Nudge Community Builders was set up in 2017 by local people living in Stonehouse, Plymouth.
We had been volunteering in our community for over 10 years. We kick started the Union Street Party, created Union Corner and were inspired and asked by our community to do more about empty buildings.
Eight years on we have unlocked 25% of the empty buildings along Union Street and offered spaces for local people to grow.
We know that spending money with local businesses makes our community stronger, supports local talent and improves our local economy.
We aim to spend 40% of our money within 1 mile of Union Street and 75% in Plymouth.
We prioritise using local businesses and have seen many grow and create new jobs as a result.
We prioritise local people for interviews and most of our small team leave nearby. We give people who have experienced additional barriers to getting work additional support and opportunities.