Interview: Lancaster's 'Growing Club' to run fundraising auction to help women get started in business

Tuesday, 3 May 2022 17:18

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

Women from The Growing Club CIC. Photo by Ginny Koppenhol Photography.

An Auction of Promises to help raise money for women to set up their own businesses will be held in Lancaster.

The Growing Club, a Lancaster-based social enterprise designing and delivering employment and enterprise skills training and support, especially for women, will host the auction at the Gregson Centre on May 20.

Donated promises will be auctioned off and the money raised will create a seed fund to support women's business start-up costs.

The initial target amount hoped to be raised from the Auction of Promises is £10,000.

LISTEN NOW to Megan Pickles from The Growing Club talking about the organisation and the Auction of Promises:

The Growing Club, based at the White Cross Business Park, has organised this auction after the end of the New Enterprise Allowance Scheme (NEA) which provided mentoring and financial support for self-employed people.

“I was an unemployed single mum after being made redundant," said Jane Binnion, one of the founders of The Growing Club.

"It was through the support of the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) that I was able to start a business, otherwise I wouldn’t have managed it. There was also a grant I accessed, which helped me to buy a laptop and essentials, like business cards, and for 12 months there was £40-a-week benefit support that helped me to feed my family as my business grew.”

“The outcome is that if we don’t take action now, in the future, it will only be women with capital that will be able to start businesses. Women trapped within the benefits system will have another exit route blocked, meaning that regardless of their knowledge, skill and experience, they will once again be left behind.

"The Growing Club have always advocated for every woman to use their skills to strive towards financial independence – be that via good employment or running a sustainable business – and this Auction of Promises event will enable them to build a viable Seed Fund to help reduce barriers to women wanting to make a change."

People and businesses can support this initiative by donating a Promise via email to admin@thegrowingclub.co.uk or call The Growing Club office on 01524 383848 and your donated promise can be logged over the phone.

The auction will run from 7pm to 11pm on May 20.

You can book tickets here.