Here’s a brief update on the progress of our pilot business support programme, Prosper

During the course of the last month, our business support team has been hard at work conducting check-in calls with all 70 libraries, arts organisations, museums and creative businesses participating in the Prosper programme. We’ve received plenty of feedback and would like to share some notable highlights.

“Prosper is like a buffet,” says producer Amar Patel through a smile during Soul Label’s first vlog.

Amar’s amusing quip refers to Prosper’s flexible delivery structure. The ability to pick and choose which training events to attend allows each programme member to purposefully tailor business support to combat their unique challenges.

Lesley Stables, Library and Information Manager at Barnsley Council, speaks to the quality of support offered by the programme. While working through the design of Barnsley Libraries communication plan for an upcoming project, Lesley states that Prosper “…synthesised our collective jumble of thoughts, values and ideas into a structure that by the end of the workshop we felt we had moved a mountain. Our purpose and aspiration was decided.”

It isn’t just programme participants that are speaking about the strength of Prosper. Mairead O’Rourke, one of Prosper’s development advisors, states that “… Prosper is finding innovative ways to showcase the ways in which intervention can have a positive impact on a leader and their organisation.”

Overall, we are extremely pleased with the feedback we’ve received at this stage. With a selection of training events still left to deliver we look forward to continuing to offer business support to creative organisations across England through the end of March 2018.