Case Study: Stroud District Kids’ Stuff CIC
About Stroud District Kids’ Stuff
Kids’ Stuff is a Community Interest Company that provides support for the most vulnerable children in the Stroud district. It also empowers parents to improve their situation by offering flexible working opportunities.
The need
In parts of Gloucestershire, 47% of children live in deprived households. To support families in crisis, a new social enterprise needed start-up costs which would allow it to provide clothes and other essential items. Kids’ Stuff asked for help from GCF to provide these vital funds.
How GCF helped
Through the Gloucestershire Comic Relief programme, GCF was able to provide seed funding to Kids’ Stuff. The charity made a compelling case for funding and had clearly done careful planning and preparation beforehand. GCF made the grant of £970 in August 2017 and by the end of January 2018, Kids’ Stuff had started to break even.
Kids’ Stuff manager, Viki, reported:
We now have 6 community drop-in events each month. These give vulnerable families support, community and the basics items (toys, toiletries and clothes) for their children to thrive. Our community sales have increased our reach significantly with over 90 children attending each month. This figure is growing month on month and we anticipate that this number will double over the next 12 months.
Outcomes
- 6 community drop-ins – 90 children attend drop-ins with parents each month
- Social enterprise model with the potential to be self-funded
- 2 parents running e-commerce activities with some support
More about how this group impacts on community:
Community Interest Companies are a model of social enterprise. They are not for profit, trading for social good and re-investing any surplus back into the community. Social enterprises can quickly become self-sufficient and do not continue to rely on grant funding to make a difference. They play an important role in the local economy and create employment opportunities.
Kids’ Stuff is addressing poverty in a way that maintains people’s dignity. People pay what they can afford for essential supplies, and have an opportunity to connect with other parents nearby by visiting the pop-up shops. Support is also offered to parents who want to set up their own e-commerce enterprise.
7th September 2018
