Supporting Local Change: The Social Venture Pitch Event

On Thursday 12th March, we had the privilege of supporting something special – a pitch event where four local social ventures competed for £600 in seed funding to help them continue their vital community work.

The event was the finale of a series of Social Venture Workshops run by the LUinc Incubator and hosted by Tobias Gould from the Community Enterprise Engine. The workshops were funded by the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and Charnwood Borough Council. As sponsors of the pitch event, Andy joined the judging panel alongside Lorraine Farley from Charnwood Borough Council, Lauren Cropper from 1284 Communications, and Natasha Jolob from Kai-zen Change for Good CIC.

We walked into the Loughborough Careers & Enterprise Hub not quite knowing what to expect. What we found was inspiring.

Four Ventures, Four Visions for Change

Each venture had five minutes and three slides to share their plans and convince the judges to back them. The scoring criteria focused on presentation performance, financial viability, and social impact.

Zinthiya Trust

Zinthiya Trust pitched first. Julie spoke on behalf of the organisation, which works towards freedom from abuse and poverty for people across Leicester. Their work encompasses an impressive range of support – safe houses for those fleeing domestic abuse, coaching and upskilling programmes, provision of school uniforms, and money and debt advice. They’ve also done significant work on period poverty and educating young women about puberty and emotional health. Julie explained that the prize money would fund summer holiday activities for the children of their service users – giving young people safe, engaging activities during the long break.

Inspire Young People & Families

Inspire Young People & Families came next. Ali delivered a lively, enthusiastic pitch about their work with young people in Loughborough. She shared powerful examples of transformation – young people who arrived at their youth group reluctant to speak or engage, who now welcome new members, make friends, and travel independently on public transport. Ali and Claire also provide outreach for young people facing challenging times, mostly through volunteer work. Their pitch focused on funding a community garden that members of their Breakthrough group have been developing. They brought along a model created by the young people themselves, complete with moveable flowers. The project would give members a sense of accomplishment and teamwork whilst creating a lovely space for the wider church community to enjoy.

Two Wheel Campus

Two Wheel Campus was third to pitch. Joe Ward spoke with passion about his project promoting cycling through bike repair workshops. What started as a solo operation – Joe selling restored bicycles and providing repairs to fellow Loughborough University students – has grown into regular workshops at Fearon Hall with plans to expand into other areas. The workshops teach people to repair their own bikes whilst providing a social space where people can meet over a shared interest. Joe’s also set up a Bike Polo club that meets every Wednesday. Two Wheel Campus collaborates widely across Charnwood – working with Leicestershire Police on bike marking and safety, running sessions with the Scouts and Air Cadets, and supporting Loughborough Town of Sanctuary, who help asylum seekers in the local area. Joe’s pitch requested funding for parts to repair 20 bikes for Town of Sanctuary users.

Bangali Go

Bangali Go CIC closed the pitching. Majeda delivered an energetic pitch about her work encouraging the Bangladeshi community to improve their health and wellbeing. Recognising that Bangladeshi people face higher risks for certain health problems, Majeda has worked tirelessly to understand the barriers to exercise and health in her community. She’s particularly focused on encouraging women to participate in activities like walking football, which she plays, coaches, and referees. A passionate advocate for sport with over 30 years of experience, Majeda has been approached by Active Together (a Leicestershire councils initiative), Leicestershire Hospitals Trust, and Leicester University for her knowledge and community connections. She’s secured backing from Football England and is working to introduce walking netball with support from the Netball Association. Having predominantly worked as a volunteer or funded activities from her own pocket, Majeda hoped to use the prize money to plan a summer fundraising event to expand her reach.

The Decision

After all four pitches, the judges retired to deliberate whilst Tobias led a discussion on pitching techniques. What struck us most was the genuine support the ventures showed for each other – each presenter praised the others and encouraged them on how well they’d presented. There was no competitive edge, just mutual respect for the work everyone was doing.

When the judges returned, Andy gave feedback to each presenter, highlighting what had impressed the panel about their pitch. Then came the announcement: Inspire Young People & Families had won the £600 seed funding for their community garden project.

Why We Sponsor Events Like This

Events like this showcase the kind of community-driven change that matters to us at Chesterton House. Each of these ventures is addressing real needs in our local area – from domestic abuse support to youth engagement, from sustainable transport to health inequality.

What they all share is commitment, passion, and a determination to make their communities better. They’re not waiting for someone else to solve problems – they’re rolling up their sleeves and doing the work.

The £600 seed funding will help Inspire take their community garden from concept to reality. But beyond the prize money, this event gave all four ventures visibility, practice pitching their work, and connections with other local organisations and potential supporters.

We’re proud to have sponsored this event and to support the vital work happening right here in our community. This is what local social impact looks like – practical, people-focused, and making a genuine difference.

Thanks to Tobias Gould and the Community Enterprise Engine for organising the event, to our fellow judges for their thoughtful deliberation; and to all four ventures for the inspiring work they’re doing.

We’re looking forward to seeing the Breakthrough garden take shape – and watching all four of these ventures continue to grow and serve communities across Leicestershire.