OPINION: Putting People at the Heart of Care: Celebrating Community Catalysts in Suffolk

At Suffolk County Council, our ambition is clear: to ensure that every person needing care can make use of high-quality, personalised support that enriches their life. This is why I am thrilled to celebrate the extraordinary work being carried out in Suffolk by Community Catalysts, a social enterprise dedicated to supporting the development of community micro-enterprises providing bespoke care and support for local people.

A Partnership That Delivers Real Local Choice

Since launching in the Waveney district before expanding across the whole of the county, the Community Catalysts initiative has brought meaningful change by promoting local, community-based care options. By working with people who wish to set up their own small-scale care businesses, the project supports those who seek to offer care and support such as home help, companionship, household support, or creative community-led activities. This scheme also supports established local groups aiming to diversify or expand their offerings.

The Community Micro-Enterprise Development Programme in Suffolk has (to date) resulted in the development of 160 new or existing community micro-enterprises that are offering over 5,260 hours of support to 1,100 people (with additional capacity available). This programme is underpinned by our ‘People at the heart of care’ vision, which values personalised solutions and empowers people to choose what works best for them. Community Catalysts bring that vision to life by cultivating a directory “Small Good Stuff”: not one-size-fits-all care, but tailored, homely support rooted in community itself.

Spotlight: HandS Help and Support

One of the most inspiring stories to emerge from this work is that of Lenka Bashford, who launched HandS Help and Support in West Suffolk earlier this year. After contacting her local Catalyst, Amy, Lenka benefited from invaluable guidance on everything from marketing and training to insurance, regulations, DBS checks, and accessing funding.

By April, Lenka had begun providing support to four local clients, delivering 25 hours of highly personalised care every week. Over half of her enquiries came through Small Good Stuff, Community Catalysts’ directory of local care and support. Rosie who is living with dementia, and has benefitted from using Lenka’s support has found new joy, companionship, and confidence, while Rosie’s daughter remarked that through Lenka’s efforts, “Mum is a person again, with a life to talk about and experiences to share.” Lenka’s journey has given friends and families in Suffolk a shining example of how creativity, compassion, and personalised care can transform lives.

Building Capacity Across Suffolk

Community Catalysts’ impact does not stop there. Their Small Good Stuff directory for Suffolk now features enterprises such as Lisa Fowler Home Support (covering Sudbury and nearby areas), Megakare Ltd (operating across towns from Ipswich to Bury St Edmunds), and Small Steps Support and Care Services (working in and around Bury St Edmunds). One particular enterprise, Suffolk Home Help, offers a wide range of services, from companionship, decluttering, and meal support to gardening and community outings, and carries recognised training credentials as well as Doing It Right Standards, thanks to their Community Catalysts development experience.

A Strategic Boost for the Future

June saw an important milestone with the release of the Suffolk County Council Care Market Strategy 2025–2030. The strategy explicitly recognises community micro-enterprises as a central pillar of Suffolk’s future care market: a tremendous acknowledgement of their value and a firm commitment to building on this approach. As I have said previously, Suffolk County Council doesn’t just deliver local services – but with our countywide reach, associated economies of scale, and with the support of social enterprises like Community Catalysts, we are able to help new hyper-local micro-enterprises set up and grow.

What This Means for Suffolk

Thanks to Community Catalysts:

• Choice and personalisation are at the forefront, giving people local, flexible, and meaningful care alternatives.
• People with ideas for caring services can now access free mentorship, support, and guidance to set up well-structured, sustainable enterprises.
• Families and peoples across Suffolk benefit from care grounded in community, delivered by other people who know and understand them.
• The county’s care landscape has grown in diversity, resilience, and dynamism, and now has solid strategic backing.

Looking Ahead

Recently we filmed some micro-enterprises as part of our Coffee and Care video campaign who talked about their experience of setting up their businesses, I look forward to sharing those with you all soon, but it fills me with pride to see the imaginative and compassionate ways care is being reimagined in Suffolk communities. As Cabinet Member for Adult Care, I warmly encourage anyone in Suffolk who has ever thought, “I could help my neighbours, but I do not know how to begin,” to reach out to Community Catalysts.

If you are considering setting up your own micro-enterprise to provide care or support in Suffolk, I urge you to get in touch with Community Catalysts for free, expert advice on how to get started. You can also explore existing care and support options through the Small Good Stuff Suffolk directory, which lists local enterprises already making an impact in their communities.

• Find out more and get in touch here: www.communitycatalysts.co.uk
• Email: suffolk@communitycatalysts.co.uk

Together, we are transforming how care is given and received. We are building a Suffolk where kindness, independence, and community go hand in hand, and that is something truly worth celebrating.