‘We don’t know how we are expected to survive’: Social enterprises at risk as they fall through gaps in support

Thousands of businesses working to help the vulnerable are on the brink because of difficulties in qualifying for coronavirus grants and relief, writes Hazel Sheffield

Apprentices at Brigade Bar + Kitchen in south London (Matt Austin)

When Samantha McReynolds learned that the government had ordered all hospitality businesses to close on 20 March, her first reaction was relief. McReynolds is the founder of Enterprise East, a community interest company based in Cambridge that helps people with barriers to employment find work in hospitality. Since October 2019, Enterprise East has run The Tea Leaf – a community tearoom in Great Dunmow, Essex, offering training and work experience to refugees, care leavers, people with disabilities, and ex-offenders.

“As you would expect, we adhered to the government mandate [to close] and, to be honest, we were somewhat relieved by the decision, given that some of our team members do have ongoing, underlying health conditions,” McReynolds says. She was reassured by advice that businesses would be eligible for support from the government’s £12bn Small Business Grant Fund, which offers one-off £10,000 grants to firms operating from properties that are eligible for small-business rate relief.