Episode #628: Bridging Research, Digital Skills and Community Impact - with Vicki Ayton

What happens when academic research, climate resilience, digital inclusion and community development all collide?

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Vicki Ayton, Founder of BizEd, a Community Interest Company (CIC) that exists to bridge the gap between research and real-world community impact.

What started as a response to a local library closure has evolved into a growing community hub delivering digital inclusion support, climate resilience education, research projects and policy work across Shropshire and beyond.

Vicki shares the realities of building a sustainable CIC, the challenges of balancing commercial income with social impact, and why digital skills are now fundamental to both business success and community resilience.

 

In This Episode

From Research to Real Impact

Vicki explains how her background in climate and environmental research highlighted a common challenge: excellent research often fails to reach the people who need it most.

BizEd was created to translate knowledge into practical support for communities and businesses.

A pivotal moment came when the local council approached BizEd to replace services lost when a library closed due to RAAC concrete concerns. That request became the catalyst for creating a physical community hub.

 

Why BizEd Chose a CIC Structure

One of the most fascinating discussions centres around the decision to become a Community Interest Company rather than a charity.

Vicki explains:

• Why financial resilience matters for community organisations
• How BizEd generates 60–70% of its income through trading activities
• The dangers of becoming overly reliant on grant funding
• How organisations can lose community trust when grant-funded projects disappear

The CIC model provides greater flexibility to trade and generate sustainable income, helping create long-term impact rather than short-term projects.

 

The CIC Catch-22

The conversation highlights a significant challenge faced by many social enterprises.

While CICs are encouraged to trade and become self-sustaining, they are often excluded from support programmes available only to registered charities.

Examples include:

• Free software licences
• Digital infrastructure grants
• Technology support programmes

Meanwhile, charities often have access to these benefits but face restrictions on how much income they can generate through trading activities.

It's a structural challenge that many social enterprises continue to face.

 

Climate Resilience is a Business Issue

Climate change is no longer a future concern.

Vicki explains why businesses need to focus on resilience today, including:

• Managing disruption caused by extreme weather
• Protecting supply chains
• Supporting employee wellbeing during heatwaves
• Preparing for changing customer and community needs

Rather than focusing solely on sustainability, businesses must also prepare for adaptation and resilience.

 

Digital Skills are Now Essential

A major theme throughout the conversation is the importance of digital capability at every level.

Vicki breaks digital skills into three areas:

Foundation Skills

• Email
• Online services
• Digital communication
• Accessing information safely

Workplace Skills

• Productivity software
• Collaboration tools
• Digital workflows
• Data management

Advanced Skills

• Artificial Intelligence
• AI risk management
• Data analysis
• Automation opportunities

She also highlights the growing overlap between green jobs and digital capability, where data and technology skills are becoming increasingly valuable.

 

Why Young People May Hold the AI Advantage

For many small businesses, hiring experienced AI specialists isn't realistic.

Vicki argues that younger people often bring natural AI fluency and experimentation skills that SMEs can benefit from immediately.

For owner-managers looking to improve productivity, younger team members may already hold valuable expertise that businesses are overlooking.

 

Building Community Hubs That Actually Work

One of BizEd's biggest lessons is that community needs rarely exist in isolation.

Someone seeking digital support may also need:

• Benefits advice
• Banking assistance
• Employment support
• Access to other local services

Vicki shares her vision for integrated community hubs that bring multiple services together under one roof, making support more accessible and effective.

 

Productivity Tools and Personal Effectiveness

Despite operating in a highly digital world, Vicki's favourite productivity tool is surprisingly simple.

Her trusted Busy Bee physical diary remains the cornerstone of her planning system.

The discussion explores:

• Why writing things down improves thinking
• Managing the overlap between work and home life
• The importance of finding tools that suit your working style

BizEd itself takes a tool-agnostic approach, using Trello, Notion, Planner and other platforms depending on team and client preferences.

The focus is on removing barriers to collaboration rather than enforcing a single system.

 

The One Key Thing

Building sustainable impact requires balancing purpose with commercial reality. The organisations that create lasting change are the ones that develop the resilience to generate income while staying true to their mission.

 

Standout Quote

"Digital skills are no longer optional. They are the foundation of resilience for individuals, communities and businesses alike."

 

About Vicki Ayton

Vicki Ayton is the Founder of BizEd, a Community Interest Company focused on climate resilience, digital inclusion, research translation and community impact. Through education, community engagement and policy work, BizEd helps bridge the gap between knowledge and practical action.

 

Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for.

If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here:

https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin

You can get in touch with Kevin here:

[e-mail]

 

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If that's you, the G90 Summit is worth a look.

A structured half-day where we work through everything competing for your attention, get clear on the three to five things that must happen in the next 90 days, then commit to them and build the system to make sure they actually happen.

Quarterly, virtual, £97 a seat.

http://Smart90.co.uk/summit

Vicki can be found here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickiayton/

https://www.bizedprojects.com/

https://www.instagram.com/bized_projects/

https://www.facebook.com/BizEdProjects

 

Resources:

The Good Growth Podcast - https://www.bgf.co.uk/good-growth-podcast/

David Gallagher on Substack - https://gallagherjdavid.substack.com/

Jenny Anderson on Substack - https://howtobebrave.substack.com/

BusyB Diaries - https://busyb.co.uk/

Trello - https://trello.com/

Notion - https://app.notion.com/

Monday - https://monday.com/

Google Meet - https://meet.google.com/landing