September, 2010 News

The Shell Springboard Awards programme 2010/11 is now open for entries. The awards are offering a financial boost of up to £40,000 for a small number of innovative, low carbon businesses across the UK.

The Awards are to be offered to those businesses who submit the most compelling plans for a product or service which helps combat climate change.

Interested in applying to Shell Springboard? The awards are currently open to applications and the deadline is 5pm on Friday 5th November 2010.

Recognised as one of the most influential social enterprises in the North West, Blackburne House has been awarded the nationally recognised Social Enterprise Mark for their continued dedication to the development of education and training for local women.

Social Enterprise North West are currently running a number of free procurement workshops to social enterprises across the North West: 'Procurement Criteria for Registered Social Landlords'.

The aim of this series of workshops is to strengthen the partnership between Registered Social Landlords and Social enterprises, and to collectively deliver more to RSL tenants and communities, by maximising the social benefits available through procurement.

The workshops are aimed at:

A number of SEN members are amongst those shortlisted for the Morgan Foundation Entrepreneur Awards. The awards, which were established in 2007, are designed to encourage social entrepreneurship and to recognise businesses that have succeeded against the odds.

A total of three Social Enterprise Network members have been shortlisted for the awards including:

Best Entrepreneurial Social Enterprise or Charity

• Y-Kids- Claire Morgans

And

Best Entrepreneurial Charity or Social Enterprise in Liverpool

The BIG Lottery Fund has begun the process of developing a new funding management system which will transform the way applications for funding are handled. The new system has the potential to significantly increase the number of applications that can be processed.

via Tania Mason, civilsociety.co.uk

A new project has been launched this month called 'Graduate to Merseyside'. This is a collaborative project between Liverpool Hope University and The University of Liverpool. The project aims to place 250 graduates in 'graduate level' posts across Merseyside.

Bold Training and Consultancy are currently offering lucky businesses the opportunity to win a 12 month package of business support and training. Carry on reading to find out how you can access this fantastic opportunity...

In the ever-competitive world of business, it really pays to have the edge. Having a great product or idea is not enough, great businesses know how to stand out from the crowd, have robust growth strategies and a vision about where they want to go.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is currently reviewing its approach to business support. They have commissioned SQW Ltd (www.sqw.co.uk) to undertake quantitative and qualitative research with businesses across England, to inform this review.

As part of the research, they are undertaking a series of focus groups to find out what firms like yours think about:

The next Development Trusts Association regional network meeting will be taking place Thursday 4th November 2010 at Leasowe Trust, Leasowe Millennium Centre, Twickenham Drive, Wirral, CH46 1PQ from 10.15am to 3.30pm.

The theme of the day will be 'Community Enterprise & the Big Society'.

The programme for the event is almost ready and will include a number of inspirational speakers passing on their knowledge around the subjects of:

NHS North West have commissioned Turning Point and partners to deliver an intensive training programme for leading third sector organisations that develops organisational competencies in the areas of commissioing and the tender process, thus stimulating the third sector market and building capacity.

Objectives of the Programme:

Deutsche Bank has jumped into UK Social Investment by becoming a cornerstone investor in the £10m Big Issue Invest Fund designed for social entrepreneurs. The fund is aimed at growing social enterprises that are in need of high level investment.

via Chrisanthi Giotis, socialenterpriselive.com

Multinational financial giant Deutsche Bank has made a powerful entrance to the world of UK social investment by becoming a cornerstone investor in a £10m Big Issue Invest fund for social entrepreneurs.

With the launch of the first Social Impact Bond trial earlier this month, the Government looks set to pursue public service contracts which will 'pay by results'. Such contracts look set to be rolled out across the public sector pending the results of the Ministry of Justice trial.

via Chrisanthi Giotis, socialenterpriselive.com

The government looks set to make a major commitment to contracts that ‘pay by results’ – beginning with the groundbreaking Social Impact Bond launched last week.

