North East BIC helps entrepreneur realise her potential opening new Sunderland organisation

A lecturer-turned-social entrepreneur is helping locals access much-needed financial and support services after working with the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC).

Founded by former University of Sunderland social sciences lecturer and researcher, Dr Angela Wilcock, the Family Advisory Service is a community interest company (CiC) which aims to provide advice and signposting for vulnerable individual and families in Sunderland.

Angela founded the organisation after helping a family friend regain contact with his daughter. She supposedly witnessed, first-hand, the little support that was on offer and how much legal providers charged for ‘simple tasks’ like admin.

After guiding him through the entire legal process, the family friend gained access to his child for the first time in over six months. The interaction inspired Angela to set up her own business and help others in similar circumstances access the same support.

She said: “After finding out that a family friend had been stopped from contacting his daughter, I got in touch and met him for a coffee to hear more about what he was going through.

“He was being quoted over £1,000 just to access advice and start the court process and I knew there had to be a better and cheaper solution. After seeking out support from other organisations, we were surprised to find that there was nowhere that offered the service he required.”

Angela Wilcock and BIC social enterprise adviser Ernest Dodds with the cheque from the National Lottery Community Fund.

She continued: “With my expertise as a lecturer and researcher and having previously worked with voluntary and family support organisations, I helped guide him through the entire process after just two hour-long catchups.”

Working with the BIC, Angela met with social enterprise advisers Ernest Dodds and Kevin Marquis who guided her through the process of setting up a not-for-profit organisation.

Ernest and Kevin also signposted Angela to a number of other support organisations including the National Lottery’s Community Fund, which, having heard her business proposal, provided her with funding to get the social enterprise off the ground.

Angela added: “Ernest and Kevin were absolutely fantastic and I can’t thank them enough for all their support. When I first met with the pair they explained about CiCs and how to go about setting one up.

“They guided me through the entire process and were fantastic. Not only have they helped me secure funding, but they also signposted me to a number of other organisations who I’m now talking to in order to tap into further support.”

The aim of the Family Advisory Service is to promote strong, positive family ties and help families overcome conflict and promote social cohesion, giving families ‘emotional and mental stability and contributing towards a fairer, happier society.’

Kevin Marquis, a social enterprise adviser who has over 30 years of experience helping people launch enterprises with a social conscience, added: “The BIC has supported thousands of businesses over the past two decades and has helped people of all ages and from all backgrounds.

“I’d recommend anyone thinking of starting a business to get in touch with us to find out how we can help, no matter how small or big your idea.”