Welsh Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has visited the CUBE centre, a community-focused and cooperatively run facility in Barry to mark Social Enterprise Day.
Social Enterprise Day is an opportunity to showcase social enterprises across the country and show what makes them different from traditional businesses by addressing various challenges.
CUBE hosts adult support coaching, wellbeing groups, community classes for children and young people. The onsite café and meeting rooms provide spaces for all manner of events.
The centre is operated by Heroes Rights Community Interest Company (CIC). They are a social enterprise which helps families deal with issues such as domestic violence, substance abuse and mental health. Its team of trained counsellors provide essential support to families in crisis.
Supporting social businesses across Wales to develop and grow is one of the key goals of the Welsh Government. Previously, the government has announced further funding of up to £1.7 million towards the Social Business Wales service from April 2024 to support the social enterprise sector here in Wales. The service supports entrepreneurs to get off the ground and establish the next generation of successful social businesses in Wales.
Visiting the CUBE, Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said:
“I’m delighted to visit this fantastic and vital community facility in Barry as part of Social Enterprise Day. This day is an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the positive impact social enterprises like the CUBE centre in Barry have on communities across the country.
“Social enterprises are a key part of the foundational economy and are anchored in their communities. Co-operatives and social enterprises have huge potential to be the business model of choice across Wales, delivering solutions to social, economic and environmental challenges.
“I would like to thank every social enterprise for the hugely valuable contribution you continue to make to improving social and economic wellbeing in Wales.”
Welcoming the Economy Minister to Barry, Tammi Owen, Chief Executive from the CUBE said:
“CUBE is proud to showcase to the Economy Minister what we’ve achieved with the community over the last 2 years. Our success is a testament to what is possible with the local community on your side. We are proud of The Gallery, our social enterprise business, which is our home and our future income that provides funding for us to provide free services and support to our community”.