Colebridge Trust is a registered charity and recognised as the community development trust for North Solihull, within the West Midlands. We operate in Solihull and the surrounding areas including parts of Birmingham and Warwickshire.
We are members of Locality, Employment Related Services Association, British Association of Supported Employment, National Council of Voluntary Organisations and Birmingham & Solihull Chamber of Commerce. Our packing and assembly social enterprise is ISO9001 accredited.
“Colebridge Trust seeks a cohesive society where people are enabled to achieve their full potential and where barriers to living inclusive, happy and healthy lives are challenged through the provision of creative, innovative and enterprising activities.”
Since 2002, we have been empowering people and third sector organisations within Solihull and surrounding areas. A lot of our grassroots efforts have been focussed on North Solihull – with neighbourhoods ranked amongst the most deprived 5%-10% in England. Our team also support those who are often marginalised through disability, health conditions and other limiting circumstances, such as care responsibilities in the remainder of the borough and surrounding areas.
We delivered the third sector infrastructure support contract for Solihull Council for 14 years (as Solihull Sustain) and much of our work continues to be about supporting the sector and fostering collaboration, sustainability and growth. We currently support through the North Solihull Social Economy Cluster and Community Anchor Organisation contracts that we have with the combined authority and local council.
Key elements of work such as health and wellbeing, inclusion and Employment and Skills, are delivered from our:- Community Centre, Junction, based in Kingshurst and Fordbridge; Social Supermarket, based at Junction, ISO9001 Assembly & Packing Social Enterprise based in Chelmsley Wood and other outreach locations. We have a presence in Olton, Solihull and an office within Three Trees in Solihull. Each year we directly support hundreds of people through direct intervention work, linking people to local work, volunteering and training opportunities. We have enhanced the lives of many more through health and wellbeing activities that are delivered at Junction, our community centre and in collaboration with partner organisations, these include the voluntary and community sector, local authorities and private sector.
We operate Solihull’s only community-led family hub in Solihull (Evergreen) and work closely with local schools and grassroots charities.
We are the ‘Local Trusted Organisation’ for the Cars Area Together Partnership, supporting local people in the Smith’s Wood area, who were awarded £1m of Big Local National Lottery funding to spend over 10 years. Within the last 10 years, we’ve helped local charities and community groups to secure over £8m on funding, including capital funding and projects addressing health and wellbeing.
Our work would not be possible without the support of partners and the combination of funding from donations, earned income and grant-funding. We also indebted to our many local volunteers and trustees.