AnyBodyCan Limited

A brief history to date

1999              The original research leading to the formation of AnyBodyCan began in this year. Funding was provided by The Institute of Community Studies, Newcastle City Council and the SMART-SME programme sponsored by BT and managed by the Newcastle Business School at University of Northumbria at Newcastle.

2000              Funding for a ‘pilot programme’, hosted by the Newcastle Healthy City Project during 2000/1, was provided by The Scarman Trust’s “Community Champions” Fund and the Northern Rock Founadtion and Lloyds TSB Foundation.

2001              AnyBodyCan Limited was incorporated and commenced  trading in June 2001. The initial Directors were James Dixon, Kathryn Dixon, John Telfer, Steve Manchee and Philip Angier. Its first project activities were to support Katalyst Events Limited, a social firm and event management company serving the community and voluntary sector and HUBS, a digital media project supported through the Northern Rock Foundation.

2002              AnyBodyCan undertook consultancy work for The Chat Shop (leading to the formation of the Yours & Mine Café) , for the School for Social Entrepreneurs and  REGEN School. It led a pilot of its Enterprise Coaching Programme funded by the Global Grant Fund of the Learning & Skills Council. It secured two years funding to employ an Enterprise Coach from Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. The HUBS programme came to an end. AnyBodyCan entered into a partnership agreement with Newcastle New Deal for Communities to employ a team of six Community Regeneration Trainees.

2003              AnyBodyCan began ‘Be Enterprising’ Enterprise Coaching programmes in Newcastle and Sunderland funded by EQUAL and ERDF. It undertook consultancy assignments for CoFroCo (Sunderland). AnyBodyCan received the first programme related loan to a social enterprise from Northern Rock Foundation. AnyBodyCan applied successfully for EQUAL funding for the Valuing the Difference programme.

2004              AnyBodyCan entered into a delivery partnership with TeamWearside in to continue the Enterprise Coaching programme in Sunderland. The Newcastle programme ceased. It undertook further consultancy for REGEN School, as well as for East Ashington Development Trust, SaftetyWorks! and The Board Room project. AnyBodyCan agreed to provide office accommodation and payroll support to L’Afrique a Newcastle. James Dixon, Development Director, was awarded a grant from Northern Rock Foundation for part-time study at the Judge Business Institute, Cambridge University

2005              Funding for the Be Enterprising Programme ceased and regretfully it was ‘mothballed’. Katalyst Events ceased trading in the spring of 2005 leading to the loss of AnyBodyCan’s trade investment in that business. AnyBodyCan undertook consultancy assignment for The Riverside Project, Lynemouth Community Trust and Wallsend People’s Centre.

2006              AnyBodyCan engaged in consultancy and action research on behalf of  Newcastle Healthy City Project. It undertook consultancy for BOB Recycles and E2000 International. It has entered into partnership with The Ideas Mine and InCredit to develop a social enterprise to deliver work experience and employability skills within the prison system. It is currently bidding on behalf of Valuing the Difference and partners to deliver an on-line enterprise readiness tool for the voluntary and community sector.