The Yarn - A Really Social Enterprise

The Young Advisors Eastern team were made redundant through the closure of their host agency in December 2006.

In true YA style they registered their own social enterprise, a Guarantee Limited Company, The Yarn, in January 2008.

It took 3 months before a business bank account was operational due to common banking practise on the accepted minimum age for company directors.

Although it was possible to be registered as a director at Companies House, until The Yarn negotiated with underwriters, banks would not accept a director on their books under the age of 18 (at the time The Yarns youngest director was just 15).

In June 2008, having been operational for just two months, the company won the coveted title of 'Best Not for Profit' organisation at the annual Training Journal Awards.

After a year of registration, but only 9 months of trading, The Yarn and it's 4 Young Advisor directors have turned over £30,000 worth of business.

They have peer trained 8 new YA schemes, co-facilitated the work of colleague YA schemes for national events with EnCams, worked across 9 counties, helped partner agencies bid for millions of pounds of funding, co-facilitated a series of workshops with a national charity, had articles publicising the work of YAs printed in The Guardian and trade press, partnered with 5 national organisations and many local teams, written a workshop on Local Area Agreements and are currently writing a business plan for their second year of trading.

The teams voluntary lead recently retired to spend more time on her 'day job' (although she remains a director) - and the team are now self managing through their own board, chaired (of course) by a Young Advisor.

More info can be found at www.theyarn.org