Hove social enterprise threatened by budget cuts

A social enterprise is being asked to drum up extra business worth £250,000 a year or face job cuts.

Able and Willing, based at the Knoll Business Centre in Hove, provides supported employment for about 20 people with disabilities and currently has a gross budget of just over £700,000.

Brighton and Hove City Council contributes about £500,000 a year. But in its draft budget papers the council spoke of a “plan to reduce the subsidy invested by the council in Able and Willing by generating additional new business”.

It added: “If the new business is not generated to balance the budget then this will result in the loss of some posts.”

The council hopes to cut its subsidy by £125,000 in 2014-15 with an annual saving of £250,000 pencilled in.

The proposal prompted the opposition Labour group leader Councillor Warren Morgan to speak out at the council’s Policy and Resources Committee meeting yesterday (Thursday 5 December).

Councillor Morgan asked officials to look again at their procurement needs and to use Able and Willing when possible to support its long-term viability.

He was told that officials would indeed look across the board at what additional business the council could provide to Able and Willing.

After the meeting Councillor Morgan said: “As a social enterprise employing people with a variety of disabilities, Able and Willing plays a key role locally in helping disabled people move into full-time employment.

“The existing subsidy levels provided to the organisation have been put under threat by the £100 million cuts the council faces over the next four years from the Tory-led government at Westminster.

“But given how much money the council spends itself on procurement on services Able and Willing provide such as printing and uniforms, surely couldn’t the authority look at sending more business their way and help put Able and Willing on a more sustainable footing for the future?

“I’m very pleased that council officers have assured me they are now looking at expanding their procurement via Able and Willing.

“I’m also calling on all my colleagues in the Labour Party, not just on the council but across the city as a whole, to look themselves at using Able and Willing for their printing needs.”

The council said: “We will explore the business case for our Able and Willing service and look to see if there are opportunities for this to become financially sustainable.

“If not, alternative options for reproviding this service will need to be considered.”