At Persona, we enable support that makes a positive impact, providing opportunities that build people's confidence, independence and community connections in ways they choose. One of the most exciting ways we are doing this is through Persona Prints, our print and design social enterprise.
Persona Prints was created to address a significant challenge. While nearly one in five people live with a disability, employment rates for disabled adults remain considerably lower than for the wider population. We wanted to create a supportive environment where people can develop practical skills, gain confidence and move closer to meaningful employment.
Through our Foundational Economy Innovation Fund (FEIF) project, we're expanding the enterprise into a sustainable business that delivers both social and economic value. People will learn printing and design skills while also developing workplace skills like communication, customer service, teamwork and timekeeping. The project creates a bridge between day services and employment support teams, helping people see how their interests and talents could lead to paid work or self-employment.
We have already identified more than 35 people already getting support from Persona, who would like to be involved in the enterprise and our ambition is to create even more opportunities as the project grows.
While people gain skills, confidence and greater independence, local businesses and community organisations will benefit from access to high-quality printing services with a strong social impact story.
Our vision is ambitious. Over the next five years, we want Persona Prints to become a financially sustainable social enterprise that creates genuine employment opportunities for people with disabilities. We aim to grow from a small number of weekly sessions into a thriving enterprise offering paid work placements, supported employment roles and self-employment opportunities. By year five, we hope to support 15 to 20 people into paid or self-employed work while generating sufficient income to sustain and grow the enterprise.
Innovation is about recognising potential where others may see barriers; creating opportunities that focus on people's strengths and enabling them to contribute to their communities in personally meaningful ways. Innovation isn't just about new ideas; it's about developing practical solutions that improve people's lives and have a lasting impact on communities too. This shared belief and vision was what drew us to FIEF and the funding has enabled us to invest in equipment, develop our workspace, learn from established social enterprises and begin building partnerships that will support long-term growth. It has also given us the opportunity to recruit a dedicated creative enterprise lead who will help develop the enterprise, strengthen customer relationships and build sustainable income streams.
Our experience of the fund has been extremely positive; it's allowed us to turn an exciting idea into a credible, scalable social enterprise with real potential to transform lives. We are proud of the progress we've made so far and we're excited about the future of Persona Prints as a business that combines creativity, inclusion and social impact. Watch this space.
Carmen Gillon-Weearsinghe
Learning Disability Day Services Manager
Find out more about the FIEF, Live Well and Good Growth from the GMCA.
Our Whitefield Live Well project (was Ageing in Place) is underway too - find out more here.
Persona Employment Pathways supported employment service is supporting people with disabilities or neurodivergence into skills placeements, volunteering and paid roles across Bury - find out more here.
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