Impact Hub Yorkshire (IHY) is a purpose-driven organisation supporting inclusive innovation, entrepreneurship, and community-led transformation across Yorkshire and the Humber. Initially launched as Impact Hub Bradford during the Covid-19 pandemic, the hub’s CEO, Kamran Rashid, was told it was a courageous decision. However, the team were committed to enabling positive social change from the beginning.
The organisation was established to serve communities often excluded from mainstream economic opportunities and business support. Over the last five years, Impact Hub Yorkshire has remained committed to supporting individual entrepreneurs and organisations across the region, ensuring collaboration and accessibility remain at the forefront of its team and the programmes they are delivering.
Since its launch in 2020, Impact Hub has engaged more than 4,000 individuals through its programmes and events, directly supporting over 800 people on their enterprise and innovation journeys. Its work has spanned placemaking, youth empowerment, social enterprise investment, and systemic inclusion.
Key initiatives include The Phoenix Way, which provides funding and infrastructure support to racially minoritised organisations, and the Sustain 2.0 programme, which empowers women-led and women-serving creative organisations. The organisation has also taken a lead role in the Local Access Bradford and District programme, a pioneering partnership that has unlocked £6.6 million in funding and support for social enterprises. Most recently, the team created the UK’s first Sharia-compliant social investment product, enabling a local dentist to access ethical finance by removing faith-based financial barriers that had long excluded parts of the community.
At its heart, Impact Hub Yorkshire is a social enterprise, a business that trades for the benefit of people and place. 100% of profits are reinvested into communities, and programmes are co-designed with those they aim to serve. This model of working has enabled the Impact Hub to ensure its work remains both meaningful and measurable.
From peer learning to capital investment, every programme is designed to empower underrepresented individuals regardless of their religion, sexuality or socio-economic background to create a truly inclusive and community-driven organisation.
As a social enterprise, the Impact Hub understands the need to combine social purpose with a commercial mindset. Using a blended business model that focuses on grant funding, enterprise support contracts, partnerships, and income-generating events and space hire. This diversified approach has led the organisation to be financially resilient, while ensuring its work remains community driven.
What sets IHY apart is its plans of creating long-term infrastructure for underrepresented communities to lead social innovation. Programmes are often co-designed with partners ranging from firms such as PwC and Channel 4 to The West Yorkshire Combined Authority. This collaborative structure has not only opened doors to funding and expertise but has enabled grassroots leaders to share ideas with corporate stakeholders, helping to building trust, confidence, and lasting connections.
A Royal seal of approval
Back in May, the Impact Hub received a visit from His Majesty The King, marking the organisation’s transition from Impact Hub Bradford to a Yorkshire-wide remit. The visit was a moment of national recognition for the Hub’s work supporting social entrepreneurs, grassroots organisations, and inclusive innovation across the region.
During the visit, His Majesty met with social entrepreneurs and community leaders who have been supported by the Hub’s work so far. It was also an opportunity to showcase how social innovation can thrive when rooted in local partnerships, inclusive leadership, and a shared commitment to transformation.
Impact Hub Yorkshire’s CEO and founder, Kamran Rashid said: “It was an honour to host His Majesty The King at Impact Hub Yorkshire’s offices here in Little Germany, Bradford, and show him the work our organisation does.
“Our members spoke passionately about their own experiences and the projects that Impact Hub has helped to facilitate. Having the recognition of this visit is an important milestone for us all, as we look towards an exciting future helping individuals and organisations throughout Yorkshire.”
Amongst the organisations introduced to The King, and supported by the Impact Hub, were Green Street; Pandoras Box Deserts; Tasif Khan Community Boxing Academy; IK School of Tailoring; and the African Caribbean Achievement Project.
The work Impact Hub Yorkshire delivers is as varied as it is extensive. The social enterprise has recently led a project focussed on bringing regeneration and inward investment to Little Germany, the area of the city centre that the Impact Hub is based in. This has included shining a spotlight on this important heritage asset, which has the highest density of listed buildings in Europe.
