “Through CSEP, we’re delighted to support communities to launch viable social enterprise businesses where a need has been identified.

“The community of Mawbray has been incredibly passionate in bringing a valuable asset back to life and should be congratulated on that achievement.”