Beanstalk Skills Academy CIC

During the financial year from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025, Beanstalk Skills Academy CIC delivered practical skills, confidence-building and progression-focused activity across Lancashire for people facing barriers to work, enterprise and participation in everyday life, particularly in areas of higher deprivation. The company operated through three connected strands: Beanstalk in the Community, Beanstalk to Work, and Beanstalk for Business. Across the year, 29 programmes and courses were delivered, supporting a total of 430 participants places. Beanstalk in the Community focused on accessible, community-based skills and confidence building. Beanstalk to Work provided employment-related and work-focused support. Beanstalk for Business supported people exploring self-employment and early-stage enterprise. Monitoring data shows that delivery reached people with a range of needs, including women, people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, people with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions, and residents living in areas of high deprivation. Where deprivation data was recorded, the majority of participants lived in IMD Deciles 1–3. The activities delivered created clear community benefit. Participant feedback gathered throughout the year consistently showed increased confidence, improved practical skills, reduced isolation and greater clarity about next steps. Participants valued the practical, easy-to-understand nature of the learning, the supportive and non-judgmental environment, and the relevance of the skills to their everyday lives, work situations or business ideas. Across all strands, delivery helped people feel more confident, more capable and more able to engage with opportunities linked to work, learning, enterprise and community life. All activities were delivered in line with the company’s community interest objectives and were designed to provide realistic, meaningful benefit to individuals and the wider community.