Celebrating five years of success at Bradford Live
To mark the royal visit and the organisation’s five-year anniversary, Impact Hub Yorkshire hosted a celebratory gala dinner in June, which brought together people from every part of the Hub’s journey such as programme alumni and community leaders to regional stakeholders and national partners. Nearly 300 guests and dignitaries gathered for the occasion, which also marked a significant moment for the city and the first event to be held in the newly restored Bradford Live ballroom since 2000.
Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed a three-course meal, networking, and talks and panel discussions from Kamran Rashid, Imran Hussain MP, Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, and Kersten England CBE – Chair of Bradford City of Culture 2025. Sponsors included Bradford Live, Bradford UK City of Culture, the Broadway Shopping centre, Mylahore British Asian Kitchen, Biscayne Maintenance Services, Faum Architecture, Schofield Sweeney, and Jinnah Restaurants.
Kamran Rashid commented: “Five years ago, we made the bold decision to launch Impact Hub in the middle of a pandemic, during a period of global uncertainty and personal change. What began as Impact Hub Bradford has grown into something far bigger because we believed, and still believe, that meaningful change begins with community.
“Expanding to a Yorkshire-wide remit marks an important shift. It speaks to our belief that every community across this region deserves access to opportunity, investment, and space to lead. We’ve been privileged to work alongside some incredible partners over the years, and I’m deeply grateful to our sponsors and to Bradford Live for helping us mark this milestone in such a special way.”
Supporting heritage restoration for social purpose
The gala dinner also shone a light on the Hub’s ongoing work in supporting heritage and placemaking, particularly in its home of Little Germany.
Little Germany’s heritage has been central in Impact Hub Yorkshire’s decision to focus on placemaking and regeneration within the district. The restoration of 30 Chapel Street as a heritage and community hub is the next step in the Impact Hub’s plans for placemaking which will help to bring a listed building back into use, which will offer a vibrant and creative space for local people.
Little Germany’s heritage has been central in Impact Hub Yorkshire’s decision to focus on regeneration within Bradford. The team has been working with a range of partners including Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund on a project to highlight Little Germany and drive inward investment in a way that reflects the needs of its local community, ensuring that regeneration is not just preservation, but progress.
A local steering group, chaired by the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and made up of businesses based in and around Little Germany, is helping to drive the project forward. Together, they are drawing on the area’s unique heritage to attract new footfall, business activity and long-term investment, ensuring that regeneration delivers real value for the local economy and community.
The restoration of 30 Chapel Street as a heritage and community hub is the next step in the Impact Hub’s placemaking work. Once complete, the listed building will offer a vibrant, creative space for local people, helping bring a key heritage asset back into everyday use.
With planning permission now granted, restoration works on the Grade II listed 30 Chapel Street are set to begin in 2026 and the project is being supported by a range of organisations.
An inclusive and supportive space
Impact Hub Yorkshire’s current base on the historic Peckover Street in Little Germany continues to thrive as a dynamic hub for innovation and collaboration. The Hub has expanded its membership and space hire offerings, attracting major organisations such as the Bank of England, Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate, and NatWest for away days, meetings, and corporate events.
There is also a thriving community of likeminded businesspeople and entrepreneurs who are based at the Impact Hub, benefitting from a range of packages that act as a catalyst for innovation and collaboration.
Members can choose from private rooms for one to fourteen people and can also book the co-working hall, equipped with full amenities and bespoke hospitality services to support focused, distraction-free work.
Looking ahead
Impact Hub Yorkshire is committed to expanding its reach and impact, offering support to entrepreneurs and changemakers from all walks of life across the Yorkshire region.
Its team will continue to unlock opportunities that empower individuals and communities to shape a more inclusive and prosperous future. With passion and purpose, Impact Hub Yorkshire stands ready to inspire the next generation of social innovators, creating lasting positive change that benefits everyone
Kamran concluded: “As we step into this next chapter, our commitment remains the same: to build a movement grounded in equity, shaped by collaboration, and driven by the people and places we serve.”
Impact Hub Yorkshire is part of the global Impact Hub network –one of the world’s largest communities for social innovation – spanning over 100 areas and supporting more than 25,000 entrepreneurs. Since launching in 2020, Impact Hub Yorkshire has directly supported over 800 individuals, with more than 4,000 people engaged through its programmes and events to date.
