Workspace helps ten Mid community groups

Patsy McShane, Workspace (front row, center) with representatives from local community and voluntary groups who recently received grants from the Workspace Community Fund.

Projects supported included tutor costs for community workshops and children’s educational play equipment.

The Workspace Group, a social enterprise based in Draperstown, operates a range of commercial businesses including installing home insulation products, providing business start-up units and support, employability initiatives and recruitment and waste heat recovery, the surpluses from which are used for community benefit. The Workspace Community Fund allows Workspace to allocate a proportion of its surpluses each year so that small grants are available to help finance projects within their local area. Since its launch the Fund has allocated over £92,000 to 257 local community projects.

Patsy McShane, Director, The Workspace Group, said: “The Workspace business model sees us operate commercial businesses which generate surpluses, part of which are used to fund local projects such as the Workspace Recreation Centre and the Draperstown After School Club. Since 2009 we have distributed a percentage of our profits directly to community or voluntary groups to enable projects that otherwise just wouldn’t happen. This reflects what Workspace is about since it

was founded – helping the local community in a practical way.”