The Innovations Hub

“A social enterprise is a business with primarily social objectives, whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners” – UK Government definition.

The Avalon Group believes that a social enterprise should:

tackle a specific social or environmental need
provide employment to vulnerable adults, especially disabled people

The Avalon Group aims to identify new business opportunities to employ customers across the region, and to support customers who wish to develop their own businesses to become sole traders.

The Innovations Hub was set up in 2008 to look at developing opportunities for people to gain training and supported employment. Michelangelo’s Mates was the first of these and provides people with the opportunity to train as painters and decorators.

Picasso’s Pals is based on the Michelangelo’s Mates concept and is available to other housing maintenance organisations wishing to further develop their community engagement work.

The House of Avalon is a vintage clothes and coffee shop in York providing training and supported employment in retailing and cafe environment.

The Innovations Hub can provide all the support an individual needs to develop their business ideas, as well as being open to new ideas for more social enterprises.

For further information, please contact Keith Wyatt on 01423 530053 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)