My name is Samuel Palmer and I’m an Enterprise Co-ordinator within the Enterprise Team. I’ve been with the team for about 2 years and I am excited to tell you more about what we do.
SYHA Enterprises is a wholly owned subsidiary of South Yorkshire Housing Association. Its purpose is to initiate and grow sustainable enterprises and activity which generates a profit for South Yorkshire Housing Association, as well as supporting our purpose and values. The Enterprise Team’s role is to govern the investment fund, support our existing enterprises and activities to succeed, and investigate and evaluate new commercial opportunities whilst always living the values of South Yorkshire Housing Association.
Our current investment portfolio includes:
- Crucible Homes, an ethical and independent estate agent
- Co:Create, a co-production consultancy and research company
- Viewpoint Research, a telephone feedback specialist, and
- Forge New Homes, a housing developer operating across South Yorkshire.
We are always on the lookout for new commercial opportunities. We might invest in start-ups, acquire existing companies or invest in established businesses. We will never act as a bank and have investment criteria. We want to invest locally in South Yorkshire, and work across different sectors targeting investments which align with South Yorkshire Housing Association’s purpose. We’re especially keen to look at opportunities which help to tackle the climate emergency, and which would offer direct benefits to the health and wellbeing of people in the region.
Within Enterprises, we also host the Well Rotherham project. As part of this, we are delivering what is potentially the North’s first social connectivity business accelerator. We’ve had some amazing applicants all looking to build sustainable businesses which help their community. The accelerator started in mid-October, and we’re really excited to watch the ideas develop and grow into wonderful socially minded businesses and the accelerator continues.
Samuel Palmer, Enterprise Co-ordinator
