Pioneering Social Innovation & Community Development
Since 2000, Clays Lane Trust has provided professional training, employment support, and social enterprise advice to individuals across East London, turning potential into career success.
A Social Innovation Organisation
Clays Lane Trust is a social enterprise organisation assisting unemployed people and the local communities in the East London Area. We develop potential through training and development activities in job creation, enterprise, and community growth.
We use all forms of capital to achieve community objectives. Our volunteers pilot various employment and social enterprise projects to gain work-related professional experience that takes them from unemployment to employment.
"We encourage collaboration across private, public and third sectors to maximise our community impact."
Rooted in Stratford & East London
Since 2000, Clays Lane Trust (formerly CLATC) has piloted several excellent employment and social enterprise projects. We are currently working with the Social Enterprise Unit at the University of Greenwich.
Starting from a housing estate in Stratford, we have grown to benefit many communities through a volunteer-led approach, providing hands-on professional experience to those seeking employment.
Our Mission & Values
Our Mission
To assist unemployed people and local East London communities to develop their potential by running training activities in employment, social enterprise, and community development.
Core Values
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Community Innovation: Utilizing social capital for communal benefit.
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Volunteer Leadership: Gaining professional experience through active projects.
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Collaboration: Working across sectors to maximize social value.
Two Decades of Community Impact
Trace our journey from a small social enterprise in a Stratford housing estate to a growing social innovation organisation serving East London and beyond.
Clays Lane Trust Founded
Clays Lane Advice & Training Centre (CLATC) established in the Stratford and Newtown Ward, piloting employment and social enterprise projects on a local housing estate.
NCVO & SEL Membership
Clays Lane Trust becomes a member of the National Council for Voluntary Organisation (NCVO) and Social Enterprise London (SEL), formalising our place in the national voluntary and social enterprise sector.
University of Greenwich Partnership
We begin collaborative work with the Social Enterprise Unit (SEU) at the University of Greenwich. Our programmes are featured as a case study in a Masters in Public Health textbook.
Jobs & Business Digest Launched
We publish the first issue of the Job and Business Digest. Over 10,000 copies distributed across Newham, Waltham Forest, and Hackney — motivating communities through literature.
Nigeria Computer Donation Project
We project-manage the refurbishment and installation of 50 donated computers in a school in Nigeria — demonstrating our international social enterprise scope without external funding.
Norfolk Sanctuary Store & Expansion
We are developing our Norfolk branch in Hickling — the Sanctuary Store (Old Telephone Exchange) — to bring our model of community-led space development to rural England.
Secure a Resilient Future for Stratford
Help us permanently remove East London acreage from predatory developers. Volunteer as a woodlands sentinel, co-invest in affordable capital endowments, or submit plans for low-carbon communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find detailed responses regarding our training programmes, employment support, and social enterprise advice.