October, 2009 News

Liverpool John Moores University are now recruiting for their popular Social Enterprise Management programmes. Liverpool Business School (part of LJMU), responsible for the social enterprise postgraduate qualifications, is now recruiting students for a January 2010 start.

Sports4All Banner Scheme, a Community Interest Company based in Halton, are currently seeking three dedicated volunteers to help grow and transform the business. Sports4All use banners at grass-roots sports events to highlight and educate local children about the pressing issues in their community. 

Sports4All Banner Scheme are seeking:

The government has announced its support for the development of the social finance sector as a means of supporting and developing the work of the third sector. Minister for the Third Sector Angela Smith sees social finance initiatives as a means of 'unlocking the potential' of the sector.

Chrisanthi Giotis SocialEnterpriseLive.com

The government is keen to develop the social finance sector to unlock the potential of third sector organisations.

In the midst of increased support for social enterprise involvement in the NHS, trade unions such as Unite have attacked proposals to turn certain NHS services into social enterprises. Social enterprise leaders have hit back arguing that social enterprises demonstrate significant value for money...

Matthew Little ThirdSector.co.uk

Trade union Unite has spoken out against plans to turn NHS services into social enterprises.

An encouraging sign that the social enterprise movement is becoming widely accepted and acknowledge, is evident as statistics compiled by the Royal Bank of Scotland indicate that the countries top social enterprises are almost doubling their turnover growth in comparison to their private sector counterparts.

Chrisanthi Giotis SocialEnterpriseLive.com

The fastest-growing UK social enterprises are growing at double the rate of other fast-growing UK companies, according to new statistics which will be released today.

The Social Enterprise Coalition has continued its pledge to engage with the main political parties ahead of the next election, with a breakfast meeting with senior Liberal Democrats. The meeting brought together prominent social enterprise leaders with high ranking Lib Dem politicians and provided a chance for Liberal Democrat's to ask questions and better understand social enterprise.

socialenterprise.org.uk

Economic crisis and instability has arguably hit the youngest sections of the workforce the hardest, with youth unemployment at record levels. Will Nixon, CEO of PM Training, is calling for greater governmental support of social enterprises as a route back into work for young people.

Gemma Hampson SocialEnterpriseLive.com

The boss of a social enterprise that helps young people find work has warned that current government initiatives will not curb rising youth unemployment.

Halton Borough Council's Environmental Directorate has issued an invitation to tender as part of the 'Merseyside City Employment Strategy: Enterprise in Deprived Areas'.

Halton Borough Council invites proposals to 'Develop a best practice model for the development of enterprise in deprived areas.'

The closing date for applications to tender is 13th November 2009. 

Angela Smith, Minster for the Third Sector has encouraged commissioners of both public sector and private sector organisations to 'embrace' social enterprise and to develop a better understanding of what social enterprise can do for their respective organisations.

Gemma Hampson SocialEnterpriseLive.com

Thanks to funding from both the North West Regional Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund, Liverpool's digital and creative sector is to get its own 'business hub'. The establishment of the hub, 'Baltic Creative', a Community Interest Company, reflects the rapid growth and impact of digital and creative industries in Liverpool.

nwda.co.uk

Jonathan Bland, current CEO of the Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC), has called for the SEC and the social enterprise movement as a whole to do a lot more. With the current economic downturn still causing problems for UK businesses, Bland sees the current economic crisis as an opportunity for social enterprise claiming it is a 'truly critical time for the sector'.

Gemma Hampson, SocialEnterpriseLive.com:

The Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC) and the social enterprise movement need to do more to have a greater impact in the UK.

Good Deals, an annual social investment conference, will see four social enterprises making pitches for investment totalling nearly £20m next week. The Good Deals conference aims to bring together social entrepreneurs with innovative investors seeking to get involved in social enterprise. The conference is designed as an ideal forum for generating new business and gathering investment from socially savvy investors.

Chrisanthi Giotis SocialEnterpriseLive.com

With all three major political parties proposing drastic cuts in public spending ahead of the next election, attention has turned to social enterprises, to see if they will be able to fill the gaps in welfare provision. Leading think tank Reform adds weight to this arguing that 'welfare should be put in the hands of social enterprises and profit-making companies.'

