EMEN was set up to provide support to voluntary and community organisations, business support organisations, minority businesses and social enterprises across the East Midlands.

By doing this we help to improve the quality of life of people living in some of the most disadvantaged wards of the region by providing educational, economic, sport, social and cultural activities to enable them to develop their natural talents and resources better and to contribute to the improvement of the region.

It was started in April 2002 in partnership with a local college and members of the newly-arriving Somali community to provide ICT training in an innovative Learning Shop. As well as ICT, community members were provided with opportunities to take up employment or to set up their own business. At the time it was one of only a very few organisation in Leicester, apart from Business Link, that had a sfedi qualified business manager. The Learning Shop went mainstream with the college taking it over as an extension to their outreach work.

Since then EMEN has grown its services to include business support to disadvantaged communities as well as specialising this support to voluntary groups and helping them develop themselves as social enterprises. While developing projects itself, EMEN now specialises in working with ethnic minority communities and other disadvantaged communities to help them deliver solutions for themselves.

EMEN has now become a social enterprise cooperative company limited by guarantee, thanks to an Awards For All grant. We will keep you informed about developements as they take place.

OUR CONSTITUTION

ORGANISATIONS WE HAVE WORKED WITH:

Leicester Asian Youth Association	World Arts Gallery
Society for Intercultural Understanding Leicester