Social good company loses staff after funding drop

Down to Earth café was able to get long-term premises with help from Makespace

A social good company has had to cut two of its 13 staff and reduce pay for those remaining after its main source of funding came to an end.

Makespace in Oxfordshire was granted money by the National Lottery until the funding criteria was changed.

The social enterprise refurbishes buildings that would otherwise stand empty and lets them out at affordable rates to community and arts organisations.

It said it was actively looking for new funders.

New projects manager Alex Lui said money is an issue across the sector.

"Funding has changed quite dramatically in the last few years, so like all organisations we're trying to find ways of resolving that and also applying for more funding," he said.

The advantages of the Makespace model go two ways, he added.

"We support community groups to have access to space, and the landlords benefit from us coming in to maintain the space, [preventing] gradual decline."

New project manager Alex Lui says Makespace helps both community groups needing space and landlords needing to maintain it

Music recording company In-Spire Sounds, which supports disadvantaged youths, will be taking a unit in Makespace's latest building on Park End Street in central Oxford.

"The fact that Makespace has taken this property on and allowed us to be here is really special," In-Spire Sounds director Kingsley Pratt-Boyden said.

"One thing that's held us back in the last couple of years is access to space, so this has really helped us expand. We're now able to cater to a lot more young people and have more than four times the capacity."

The National Lottery Community Fund confirmed it is no longer funding Makespace but didn't add anything further.