Grace Enterprises at Grace Church Nottingham
The church is meant to be a light to the world both in its words and its actions. That’s why in 2017 we founded Grace Enterprises, a growing network of social enterprises designed to tackle long-term unemployment - one of the biggest challenges facing the UK.
The Mission
Grace Enterprises was founded in 2017 to provide supportive employment for those with multiple barriers to work. At its heart is a passion to see people's lives transformed through meaningful work in ethical businesses, and giving people an opportunity to take positive steps in their life when much of the world would turn them away. But it’s not just about the job, Grace Enterprises provides a support structure and mentoring programme alongside the work to give people hope of seeing their whole lives impacted for the better.
To give you an idea of the difference these jobs make to real people and how it works, watch this video created by the Centre for Social Justice.
Watch the VideoStory So Far
The first social enterprise launched was Radiant Cleaners, a commercial cleaning company which quickly gained national recognition for its pioneering social impact, but from the beginning the team knew that one business wasn’t enough. That's why we've built on our foundation and launched two more social enterprises: Jubilee Events and Half the Story. Through its businesses and ethos, Grace Enterprises has now provided supportive, real living wage work for over 130 people and that number keeps climbing. Read more about the growing impact of Grace Enterprises below.
Read Impact Report
Wider Influence
Since its formation, Grace Enterprises has gained attention from across the country and in national awards for its pioneering approach, including the Centre for Social Justice ‘charity of the year award’. We’re obviously not in it for the awards, but we are here to affect change for the long haul, to play an active role in bringing change to systemic issues, and even want to inspire others to dream and start initiatives in their own contexts, which is why Grace Enterprises regularly run open days for people to come and see behind the scenes and find out how it all actually works.
If you’d like to find out more about Grace Enterprises visit their website.
Find out more