Mobile phone operator O2 has launched a phone package aimed specifically at social enterprises offering a number of special concessions. O2 has also promised to promote social enterprise to its customers and will endeavour to purchase goods and services from social enterprises where possible.

via David Ainsworth, thirdsector.co.uk

The phone company O2 has unveiled a phone package aimed specifically at social enterprises.

The Reader Organisation has joined forces with Chatto & Windus to publish 'A Little, Aloud', a selection of the very best prose and poetry especially chosen for reading aloud- to your husband or wife, a sick parent or child, an elderly relative, to someone who finds it hard to concentrate for long or simply someone who will enjoys being read to.

Health@Work currently have vacancies on 3 training sessions: CIEH Manual Handling, CIEH Health and Safety and First Aid.

Course details:

CIEH Manual Handling

7th October

9.30am-12.30pm

£50.00 +VAT / £30.00 +VAT (charity rate)

CIEH Health and Safety

23rd November

9.30am-4.30pm

£70.00 +VAT / £50.00 +VAT (charity rate)

First Aid

Can Cook Studio are in the process of developing their new programme of cookery courses in the Can Cook Studio. Their existing programme has proven to be an enormous success with only a few places remaining on their October course.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to work as part of the staff team at the St James Centre for North Birkenhead Development Trust.

Community Worker- 25 hours per week, £21,000 pro rata

During this two year funded project, the Community Worker will work with all members of the community to help them overcome barriers to accessing local services, including those available from the St James Centre.

Wirral based social enterprise and SEN member NEET Futures CIC has recently gained media recognition following its attainment of the ISO:9001 award for its work with unemployed people within the local community.

via Stephanie Cureton, wirralglobe.co.uk

A Wirral business has been recognised for its work and training with unemployed people.

NEET Futures, which offers courses to those who are out of work, won the awards for their standards of training to unemployed people.

Co-operatives North West will be hosting a networking event for food co-ops and would be food co-ops from around the region on Friday 26 November from 11am to 3pm at Liverpool John Moores University.

There will be a free lunch followed by a funding workshop. For more information and to book a place please contact ruth@sustainweb.org

Does your company have between 5 and 249 employees? Is your business BME or Woman owned? You could be eligible for FREE training!

This training applies to one senior leader, manager or key decision maker.

£500 of professional services at NO COST to you.

Up to £1500 match funded.

You will receive, an initial diagnostic assessment and personal development plan, two half-day executive/business coaching sessions or the equivalent in personalised and structured leadership/management development training.

Social Enterprise Network members Northern Alliance Housing Co-operative and The Liverpool Honey Company have today been announced as winners of the Arthur Guinness Fund Awards. The Awards, in association with UnLtd, work with people aged 25-35 who have brilliant urban regeneration ideas.

Winners of the Arthur Guinness Fund Award have access to funding, training and volunteer support from Diageo Great Britain to bring their social ventures to life. The Arthur Guinness Fund Awards honour Arthur Guinness' commitment to supporting local communities.

Danny Alexander, Liberal Democrat MP and Chief Secretary to the Treasury has praised a Liverpool-based project which he views as having 'embraced' the Government's 'Big Society' agenda.

via insidermedia.com

Chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander has praised a scheme in north Liverpool that has embraced the government's idea of a 'Big Society'.

Wirral CVS and Wirral Council are hosting a 'Big Society' awareness event from 10am on Thursday 30th September at Birkenhead Town Hall covering a range of topics including 'Supporting the Local Social Economy', 'Finance and Investment' and more...

As part of its plans for The Big Society, the Coalition Government announced its intention to give public sector workers the new right to form employee owned co-operatives and bid to take over the services they deliver. In response to an increasing number of inquiries on this topic, Co-operatives North West is running a seminar.

At Social Enterprise Network we have been following the development of the proposed Regional Growth Fund with keen interest. The creation of the Regional Growth Fund represents a wholesale change in the way that support is likely to be delivered to social enterprises on Greater Merseyside.