Oxfordshire mum builds support service while caring for son
Fabia Cerra never expected to end up running her own community support business when she started looking for work that fitted around caring for her autistic son, Leone.
With support from Community Catalysts, a programme funded by Oxfordshire County Council to help people set up small, local care and support services, Fabia has gone on to establish a community micro‑enterprise providing flexible support for people with learning disabilities, autistic people, older residents, and others who can feel isolated in their communities.
Through her service, Fabia supports people to live independently at home and stay connected in their communities. Her work includes helping with everyday tasks such as cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, shopping, and managing correspondence, as well as accompanying people to appointments, supporting travel on public transport, and enabling participation in hobbies and social activities. She also offers companionship, providing a reassuring presence for those who need it.
As Leone’s primary carer, Fabia, who lives in Oxford, wanted work that was both meaningful and flexible. With mentoring and guidance from Community Catalysts, she was able to turn her lived experience into a viable service and set up her enterprise in just a few months.
Fabia said: “I was inspired to start my micro‑enterprise as I’m my son’s primary carer. I was looking for a role that fitted in with my personal life, including my son, and this was ideal for using my experiences and knowledge of being an unpaid carer.”
More than two years on, she has an established customer base and continues to support people in her local area to improve their quality of life.
She adds: “The support from Community Catalysts has been brilliant.
“My mentor is always there if I need guidance or advice, and the Zoom meetings and private WhatsApp group are really helpful. I get to hear from other community micro‑enterprises and learn from their experiences.”
Fabia says the biggest impact comes from small, everyday changes: “I would like to think I’m helping people in my local community improve their quality of life. Making a small change in their day can make a huge difference to them.”
Rebekah Fletcher, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: “By funding Community Catalysts, we are backing local people to build support that genuinely reflects the realities of their lives and communities.
“Fabia’s story shows how lived experience, with the right support, can be turned into something that benefits both families and the wider community.”
“Community‑led services like this complement wider adult social care provision and help people feel more connected, confident and supported close to home in line with The Oxfordshire Way.”
Fabia adds: “If you’d said to me two years ago that I’d be working for myself, I’d have just laughed it off.”
Fabia’s experience reflects the wider impact of the Community Catalysts programme across Oxfordshire, which has been working in Oxfordshire since 2020. The council funds the programme as part of its commitment to more personalised, community‑based approaches to care and support.
So far, the programme has delivered significant results across the county:
- In Cherwell, 89 community micro‑enterprises have completed the programme, together providing more than 4,000 hours of support and 118 activity sessions each week to over 2,000 people, while creating 150 jobs and 142 volunteering roles.
- In the Vale of White Horse, a further 37 micro‑enterprises have been supported since 2023, many offering activities for people with learning disabilities who previously had to travel much further to access support.
From 1 April 2026, Community Catalysts expanded into West Oxfordshire under a new two‑year contract extension, reflecting growing demand for local, flexible support, particularly in rural areas and among older residents.
Residents or community organisations interested in starting a micro‑enterprise, or exploring an idea, can contact Anita Wingad, Project Coordinator for Oxfordshire, directly or using the enquiry form on the Community Catalysts website.
Residents are also invited to attend free drop-in sessions at Chipping Norton Library, taking place on Tuesdays from 12pm to 1.30pm on 23 and 30 June and 7, 14 and 21 July, to speak with the local Community Catalysts coordinator and explore their ideas.
Existing CMEs in the county can be viewed on the Small Good Stuff directory.
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