Gemma Hampson SocialEnterpriseLive.com

In an attempt to help those social entrepreneurs who are providing social benefit through the use of the internet, and to encourage others to use the internet for social benefit, UnLtd and Nominet Trust have launched a £5m fund. The fund aims to help entrepreneurs who are striving to make a positive social impact through online activity.

Chrisanthi Giotis SocialEnterpriseLive.com:

The work of social enterprises on Merseyside is to be highlighted at Liverpool One's 'Talent Week', giving social enterprises the opportunity to show off their talents to the people of Liverpool at a high profile location. 

Talent Week runs from 26th to the 30th October with a variety of events taking place throughout the week. Tuesday 27th October sees 'Enterprise Day' being hosted in the Business in the Community marquee on Chavasse Park with a range of fun activities including photography, mosaic designs, clay making, cooking and lots more.

Social enterprises play an important and empowering role within local communities, transforming and improving peoples lives for the better. However recent research has highlighted a lack of awareness amongst BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) communities about social enterprise and the benefits that it brings. To tackle this issue and to raise awareness of the issues that BAME social enterprises face the Social Enterprise Coalition has today (21/10/09) launched a new BAME strategy.

Press release from SocialEnterprise.org.uk

Potential social entrepreneurs are being given the advice and guidance needed to help them get their social enterprise ideas off the ground by the University of Central Lancashire. Specialist mentoring has seen a large rise in the number of social enterprises emerging from Lancashire graduates, and with growing support from the University and the sector as a whole this looks set to continue...

Chrisanthi Giotis SocialEnterpriseLive.com

Aimed at helping unemployed people regain confidence and move into rewarding careers, the 'Wild Transformation' course is run by Wild Woman CIC, and uses a number of different creative techniques to help people rebuild their confidence.

Striding Out are seeking the 'Future 100' young entrepreneurs who can change the face of everyday business and improve commerce's impact upon the wider world. Striding Out have launched the Future 100 Awards to provide ambitious young social entrepreneurs with a host of invaluable opportunities.

Striding Out are searching for talented young entrepreneurs aged 18-35 who demonstrate entrepreneurial flair and innovation in progressing a responsible business venture to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week 2009. 

If you are thinking of stepping into the world of social enterprise, but aren't sure how to go about it, then Pulse Regeneration in collaboration with Step Clever and Liverpool Vision are offering you a free place on their Social Enterprise Training Course.

Liverpool is set to host the UK's first women's enterprise centre. Run as a social enterprise, the centre will act as an innovative hub for women's enterprise on both a regional and national level, combining a variety of facilities with a research arm which is set to spread impact of the centre beyond the northwest.

Clare Goff New Start Magazine:

The UK's first women's international centre for economic development (wiced) is to launch in Liverpool.

The belief that social enterprises can successfully compete against their private sector rivals rings true as Liverpool based social enterprise, Bulky Bob's, have successfully renewed their contract to collect Liverpool City Council's household bulky waste.

Tiffany Holland of MRW.co.uk:

Social enterprise and furniture recycler Bulky Bob's has successfully re-tendered to handle Liverpool's bulky household waste collections.

Social enterprise, is by its own admission, a very broad church covering a multitude of business disciplines. It is a growing and thriving sector with social enterprises of all types opening daily, but is it actually possible to live only on products purchased from or manufactured by social enterprises?

Chrisanthi Giotis of SocialEnterpriseLive.com reports:

Is it possible to live for a month purchasing everything you need only from social enterprises?

The Ethical Enterprise and Employment (3xE) Network is holding an 'Enterprising Arts' Event on Thursday 29th October. From 9.30am-4.30pm you will have the opportunity to explore ideas on how arts and media activities with homeless people can be turned into innovative new social enterprises. 

Proving their social impact is increasingly important to social enterprises in an ever more competitive environment. Not only do funders and commissioners wish to see proof that their investment is having a verifiable effect upon their target groups, the whole range of stakeholders, from local residents to volunteers, potential employees and policy makers at every level, are demanding that our social enterprises properly account for the added benefits that the sector delivers.