EVJ Aspire CIC | A Thriving Social Economy Business in Tameside
EVJ Aspire CIC focus on nurturing young people’s strengths to pave the way for successful outcomes in employment, education, and adulthood.
They identified a need for supporting young women facing various disadvantages that prevent them from accessing education or receiving social and emotional support. It was a model they had been working on for over 12 months, using their experience working in further education for adult students. They had prepared their project and started working with some young women. However, an issue was confidence in the business planning and financial forecasting which would ensure growth and sustainability.
Support Action Together provided:
- Emily Milner | Managing Director, worked with our Community Development Worker, Jonathan King to devise a plan of action.
- Jonathan undertook a Social Enterprise Health Check, which formed the basis of a support plan, formulated to ensure that their vision and the needs of their community were clearly explained and promoted to larger service providers they were meeting with.
- The development of a business plan and corporate strategy, ensured their work is purposeful, sustainable, and impactful. They can now show funders, partners, and the community that they have a well-defined vision, a roadmap to achieve it, and the ability to manage resources effectively.
- Through the Our Business Programme, Action Together matched Emily with an expert business mentor, to support her with business planning.
The results of this support included:
- Receiving Tameside Communities Funding
- Securing a premises, where their business can reach their target students and serve the community
- Recruitment of a staff team and creating an apprentice opportunity who is now studying Level 3 Youth Mentorship
- Due to commissioning they have received from TMBC and local schools, they have been able to use their surplus to grow and bring more young people into vocational education classes and bring forward their future plans to expand their work with more members of the community.
Emily reflects on the support she has received from Action Together:
“Overall, I cannot thank Action Together and Jonathan enough. Without them, none of this would be possible. We've been able to make a huge impact on Tameside’s young people and their families in such a short space of time, truly making a difference that can positively change lives.”
Emily Milner | Managing Director, EVJ Aspire CIC
If you would like to find our more, we have a dedicated page with support and training information and updates: Support for Social Economy Organisations in Tameside
You can also contact the team: development@actiontogether.org.uk
Michael Tippett Musical Foundation
Aims/priorities: This fund aims to support group music-making, especially those that involve young people in the process of composing and developing new ideas.
Who can apply? Projects taking place in or out of school, college or university, or in community settings in the UK will be considered.
Grant amount: This is a highly competitive fund with only one in nine applications being successful last year.
Grants of between £500 and £3,000 are available. The average grant is around £2,000.
Veolia Environmental Trust
Aims/priorities: The Trust currently offers the following grant schemes:
- Community Grants are for constituted, not-for-profit organisations and local authorities to create or improve community buildings or outside spaces for the benefit of the community.
- Habitat and Biodiversity Grants are for constituted, not-for-profit organisations that are enrolled with ENTRUST to support structural improvements to a single habitat, such as a waterway, woodland, or nature reserve.
The funder is looking for projects that:
Weaver's Company Benevolent Fund
Aims/priorities: The funding is intended for registered charities working in the current priority areas:
Soroptimist International - Diamond Education Grant
Aims/priorities: The funding is designed to help women enter or return to work, or transition into growing industries by gaining new skills. It prioritises women in greatest financial need and those facing significant barriers, ensuring the grant has the most meaningful impact.
Who can apply? Applications are open to females who are permanent residents within one of the eligible countries of the Federation. Preference will be given to applications from those aged 30 or over.
Grant amount: The average grant is £1,044.
Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs (2026)
Aims/priorities: Grants are intended to support Lead Settings to create and deliver the Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs network across England, funding hubs to help early years settings create environments where every child can thrive, regardless of background or need. The hubs achieve this by offering accessible, high-quality professional development, providing expert advice, and sharing evidence-informed resources.
7stars Foundation
Aims/priorities: The foundation makes grants to projects which support young people (18 years and under) who are challenged by abuse or addiction, who are young carers, or who are homeless/without a safe place to call home.
Who can apply? Applications will be considered from organisations working with young people that require funding in the areas of:
Focus Foundation - Rapid Response Grants
Aims/priorities: The funding is for charities and community groups whose projects address one of the Focus Foundation’s three core pillars:
Energy Resilience Fund
Aims/priorities: The Energy Resilience Fund is finance to enable community and social enterprises to retrofit energy-generating/saving technology on community-owned or managed buildings, with an initial focus on stabilising or reducing energy costs.
Fund offer: