A GUISELEY community group has been shortlisted for a national small business award.

Codswallop CIC is in the final five in the ‘Mission Possible’ category of The Small Awards. The winners will be announced in London on May 17.

The Mission Possible category celebrates social enterprises which are ‘driven by a community benefitting mission over and above financial performance.’

Lucy Phillips, Voluntary Company Director at Codswallop said: “As a not-for-profit CIC based in Guiseley, Leeds, we strive to never say no; working tirelessly through obstacles and funding cuts to provide a safe place for people of all ages to grow in confidence, ability and forge new friendships.

“Our aims are simple but worthy; to develop a varied and engaging arts programme for Aireborough, to establish a supportive local community, to ensure that the arts are accessible both monetarily and physically, to provide opportunities for all, and finally to become a producer of meaningful theatre.

“We feel passionately that all people should have access to the arts as a way of improving life, mental health, confidence and core social skills, and it is our mission to change public perception and cement it as a necessity in everyday life.”

Codswallop CIC started out in 2013, as a small sole-trader company JP Productions formed by18-year-old Jacob Phillips. From a small drama group for 11 to16 year olds the company has grown to provide activities for all ages. It now runs a community choir, drama groups for ages five to 60, a children’s orchestra and a children’s choir, as well as theatre tours, festivals and monthly arts events. In February 2017 the group became Codswallop CIC enabling it to access new funds to keep weekly sessions affordable, to offer bursary places and to make all events ‘Pay What You Can’.

Lucy said: “We are positive here at Codswallop CIC that we will leave a lasting legacy in our community, create an environment where everyone has somewhere they feel themselves, something they can get involved in and somewhere they can come to for new opportunities.

“In the pipeline we have new groups and projects lined up, from forming a youth collective to producing original theatre, there is no end to our enthusiasm and ideas.”