Makerspaces in Liverpool that bring creativity to communities
From an article by Pioneers Post
Livv Housing Group, a social-impact focussed housing association based in Knowsley, has launched Livv and Flourish, a significant social investment fund with £4.25m of support in the form of blended finance available for social enterprises and charities across the Liverpool City Region over the next three years.
The fund’s first social investment of £175,000 is set to make a meaningful difference to a purpose-driven social enterprise that works across the region. Make, a community interest company set up in 2012, unites and enriches communities through creativity, art and culture at its 'makerspaces', which create places for makers and artisans to turn their passions into prosperity.
Traditional finance options are often not available to organisations like Make CIC, despite the significant societal impact they generate
Make CIC applied to the Livv and Flourish fund to support the development of its new premises in Birkenhead. The social investment Make received from Livv includes a blend of finance, made up of a loan of £150,000 and a grant of £25,000.
Tony Cahill, Executive Director at Livv Housing Group, comments: “Make’s hubs are places that nurture life-changing social impact, spaces where opportunity meets ambition and true collaboration. They’re spaces for ideas to incubate, for business start-ups to literally start up, to grow and to flourish into established business enterprises that support livelihoods. It’s in recognition of this genuine spirit of social impact that the first investment from our new fund has been made to Make.”
Working out of Make's Huyton Village location is sweet entrepreneur, Paul Doyle. He had the idea for his business venture during the pandemic, setting up his vegan-friendly personalised sweet pouch ranges in his spare room, after spotting a gap in the market. So Paul started The Tuck Shop UK with a focus on selling his vegan-friendly gummy and jelly sweet ranges at festivals and makers markets across the North West. He now has the shelves and space to house more stock, weigh out and package up his sweet pouches, ready for sale at makers markets, events and special occasions, as well as via his website, ready to ship out to anywhere in the world. Paul can also personalise his sweet pouches with messages to mark special occasions, slogans for football and rugby clubs, and branding and logos for corporate gifting.
Paul says being based at Make Huyton Village really matters, since it’s helping to re-energise the local high street whilst also providing a hub where makers can support each other. “We're really all cheerleading for each other, we’re all out for each other’s success with our different types of businesses that have a home here.”
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From an article by Pioneers Post, 29/01/2025