Work is underway transforming the new Bradford city-centre base for Enable2, which provides interpreting and translation services, so they can expand and create more jobs.
The social enterprise plans to move into the larger premises by the end of May after recently recruiting over 60 self-employed interpreters. This number is set to increase as they provide more services in the Sheffield area and expand into video interpreting.
The three storey building used to be a GP Surgery called Bevan House and it will be completely renovated to make it fit for purpose. The new offices will include more open plan office space, a video interpreting suite, reception area, kitchen facilities, prayer and quiet room, and meeting rooms. It is in a central location with parking spaces nearby.
This month Enable2, which currently operates from Douglas Mill, in Bowling Old Lane, completed buying the property at Sunbridge Road in the Goitside conservation area of Bradford. They have expertise in working with the public sector and deliver services to various NHS organisations including GPs, dentists, Bradford Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford District Care Foundation Trust and Sheffield Children’s Hospital. The social enterprise is also the sole provider to Bradford Council and has other clients such as solicitors, schools, a housing association and voluntary organisations such as Hope for Justice and Barnardo’s.
Enable2 delivers face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting and written translation services. The organisation has recently benefited from City Centre Growth Zone funding from Bradford Metropolitan District Council.
Liz Weatherill, managing director for Enable2, said: “We are really looking forward to moving into our new premises and expanding our service. The new video suite will allow interpreters to work from our city base and provide a service to anywhere across the country via a secure network.
“A key part of our business is also getting involved in more social return activities, which means putting resources back into local communities by supporting a wide range of ventures.”
Enable2 maintains a large database of qualified self-employed interpreters; a pool of around 400 linguists who live in the Bradford district, Aire Valley, Sheffield, Barnsley and Doncaster who speak over 135 languages and dialects.”
Some of the health based and employment seeking initiatives Enable2 are involved in or planning include:-
- Working with national charity The County Trust taking children from inner-city Bradford for short breaks to the countryside
- Providing Arabic and Urdu interpreters to accompany weekly walks to places of interest areas in the Bradford District for women who live in the Keighley and Barkerend areas, working with Keighley social enterprise Get Out More CIC.
- Running Enable2Work sessions which provide support for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, who have disabilities or language needs who want to find work in the NHS or public sector
- Working with local social enterprise Healthy Lifestyle Solutions to deliver exercise and nutrition courses for people at risk of diabetes in the Bradford area
- Working with Six Degrees, a social enterprise from Salford, to deliver communications training sessions for carers of people with dementia
- Helping to support former drug and alcohol users by providing training to work as an interpreter.