Q&A with Angie Wright (b inspired)
‘My tips from 25 years of community asset development’
b inspired is celebrating a quarter of a century working for and with the Braunstone community for local benefit.
In that time they’ve brought 12 underused buildings and spaces to life (around 7,000sqm), to support local health, social care and wellbeing and create affordable homes for local families and social enterprises.
Angie Wright has lived in Braunstone since childhood. Today she’s CEO of b inspired and has been at the heart of its journey from the early days.
As a member of the Mycelial Network of Community Asset Developers, Angie is passionate about local people taking the lead in regenerating their place, in neighbourhoods everywhere.
Here she shares some of the ups and downs of the journey, and tips for others…
Question (Q): Angie, how did the b inspired journey start for you? Can you share what motivated you to do this work?
Angie: For me, it was always about our neighbourhood, and asking, ‘How can we do more and make more with what we’ve already got’? I grew up in Braunstone and when buildings go into neglect, or services are lost, it makes it look and feel like there’s no creativity, community or potential – when there absolutely is.
Back in 2004, I applied to be a programme manager for the Braunstone New Deal for Communities (or NDC). That programme was the catalyst for our charity, b inspired, which was back then called Braunstone Community Association, as an independent organisation delivering the NDC work. At first I focused on one of my passions: youth and community. But pretty quickly I found myself working across engagement and inclusion work, and looking after the capital side: a whole portfolio of development projects worth millions.
I was bringing in match funding to stretch investment further, and realising very quickly that it’s through buildings and land that programme legacies can last: homes for community support services, or housing, or social enterprises coming together under one roof and sparking ideas and growth.
“When buildings go into neglect, or services are lost, it makes it look and feel like there’s no creativity, community or potential – when there absolutely is”
Q: That ten-year programme turned into what’s now a 25 year initiative (and counting!) – how did that happen?
Angie: My colleagues and I knew that we had to plan for continuity, if we wanted lasting local empowerment and impact, rather than ending abruptly (as programmes and funds can do, leaving people to start from scratch ‘next time’).
So a shift in focus from ‘programme’ to ‘neighbourhood’ was at the heart of shaping b inspired, and the way it’s been led by community needs over time. In 2008, we had two years left of the NDC programme and started planning beyond, with input from lots of partners: residents, businesses, police, housing, children’s services and health. With that new name (b inspired), we were still firmly homegrown and proudly rooted, but also wanted to reflect how our work goes beyond Braunstone, sharing expertise and skills.
Q: How did those very first buildings get unlocked and transformed?
Angie: The first building (before I joined) was on Wellinger Way. We bought it as a base for the Neighbourhood Support Team. It had been an old post office, we ran a foodbank and volunteering service, then eventually outgrew it. Today it’s leased as a community shop with affordable second hand clothing.
These early spaces, or ‘facilities’, became hubs for health services, wellbeing, family activities, community events, homes…
The vast majority were council-owned: the post office, old social services buildings, rows of shops in 1930s and 1950s estates that shopkeepers were no longer interested in.
We bought some at knocked-down prices, with the Council recognising how that would generate all kinds of value for local people compared to a commercial sale. We had NDC funds, and did a lot of capital fundraising and crowdfunding.
Once the idea of asset transfers came into place, we’ve had those too.
We got a 125-year lease for a £1 on a former park-keepers lodge that sat vacant for 30 years which the community wanted to bring back to life – the first thing you saw when driving past the estate! It’s been office space, sports tea for park events, and now a workspace.
“In our experience, council officers see a risk in holding onto assets if they don’t have capacity and resources to be affordable, responsible landlords themselves – and if the community is ready to steward it.”
Q: Council-owned buildings are such common pursuits for community organisations. Any advice for this process?
Angie: Councils often come with a set of template Heads of Terms. One issue for us was that they included a “no subletting” clause. But our business model depended on bringing in anchor tenants: GP surgeries, charities, community businesses to create a diverse hub of mutual support, inspiration and ideation... Without subletting, the numbers just wouldn’t work.
So we pushed back. We said, “If you want this building off your books and thriving again, you need to give us the right terms.” That paid off, but took time. My advice is to be persistent.
Also, even when they’re keen to transfer the asset for community use, they might not be able to invest further, so you need to fundraise. But the lease length might be too short. We were offered a 5-year lease on The Grove initially. But, more often than not, you can’t raise serious capital investment for that length.
So we held our ground. We waited until we had the first funder interested, then we went back to the council and said: “Look, we’ve got backing, but only if you give us a 25-year lease.” This was a procedural blocker, not a lack of will or engagement from the Council; often local authority bureaucracy simply doesn’t match the community’s ambition and readiness to move quickly.
In a way, everyone is learning through this process – and that’s why it’s key for all partners to see the work of community asset development as collaborative.
“We said, If you want this building off your books and thriving again, you need to give us the right terms.
That paid off, but took time. My advice is to be persistent.”
Q: And do you pursue privately owned buildings? If so, how do you secure affordable rent/purchase?
Most of our trading company buildings (for example, Business Box and Units 3 & 4 Forest Business Park) were formerly privately owned. These are part of our managed workspace portfolio.
We purchased them at commercial rates, more or less. In the case of Forest Business Park, the landlord agreed to do us a ‘deal’ on buying two units together, because we were already occupying them as tenants (on pretty high rents).
