Community organisations in West Midlands to get £400k investment

Eight social enterprise firms have been chosen by the WMCA to receive money to improve their neighbourhoods

Eight community organisations in disadvantaged areas of the West Midlands are set to share £400,000 to help improve their communities.

The money has come from the Commonwealth Games legacy pot and issued by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

Social enterprises in Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull, Wolverhampton and the Black Country will get investment.

The WMCA funding is part of a £2m plan to grow the region's social economy.

It could be used for new community facilities or services, for regular events to improve health and wellbeing, or for education and training opportunities, the WMCA added.

The eight social enterprise firms chosen to share the investment are:

• Birmingham - Witton Lodge Community Association

• Birmingham - Initiative for Social Entrepreneurs

• Coventry - Coventry and Warwickshire Co-operative Development Agency

• Dudley - Provision House

• Sandwell - Skills Work and Enterprise Development Agency

• Solihull - Colebridge Trust

• Walsall - Urban Hax

• Wolverhampton - Access to Business

Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chairman, said the funding would "empower communities in a way that will mean they can make sure that no one is left behind."

He said there were about 10,000 social economy organisations which had provided "valuable jobs, training, housing and other services" for the benefit of local people.

The WMCA had decided to use the Commonwealth Games pot to widen the impact of community organisations and to support them in making a "positive difference" to others.

"I look forward to seeing how these plans progress and the positive impact they have on local people's lives in 2024 and beyond," Mr Street added.