Looking for connections — early-stage CIC using a 1954 fire engine for SEND and adult social care

We're Project Fire Engine CIC, based in Cambridgeshire — a small community interest company building a meaningful activity service around a Rolls-Royce-powered 1954 Dennis F8 fire engine.

We will operate two pathways: structured day opportunities for adults with assessed care needs (funded through Personal Budgets and Direct Payments), and heritage-based sessions for young people with SEND aligned to EHCP outcomes. The vehicle isn't the point — it's the medium. It creates a genuinely motivating, role-based environment that generic day services can't replicate.

We're at the early stage: policies and frameworks are in place, we're working on premises, and we're actively pursuing the vehicle acquisition. Statutory commissioning is our core funding model, but we're also exploring grants to cover setup costs and equipment.

Two things would genuinely help us right now:

Happy to share more about what we're doing. Always glad to connect with people who understand this space.