Member Article

All smiles as BELP bags £110k investment

A North East community company received £110,000 investment from Northstar Ventures to develop a new trading arm. The funding comes from the North East Social Investment Fund, a £10.2m fund aimed at supporting sustainable charities and social enterprises.

Billingham Environmental Link Project (BELP), led by Managing Director Jenny Franklin, is run by the local community for the local community. The organisation provides a wide range of support services including over 60s clubs, back-to-work support and community gardening projects.

After realising that there was a shortfall of childcare places in the Billingham area, BELP decided to establish a day nursery in order to provide high quality care and education to children aged from 6 weeks to 11 years old. The nursery, called Smiles North East, will provide 65 childcare places, create new jobs for locals and generate revenue which will be re-invested in BELP’s community projects.

In addition to day care provisions, Smiles will also run an after school club, a holiday club during school breaks and a pre-school breakfast club. The aim is to encourage parents in the local area to engage more with BELP’s core activities while their children are at the nursery or school clubs.

The funding from Northstar Ventures has been used to refurbish the property into a modern pre-school facility. The rooms have been designed specifically for different age groups to stimulate development and maximise educational opportunities.

Jenny Franklin, MD at BELP and Smiles North East Limited, said: “Smiles will complement the activities of BELP by encouraging parents to take advantage of BELP’s programmes whilst their children benefit from the safe haven provided by the nursery.

“We needed flexible funding with on-going support to refurbish the building and set up the business. Northstar Ventures has not only provided this but they have enabled us to challenge ourselves and develop the skills we needed to be sustainable.

“Thanks to the funding, plus support from Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Tees Valley Community Foundation and our local community, the nursery is thriving and we have high hopes for its future. I would encourage any organisation wanting to pursue funding opportunities to have a conversation with Northstar Ventures to see how this sort of finance could help.”

Peter Gilson, Investment Manager at Northstar Ventures, said: “BELP is a fantastic example of a sustainable, profitable enterprise which also contributes to regenerating the community.

“We have no doubts that Smiles will further contribute to the organisation’s growth and we’re excited to be part of this journey. Jenny has proven to be a fantastic leader, having grown BELP from a single community centre to a not-for-profit operating from three different centres, with high engagement levels from people living and working in the Billingham area.”