We used grant money in all cases to purchase and redevelop the buildings — and to develop services whilst building business activity.
Q: You mentioned how fundraising and negotiating have to be carefully juggled, often simultaneously – what else would you advise when it comes to fundraising?
Angie: Keep your ears to the ground.. Not everyone does capital grants or loans, and sometimes those that do are unexpected.
“Wherever possible, funders need to stand in the space. They need to imagine it alive again”
The first funder for the Grove was Garfield Weston Foundation. It was their 60th anniversary year, and they happened to be funding capital projects, which they don’t normally do. But crucially — we didn’t just send them a paper plan. We walked them through the building. We showed them what it could be. They could see the vision, not just the dereliction. That unlocked £150,000, which in turn unlocked another £250,000 from Power to Change, and so on.
Q: Speaking of Power to Change… you were on the Empowering Places programme. How did that help transform the Grove?
Angie: Yes, this was key in the Grove becoming a catalyst and incubator for five local businesses, all Community Interest Companies. Between 2017-22, we received a £1 million investment through Power to Change’s Empowering Places programme, which enabled a self-supporting cluster of community businesses, offering a range of goods and services that local people can afford: Preloved@45 Community Shop (now in Wellinger Way), Parkside Community Café and Penalty Box Social Bar, ER Dance and Fitness CIC and FSD Football Academy CIC.
In fact, lots of our work over the years has been about enabling local entrepreneurship and employment, through our initiatives like Enterprise as a Life, Leicester for Business, and the Achievement Project.
Q: You’ve done some incredible retrofit work in The Grove. How did you manage to prioritise and plan for that?
Angie: At first, we couldn’t afford to do everything we wanted. We would have loved to put in triple-glazing and solar panels from the start, but we had to phase it. The Youth Investment Fund came along years later, and invested £400,000 for us to do those improvements, plus brand new facilities for young people like a basketball court and performing arts spaces. Some funders really do get the connection between environmental or energy efficiency work and the social activities that go on in the space.
“You start with what you can, keep applying, keep your vision clear, and be ready when new pots of money come along”
Q: Once you moved from one or two buildings to several, what changed?
Angie: Generally, it gets easier each time, by virtue of having a track record. Now we’ve got that foundation of trust (though that relationship-building is never ‘done and dusted’; it’s ongoing). Each building is a catalyst. The first will most likely be the hardest. By the time you’ve got 3 or 4, the next negotiation is easier; councils and funders can see you’re serious.
Once your income’s over half a million, you’re into full audits. Every two years we pay between £6,000 and £8,000 for full property valuations. It’s useful – it keeps us on top of things – but it’s a strain. You’ve got to budget for it.
“Scaling brings resilience. It brings deeper impact, with an interconnected network of spaces that support each other. It also brings hidden costs!”
Q: And how have you kept b inspired financially sustainable?
Angie: All the buildings are owned through the charity, which gives us tax relief. We’ve also got a trading company, but the surplus and profit always goes back into the charity. Around 60% to 70% of our income is trading and rental; the rest is grants and contracts.
Our food bank and food pantry, which is used by 65 families a week, is kept alive with donations from the public and local companies.
We keep rents affordable so local businesses, creative groups and health services can be around for the long term. We’ve also got a big managed workspace with 52 offices in it! That rental income lets us reinvest in things like maintenance and green upgrades.
So while private developers might ‘flip’ buildings like these, we’re keeping them in community use, and that’s what brings stability.
Q: Many people assume you need a certain background for this work. What do you think makes a ‘community asset developer’?
Angie: There’s no one profile. I came from a local authority and programme management background. That gave me some grounding in capital projects and government money.
But I know people doing this work who got started with no property or institutional experience at all; just lived experience of what their community was missing and the ability to bring people together to make things happen. All routes are valid. I think what matters on a personal level is persistence, a knack for problem-solving, a love for ‘boots on the ground’ learning-through-doing, and being comfortable with the unpredictability.
That being said, it’s so important to get professional support. Find a good solicitor who knows contracts, conveyancing and commercial property. NHS contracts – and stick with them. Build that relationship, try to get favourable rates. Same with VAT advice for your organisation: get it early. It’s complicated (depending on your services, legal structure and liabilities) and can trip you up.
“Funders and investors need to take these costs into account too”
Q: And what about support from peers?
Angie: Last but not least! Having someone on your side. While there are tried and tested tips and tactics, this is not a “follow the manual” situation, especially for those who don’t start out with a chunk of funding and official programme. You need people who’ve been through it to have your back, to walk alongside you, saying, “Watch out for that clause” or “Here’s how we raised match funding”. A mentor can also almost act as a guarantor.
A summary of Angie’s top tips:
Be persistent with local authorities: template Heads of Terms don’t always work for community projects — challenge clauses like “no subletting”.
Get the right specialists on your side: a solicitor experienced in leases and asset transfers, and a VAT advisor who knows charities.
Think long-term from day one: a 5-year lease won’t easily unlock capital — negotiate 20–25 years for funders to take you seriously.
Expect hidden costs: audits, valuations and professional fees add up. Build them into every plan and every funding ask.
Fundraising is rarely linear: retrofit in stages, look at unexpected sources, and bring funders into the building so they can imagine the future.
Each building makes the next easier: one building is a foothold, five is a catalyst, and by ten you’re negotiating from strength.
Peer support matters: find people who’ve done it before, even just to sanity-check your first lease.
