Case Study - Fossbox

First Contact

The founder of Fossbox Community Interest Company got in touch with CITY.COMM when her sustainable IT project was in a transition period – the project had been running for two years as the “East London ICT project”, funded by City Bridge Trust as part of East London Change-Up.

The project director and volunteers at Fossbox were keen to continue their work, and felt that forming a social enterprise in the form of a Community Interest Company would be the best way.

Initial guidance

The Organisation Development Officer at CITY.COMM was able to support with the process of establishing Fossbox as a separate and new organisation – helping to develop a constitution; providing guidance on how to develop appropriate Diversity, Health and Safety and Volunteer policies; advising on the type and level of insurance required and signposting where to find appropriate insurers.

One-to-one support

More intense support from the Organisation Development Officer helped the director write a clear business plan, develop a fundraising strategy, and write some initial funding bids. In the first 6 months, successful funding bids have been made to Awards for All (£4k) and the Société Générale fund (£2k); an application to City and Parochial was turned down as not covered by current priorities, but received very positive feedback on the ideas and approach.

Feedback

The director wrote in the feedback section of the CITY.COMM annual survey: “The development worker has been incredibly supportive and given us invaluable help in getting Fossbox set up and running smoothly. The information services are also very good and have been very responsive to the needs of social enterprises like ourselves.”

In answer to the question ‘What would you like us to do more of?’ she wrote, “More of the same! Plus developing better integration between social enterprises and charitable/community organisations.”

CITY.COMM will continue to support Fossbox to provide services of benefit to the communities it was set up to serve in the City and City fringe area.

To discuss possibilities for your organisation, call us on 020 7535 0470 / 020 7535 0482.