Make CIC is the first of many community hubs across the Liverpool City Region to benefit from an ultrafast connection as part of the LCR Connect Social Value Fund, known as ‘LCR Connect Community Hubs’. As a beneficiary of the scheme, Make’s gigabit-capable connection will be funded for 12 months.
Over the last ten years’, social enterprise Make CIC has been helping to support artists, makers, and small businesses by providing space, specialised facilities, mentoring and classes to benefit local communities across the Liverpool City Region.
To underpin this hub of creativity and innovation, LCR Connect has recently provided gigabit-capable connectivity to Make North Docks, Vauxhall, with plans to bring on Make Hamilton Square, Wirral, as well as an all new space soon to be launched in Huyton before the end of the year.
The hubs that Make has created range from affordable office space for small businesses, to workshops, event space, a café and shared garden. Make’s nurturing environments continue to be a launchpad for artists and craftspeople, turning their hobbies into businesses they can earn a living from.
Liam Kelly, CEO at Make CIC said: “Everything we do is designed to create independence, sustainability and empower the people we work with. A high speed internet connection is an essential service that we provide to help underpin this.
“Many of the people that use our workspace rely on broadband as both part of the creative process, using specialist programmes, as well as to communicate and collaborate. It also allows people from the local community to use our public spaces to log on. This is an important aspect for us, as facilities such as public libraries are becoming scarcer.
“We are delighted that we can now access a ‘home-grown’ network and this social fund to benefit and support our venture, people on their creative and self-employment journeys, and the wider community.”
You can read more about Make’s impact in its annual report.
Make in numbers 2020-21:
- Over 400 people attended 69 classes across Make’s sites at North Docks, Hamilton Square and Baltic Triangle (the latter is no longer in operation)
- 210 people attended a community project in Liscard involving 15 classes
- Supported 20 practitioners who are makers and creators through paid work and commissions
- 12 people joined the Farm Urban community growing programme (community project)
- 50,000 bees made 210 pots of honey from the beehives in Make Hamilton
- Supported 22 new people through the Enterprise Hub Skills programme
- 14 events took place when they could around lockdowns and keeping people safe during the pandemic
- Winner of “The Creative Impact” 2021 Echo Regional Business award
We currently have a number of community hubs set to benefit from LCR Connect’s Social Value Fund across the six local authority areas of the Liverpool City Region, but we are on the hunt for more, well-used community spaces in reach of the network that will benefit from a full fibre connection. Get in touch if you know somewhere, at hello@lcrconnect.com