Rochdale’s Cherwell Village apartments were purpose-built by PossAbilities CIC, opened in 2022 and have been full since day one. This innovative development, co-located with other PossAbilities services, filled a significant need, giving people with learning disabilities the opportunity to have their own home for the first time. PossAbilities was formed in 2014 as a spin-out from Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council. Since then, it has increased staff from 220 to more than 600. It works with people with learning disabilities and young people leaving care so they can live the life they choose. It secured the land for Cherwell Village for one peppercorn using a Community Asset Transfer from the council. PossAbilities then invested £350,000 of reserves it had built up, topped up with a £1.5m low interest loan from the Public Works Loan Board, which can be accessed via councils, to fund the £1.8m project. PossAbilities is now investing reserves into building 17 more homes in Rochdale, with a further 19 planned for Runcorn, addressing the shortage of this type of accommodation. • How can we scale up this kind of innovation and create more effective, responsive, and sustainable people-focused public services? Read our January 2026 report. • More case studies of social enterprise innovation
Rochdale’s Cherwell Village apartments were purpose-built by PossAbilities CIC, opened in 2022 and have been full since day one. This innovative development, co-located with other PossAbilities services, filled a significant need, giving people with learning disabilities the opportunity to have their own home for the first time. PossAbilities was formed in 2014 as a spin-out from Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council. Since then, it has increased staff from 220 to more than 600. It works with people with learning disabilities and young people leaving care so they can live the life they choose. It secured the land for Cherwell Village for one peppercorn using a Community Asset Transfer from the council. PossAbilities then invested £350,000 of reserves it had built up, topped up with a £1.5m low interest loan from the Public Works Loan Board, which can be accessed via councils, to fund the £1.8m project. PossAbilities is now investing reserves into building 17 more homes in Rochdale, with a further 19 planned for Runcorn, addressing the shortage of this type of accommodation. • How can we scale up this kind of innovation and create more effective, responsive, and sustainable people-focused public services? Read our January 2026 report. • More case studies of social enterprise innovation