Students support new social enterprise with business project

Students from the University of Chester are sharing their learning and skills to support a new social enterprise which works to improve the lives of vulnerable children, young people and their families.

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) students are working with Grosvenor Hart Homes (GHH) to help the enterprise to achieve its aims and thrive.

Launched by the Duke of Westminster in autumn 2023, Grosvenor Hart Homes’s mission is to help vulnerable children, young people and their families overcome disadvantage and build better outcomes in life by providing high-quality affordable and secure homes, paired with support services tailored around individual needs, and addressing employment and routes into employment, and mental health and wellbeing. 

Since being launched, the social enterprise has so far completed the refurbishment of 29 homes and a dedicated community facility in Chester city centre, while simultaneously delivering support services as part of a pioneering public-private partnership with Cheshire West and Chester Council. 

The students first met with leaders at Grosvenor Hart Homes to discuss its current challenges around new business models, digital transformation and digital marketing. They looked at advancing its strategic and operational aims, to strengthen its growth and viability.

The students carried out research through literature and primary data, including surveys and interviews with staff, people supported by the enterprise and partners, to create practical recommendations for the Grosvenor team to consider. These included input on marketing, the website and personalising offers around some additional services such as a flexible workspace, and were presented in person at Queen’s Park, the home of Chester Business School. Grosvenor Hart Homes will now explore implementing the recommendations with further support from the University.

The dissertation project provided the opportunity to support a community organisation while also enabling the students to gain experience, put their learning into practice, and prepare them for their next steps.

Yussuf Akinkunmi, MBA student, said: “The Chester MBA programme is an enlightening one although challenging. Our modules are structured using theoretical frameworks to solve real world problems. For me, I particularly enjoyed my dissertation project as it was a real business consultation for a social enterprise and the fulfilment of providing solutions to a real business is second-to-none.”

Dr Trevor Omoruyi, MBA Programme Director, said: “Our MBA programme is the faculty’s flagship programme and we are keen on developing our students for the future. We work to provide them with opportunities with local and global businesses where they can apply their theoretical knowledge to practice. This helps to provide our students with employability skills and real-world experience as part of their studies. We have been able to achieve one of our core values of supporting local businesses within the region by providing research solutions to enhance their business operations.”

Dr Alex Fenton, Associate Dean for International in the Faculty of Science, Business and Enterprise, further outlined: “Our University partner, Grosvenor Hart Homes is doing really important work improving outcomes for vulnerable children, young people and their families. We are supporting this work in a range of ways, including through strategic student projects.

“Our postgraduate international students thrive on the opportunity to collaborate on these important consultancy projects which are woven into their programme of study. These are not just important to the work that Grosvenor Hart Homes is doing, but also incredibly valuable experience for the students as they increase their experience and build their networks and social capital.

“It is another great example of how we do things at the University, simultaneously supporting organisations and the community, whilst further developing the leaders of the future.”

Nic Adam, Business Operations and Facilities Manager at Grosvenor Hart Homes said: “Grosvenor Hart Homes is delighted to be working with the University of Chester as one of our strategic partners and we have enjoyed supporting students to fulfil their ambitions. It’s also been insightful for us to gain new perspectives and ideas on how we can develop and market our services such as the Grosvenor Hart Hub flexible workspace, from the work that the MBA students have completed.” Sian van Oosten, Head of Enterprise, Partnerships and Community Development at Grosvenor Hart Homes, added: “We are keen to continue to grow our relationship with the University and look forward to further opportunities to work with the team and their students, and would like to thank them for their support and hospitality up to now.”