Neighbourhood Stories
Create Community Interest Company
Create is a Community Interest Company established in partnership with St. George’s Crypt. Create offers high quality catering services to corporate and private clients whilst providing employment and training opportunities to former rough sleepers in Leeds.
Create recognises the link between homelessness and worklessness and the mutual inclusivity of the two. Building on the skills and talents of homeless people Create has developed a range of services to provide those who have slept rough within the last two years with employment, training and support to complement their transition into settled accommodation.
In June 2008, Create applied for support from Key Fund Yorkshire for help with covering the salary costs of a Catering Manager and completing their IT suite. At the beginning of July the Key Fund provided Create with a support package of a £10,000 grant and a £20,000 loan. This came at the same time as the fantastic news that Create had won the award for Enterprise in the Community at the recent Biz Awards ceremony, celebrating the transformative work Create has done in the local community, whilst building a respected and thriving business.
In October 2008, with the extra help from the Catering Manager, Create have succeeded in launching their most recent venture; Café Create. With two city centre cafes both offering premium fare-trade coffee, delicious home cooked food and a friendly service the Cafes have provided 6 paid jobs and volunteer placements, along with a new working environment from which to gain experience in a range of business skills.
