Newsletter

Coalition meets new third sector minister

Phil Hope, the new minister for the third sector The Social Enterprise Coalition have had an "extremely positive" first meeting with the new third sector minister. Phil Hope MP met with chief executive Jonathan Bland and chair Baroness Glenys Thornton shortly after his appointment to the post was announced. Jonathan Bland said: "Phil Hope is committed to taking the social enterprise agenda forward. He said he is really looking forward to meeting people from the sector and is planning a series of visits from September. Over all it was an extremely positive meeting."

Consultation on future of Futurebuilders

The Office of the Third Sector is currently consulting on the new tender for the management of the Futurebuilders fund. Futurebuilders offers a combination of loans, grants and professional support to third sector organisations delivering public services.

The Social Enterprise Coalition is seeking the views of organisations that have received or applied to the fund, in order to respond to the consultation.

To find out more about Futurebuilders visit: www.futurebuilders-england.org.uk

Please send any comments or responses to Kieran.larkin@socialenterprise.org.uk

Read a copy of the tender document here

Support for social investment bank

The Coalition would like to hear your opinion on the formation of a social investment bank to feed into a response to a treasury consultation on unclaimed assets. We are in favour of the social investment bank idea, and believe it could offer long term capital to the third sector. We would like to register the level of demand for this new type of investment.

We would also encourage all organisations to consider submitting their own response. Please send any comments or responses to Kieran.larkin@socialenterprise.org.uk

Read the Unclaimed Assets Consultation paper here

Social enteprise mentors sought

The Coalition is currently looking for people who would like to act as mentors to social enterprises involved in a project called Equal Invest. The project is an outcome of the Last Mile EQUAL initiative and aims to prepare a selection of social enterprises for growth investment through mentoring, consultant support and intensive training. This preparation will help the selected enterprises pitch to investors who can help them grow, e.g. BIG Invest. The Coalition is involved in the project in a consultative capacity. The deadline for application for this project is 16th July. Please note that this is a voluntary opportunity.

Please email alexia.everett-kerrigan@socialenterprise.org.uk

Changes at the Cabinet Office

Ed Miliband Former minister of the third sector Ed Miliband has been promoted to minister for the Cabinet Office. He said: "I look forward not only to driving forward policy on the voluntary sector, and social exclusion and poverty, but helping to contribute to policy development across government. After a year working with charities, voluntary groups and social enterprise, I am particularly delighted to be able to continue that work." He has been replaced by Phil Hope, MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire who was elected in 1997 and has been minister for skills at the Department for Education and Skills for the last two years. Mr Hope was a youth policy adviser for the NCVO before entering Parliament.

Read the Third Sector article here

Specialist business support

Mainstream business support services need to be tailored specifically for social enterprises, according to a report commissioned by English regional development agencies and the Office of the Third Sector. 

Read the Third Sector article here

3000 Big Boosts

Big Boost's Greenknickers fashion show The Big Boost fund for young social entrepreneurs has handed out its 3000th award. The 3000th winner is a former rough sleeper who will produce a welcome pack for recently resettled homeless young people. The awards were presented at an event in London, which was kicked off with a fashion show from Greenknickers, one of the first to receive a Big Boost award in 2006.

Read the New Consumer article here

New Scottish procurement guidelines

New procurement guidelines which aim to place greater emphasis upon environmental and social issues have been published by the Scottish Parliament. Proposals include considering the social economy when developing procurement strategies and recording the number of awards contracted to social enterprises.

The European Social Fund's Social Economy Scotland development partnership fed into the development of the strategy.

Further information

Futurebuilders gets 25m funding boost

Government loan fund Futurebuilders has announced that it is to gain an extra £25m funding from the Cabinet Office, bringing its total funding pot to £150m.

Read the Third Sector article here

Social enterprise offers free IT training

The Hampton Fund is a new social enterprise that is working with the United Nations to help rebuild communities in the Middle East by sponsoring scholarships for individuals to train for new careers in IT.

The fund is planning to launch a UK version of their scholarships in 2008, and are making free donations of scholarships to social enterprises in return for constructive feedback.

Further information

SSE publishes reports

The School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) has published two important new publications on social entrepreneurship. The first is an independent evaluation of the SSE’s work and impact since 1997, while the second examines the journeys of successful social entrepreneurs. Both make a strong case for people being the key to sustainable change and for tailored support for social entrepreneurs.

Read the reports here

Social Economy Scotland launch database

Social Economy Scotland have launched a new online database which allows users to search for social economy organisations in Scotland by a variety of parameters, including location, field of work and income size. The database can be used by members of the public to identify organisations and services in their local area.

