The Growth Hub is here to help organisations that do things differently. Whether you’re a co‑operative, mutual, employee‑owned business or social enterprise, we understand your priorities go beyond profit. Our team offers guidance, resources and connections to help you thrive while staying true to your values.
Support for co‑ops, mutuals and mission‑led businesses
Practical help tailored to alternative business models.
Learn from peers, join our webinars and see how others are building resilient organisations.
Running a co‑operative, mutual or employee‑owned business isn’t the same as running a traditional company...
And that’s a good thing. Your model puts people and purpose at the heart of decision‑making, but it can also bring unique challenges around governance, finance and growth.
That’s where the Growth Hub comes in. We understand that success for you isn’t just about profit; it’s about resilience, participation and impact. Our team is here to help you strengthen your structure, plan for the future and unlock opportunities that fit your values.
Whether you’re exploring employee ownership, building a social enterprise or looking to make your co‑op more sustainable, we’ll connect you with practical advice, expert resources and real‑world examples from organisations like yours. Plus, you can join our webinars to learn from specialists and peers who’ve been there and done it.
Topics of interest....
Blog articles that might be of interest to purpose-led businesses...
Funding The Future: Financial Models Strengthen Purpose Led Businesses Webinar
Purpose alone won’t sustain your organisation - financial resilience is what turns impact into long-term success.
Bid Writing for Purpose Led Businesses – key takeaways
Baffled by bid writing and where to start? Hear from commissioned on how to maximise funding opportunities through bid writing.
How to recruit and retain awesome volunteers
Passionate people are what drive our purpose-led organisations in Cornwall, and for many, that’s down to a very special workforce: volunteers
Watch back webinars on topics relevant to your organisation...
Bid Writing for Purpose led Businesses
Grants offer a powerful way to secure funding without the burden of repayment, and this session explores where to find opportunities and how to apply successfully. This session covers what grant funding is, why it exists, and the different types available, the key elements of crafting a compelling proposal, managing grant‑funded projects effectively, and applying best practice for long‑term success.
Financial Models for Purpose Led Businesses
Many businesses are driven by strong values and community purpose - but too often their financial models can leave them vulnerable, over-reliant on funding, or unable to invest in growth. This webinar demystifies financial sustainability and explores how purpose-led organisations can build resilient, mission-aligned income without compromising their values.
How to recruit and retain awesome volunteers
Volunteers are sometimes misunderstood, often because there’s no single, universal definition of what “volunteering” really means. In this webinar, we take a fresh look at volunteer recruitment for community organisations, co‑ops, mutuals and the wider Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector in today’s world.
Exploring Employee Ownership for SMEs
Cornwall has a growing community of businesses adopting the Employee Ownership Trust model. This webinar brings together experts in Cornwall to help business owner curious about the potential for their employees to become future business leaders. They’ll cut through the jargon and share how leadership evolves, what shifts culturally, and whether it’s genuinely the right model for your business.
Employment Rights Act 2025: Build Your Compliance Roadmap
The Employment Rights Act 2025 represents the biggest shake-up of employment law in decades, with major changes taking effect from April 2026.
This practical, plain-English webinar will help you understand what is changing, when it is changing, and what you need to do now to stay compliant and reduce risk.
Employment Rights Act 2025: Future‑Proof Your Business
Following on from the April 2026 reforms, further significant employment law changes are planned for October 2026 and 2027. These reforms will have long-term implications for workforce planning, contracts, policies and risk management.
This forward-looking webinar is designed to help you plan ahead with confidence.
Useful help, guidance and information for your organisation...
British Business Bank Guidance
Discover how the British Business Bank can help you overcome challenges and make the most of opportunities in areas like finance, people and sustainability.
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Free training to provide key AI skills
Every adult in the UK is eligible to take free, newly benchmarked courses to gain practical AI skills for work – as the joint government and industry programme sees a major expansion to upskill 10 million workers.
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help for SMEs to navigate insurance needs
A new guide from the ABI aims to help the UK’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) better understand their insurance needs and address gaps in coverage.
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Neighbourhood Safety Training
Organisations and their staff are often victims of crime. Neighbourhood Watch has developed Safety Training as part of their commitment to building communities where crime cannot thrive.
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Pre-recorded Top Tips Business webinars
Looking to boost your skills? Small Business Britain webinars cover a wide range of topics from marketing to financial planning, and you can replay previous sessions for free online.
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Preparing for new changes to employee rights
Get some step-by-step guidance, practical tools and access to expert support to help your business get ready for the workplace rights changes from February 2026.
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cyber Essentials
Protect your business against the most common cyber threats with free resources from the National Cyber Security Centre.
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Making Tax Digital - Simple Steps tO Prepare
HMRC have a wide range of webinars and resources to help you understand Making Tax Digital for Income Tax and Self Assessment.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MTD FOR INCOME TAX FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MTD FOR SELF ASSESSMENTLearn from organisations like yours
See how businesses across Cornwall have embraced business support to help strengthen governance, boost growth and secure long‑term resilience.
St Michael’s Housing Society
St Michael’s Housing Society is a long‑standing co‑operative housing organisation based in Penzance, West Cornwall.
Camelford Leisure Centre
Camelford Leisure Centre in North Cornwall is a successful example of a community‑run mutual organisation.
Hiyield
Hiyield is a Truro‑based digital product studio that develops sustainable websites and web applications.