Operational requirements for diversifying income and services

Training offer

Premises & Equipment       

• IT Equipment
• Training Room and furniture

Compliance & policy           

• Health & Safety including food safety 
• Insurance
• Register as a food business
• DBS
• Employment Law
• Volunteer policy
• Data Protection
• Safeguarding

Suppliers      

• External training provider or self-employed tutors
• Or trained internal staff

Staffing/ Volunteers           

• Training accreditation
• Tutors / Centre management and/or staff
• Administrative staff

Procedures  

• Related to your accreditation body or funder

Download sample list of policies and procedures for possible procedures & policies.

Financial management & funding model (see Managing your finances section).

• Commissioned, grant funded or charging individuals for training

Room rental

If you have a rooms which are sometimes empty in your premises and could set these up as a meeting or workshop room, these can be flexibly rented out to bring in additional income.

Premises & Equipment       

• Flexible room set up (tables, chairs, screens etc).
• Wi-Fi available.
• Equipment for hire, e.g. flipchart paper and pens, projector, screen etc.
• May also provide tea and coffee/refreshments for a charge.
• IT equipment and booking management systems

Compliance & policy           

• Health & Safety
• Insurance
• Safeguarding
• Employment Law
• Volunteer policy

Suppliers      

• For regular supplies such as refreshments and/or stationary.

Staffing/ Volunteers           

• Centre management and/or staff
• Administrative staff

Procedures  

Download sample list of policies and procedures for possible procedures & policies.

Financial management & funding model (see Managing your finances section).

• Consider including a social value/charity discount

Corporate offer

Could you provide your product/service to local corporate businesses, or set up a new service or product or service that would appeal to corporates? This could bring in an additional income stream and fund other projects for social good.

See our Cook for Good case study for an example, whereby this community food project also offer corporate away days/team building days making meals in their training kitchen, as well as selling soup and baked products via their microbusiness set up alongside their catering and hospitality training programme.

Premises & Equipment       

This depends on the service but could include:

• Venue
• Kitchen
• Kitchen equipment
• Food packaging

Compliance & policy           

• Health & Safety including food safety
• Insurance
• Safeguarding
• Employment Law
• Volunteer policy

Suppliers

• Surplus food and donations
• Food purchased from wholesalers or retailers (national or local)
• Local food business
• Growing Projects
• Suppliers for food packaging and any other equipment

Staffing/ Volunteers

• Staff member with appropriate qualifications to lead
• Administrative staff

Procedures  

Download sample list of policies and procedures for possible procedures & policies.

Financial management & funding model (see Managing your finances section).

Community Kitchens

The Real Farming Trust hosted a brilliant webinar with Brighton and Hove Food Partnership and others sharing ways of diversifying income through Community Kitchen models such as cooking classes, catering offers and supper clubs, showcasing how to make an income alongside running a socially-minded community space. The guide and recording of the webinar can be found here.