It will also allow fellow organisations and those seeking to procure services to identify and contact each other.

Access the database

SourceUK develop procurement training DVD

SourceUK have developed a procurement training DVD. The disc is a complete guide to public sector tendering and will be of use to anybody who is interested in finding out more about the public sector contracting process. It may also be of interest to organisations which have been previously unsuccessful in the tendering process. The DVD costs £295 and can be ordered directly from SourceUK.

Please contact Mark Kelly on 0161 612 9200 or mark.kelly@sourceuk.net

Further information

Triodos offer 'evergreen' loans

Triodos bank has pioneered a new system that will allow charities and social enterprises to repeatedly take out and pay back loans within a fixed time period. The revolving credit facility, known as an 'evergreen' system, has been used before in commercial markets but not in the third sector.

Further information

2020 social enterprise strategy for London

A new strategy which will work as a monitoring tool and framework for social enterprise in London has been published.

The document was created by Social Enterprise London and outlines the key priorities of other contributors including the London Development Agency, the Department of Health’s social enterprise unit and the Office of The Third Sector.

Read the strategy here

Business support evaluation published

RISE has published an evaluation which concludes their regional social enterprise business support project.

The work from RISE is unique in that recommendations from it will influence the South West Regional Development Agency's regional business support service.

Read the evaluation here

Award for female entrepreneurs in North East

One NorthEast & South Tyneside Council are calling on successful female social entrepreneurs to apply for their North East Woman of the Year awards. They are looking for outstanding women who have set up or taken over an independently owned business in the North East.

There are several award categories including Best Newcomer, Woman in the Service Sector and Woman Social Entrepreneur. Contact Lisa Vickers on 0208 255 1660 or email l.d.vickers@durham.ac.uk

Further information

Mark your diaries for Voice08

Voice07 Following the success of this year's Voice conference, planning for Voice 2008 is now well underway. Next year's event will be held in the week beginning February 25, 2008. More details will follow soon so and watch this space.

Social enterprise and health conference

Fit for Purpose

September 12

Glasgow

‘Fit for Purpose', the second annual social enterprise in health conference is being hosted by Senscot in partnership with the Scottish Forum for Public Health and Communities Scotland. The booking form is now available along with a draft programme. Contact Alison@senscot.net if you have any queries.

Further information

Furniture recycling conference

More Than Furniture

August 30

Glasgow

The Community Recycling Network for Scotland (CRNS) is holding its annual furniture reuse conference. The event is designed to promote partnership working between furniture projects, local authorities, housing associations and other stakeholders. Contact Joyce Walsh on 01786 469002 or e-mail joyce@crns.org.uk to attend.

Further information

Public social partnerships

August 29

Glasgow

This free afternoon seminar will review the work of two public social partnership pilot projects run by Equal development partnership Social Economy Scotland. Discussion will focus on the outcomes of the project including: community benefit clauses, service design, inter-departmental working, consortium building and the benefits of contracting from social enterprises.

Equal is a European Social Fund Programme which works to break down the barriers into work for those at disadvantage in the labour market. 

Further information

CAN Mezzanine open day

10am-6pm, Thursday 12, July

Loman Street, SE1, London

The recently opened CAN Mezzanine is opening its doors to the public. CAN mezzanines offer affordable office space and are intended to create a community of social interest by housing like-minded organisations in the same building.

Further information

European Nursing Leadership Foundation

The European Nursing Leadership Foundation (ENLF) was founded in 2003 and is led by two former nurses with experience in service re-organisation and commissioning in the NHS. As such it is well placed to deliver support and development services to entrepreneurs in healthcare.

ENLF offers a large range of courses and consultancy services and delivers them with the “passion and expertise needed to inspire a new wave of innovation” in healthcare services.

www.nursingleadership.org.uk

dott07.com

www.dott07.com Designs of the time 2007 (Dott 07) is a year of community projects, events and exhibitions based in North East England that explore what life in a sustainable region could be like - and how design can contribute to a sustainable world.

www.dott07.com

Finance and Resources Director

Location: Edinburgh Salary: £32,000-34,000 per annum. Contract: 36.25 hrs/wk Closing date: 11 July Forth Sector create and sustain supportive employment and training opportunities for people with mental health problems. This new post will be part of the Senior Management Team and oversee the financial and resources management of the organisation. Responsibilities include co-ordinating the budget planning and financial management of the organisation, managing organisational contracts, funding claims, operational systems and resources and supervising the finance & funding team. Applications welcomed from people who have experience of mental health problems.

Further information

Web address - www.socialenterprise.org.uk