A CHARITY which delivers services to communities across the district through three enterprise hubs – including one in Keighley – has celebrated a milestone.

Participate has marked its first decade of operation, during which it has grown from a two-person volunteer team into an organisation that employs 14 people and will this year turn over £500,000.

The Bradford-based charity – whose other hubs are in Manningham and Shipley – offers enterprise coaching, start-up support and social action work with young people, and provides links between businesses and their communities.

Over the past ten years, businesses have contributed more than 30,000 hours of volunteering through Participate.

Projects have ranged from building outdoor learning areas at schools and creating community gardens, to distributing food during the pandemic.

Since it was established, Participate has also supported the set-up of over 100 social ventures, charities and community groups, through its so-called Social Venture School.

And it has helped nearly 100 young people to begin social action projects through The Venturists – a scheme that supports primary school pupils to understand and explore issues in their communities, and bring ideas to life.

When the charity began, it received funding from Provident Financial and Yorkshire Building Society.

Provident Financial is now giving a further £20,000 towards the salary of Participate’s social action co-ordinator, Luke Dennison, who supports businesses to connect with community projects. And it is providing £2,500 towards an electric vehicle to support community business activity.

Participate chief executive, Anthony Waddington, said: "I want to say a massive 'thank you' to every business, funder, community partner and individual that has worked with us over the years.

"Our journey highlights the importance that businesses can have for community projects.

"We wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the community team at Provident believing in what we could achieve, and we thank them for that.

"We'd love to see even more businesses joining us to help celebrate ten years of Participate."

More recently, Participate has also begun delivering business coaching.

It has local enterprise hubs Made in Keighley – in the Airedale Shopping Centre – and Made in Manningham, at Manningham Mills, where people can call-in to discuss ideas if they're looking towards self-employment or wishing to grow their workforce.

The support is free. Coaching is funded through Bradford Council, Power to Change and the European Regional Development Fund.

For further information about Participate, visit participateprojects.org.uk.