Southwark Pioneers Fund:
Grow Your Enterprise

Founder - The Saltways

Emma Bracegirdle

Emma Bracegirdle is the founder of The Saltways, a company that specialises in creative films for the third sector. She says:

“I can’t explain how much the programme changed everything. It gave me confidence in my business, to take it from trying to figure things out to actionable steps that I could take to get it to where I want it to be. I’m very much still on that journey, but I feel like now I have the skills, the resources and the support of the community to actually get there. I took something away from every session I went to and whilst everyone’s takeaways from the programmes are different, that’s the beauty of it. Having a mentor and professional look at my business and say ‘here’s how you can get to the solution’ was huge. Something that I’ve continued to do since then is mentor other people, as it was just invaluable having that support, someone else to say you’re doing good. You need that.”

Founder - REWRITE

Christina Fonthes

REWRITE is a vibrant community dedicated to uplifting and championing the literary talents of Black Women and Women of Colour writers. Through courses, mentoring, and writing retreats and providing a nurturing environment where these voices can flourish, REWRITE is committed to breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for their stories to be heard. Christina said:

“Since joining the Hatch programme, I’ve learned a great deal about the entrepreneurial journey and landscape. From finding the right CRM to learning about angel investors, the programme has been incredibly valuable. I’ve connected with a supportive community of fellow entrepreneurs for idea-sharing and support. As my business has grown, I’ve faced challenges in understanding how to scale effectively. Thankfully, the programme arrived just in time, providing much-needed support.”

Founder - Game Plan Life Coaching

Nicola Twiston Davies

“I love to inspire others to play by their own rules, it’s why I became a life and career coach under my business, Game Plan Life Coaching. I work to help people create positive, lasting change by working out what really excites them, then developing the mindset and strategy to make it real. Joining Hatch’s programme has been like finding old colleagues that have gone off and set up their own businesses. It’s a really lovely supportive space that has opened me up to opportunities and really enjoyable connections, thank you!“

Founder - FUTURES

Joe Daniel

Joe Daniel received a grant to develop FUTURES, a social enterprise supporting young people from underserved groups aspiring to work in the music industry through workshops, drop-in career clinics and paid work-experience. He said:

“We want to inspire and support young people from all backgrounds. This grant helps to establish FUTURES as an entity of its own, outside of our core business with the Independent Label Market. It has allowed us to expand our network of partners without being tied to ILM, create a solid brand identity and test the waters with different marketing approaches on social media. The grant is helping to kickstart the process of sourcing speakers and applying for funding avenues, meaning we could dedicate time to FUTURES without distractions, and give it the attention it requires and deserves.“