Since the Government's
strong recent interest in the "third sector" and "social
enterprise" and with the latest appointment of Phil Hope
as the Minister for the Third Sector (in the Cabinet Office),
the social enterprise world is moving and changing rapidly. SENS
aims to key you updated on relevant information for those social
enterprises in Suffolk... and, if you've got any news or meetings
to promote, let us know (Contact Us)...
MAY
Funded by SEEE, the
first of a series of SENS workshops got off to a flying start
despite the weather.
These workshops are
in response to the call for smaller, more local and regular business
workshops that also have a social element and allow for more group
interaction.
The SENS workshops recognise
that smaller social enterprises (typically with less than twenty
employees, and often less than ten) do not have spare people to
send off on long journeys where the cost, and opportunity, cost
are high. So SENS is setting about planning a series of free half-day
workshops, with a buffet lunch, for up to around twelve attendees.
The workshops are semi-structured to allow attendees to really
contribute, on an equal basis, and get involved in shaping the
workshop in order to get the most out of it. There are no "networking
opportunities during refreshment breaks" where individuals
are left to wander about. Instead the whole session is a get-to-know
you, your enterprise, achievements and challenges. The idea is
to provide more of a self-help forum and information exchange.
At the first event on
April 30th, in Felixstowe, eight Suffolk representatives of smaller
social enterprise based in not only Felixstowe (venue site) but
also Ringshall, Ipwich, Felistowe, Saxmundham & Diss, started
to get the ball rolling.The event was a success with a unanimous
vote to continue in the same vein and schedlule a six-month cycle
to return to each venue to review and discuss progress. Several
were keen to go to the next venue which looks like in the latter
half of June in the Stowmarket area...
Because these events
are run by unpaid volunteers on the SENS management committee
there will only be summary reports, detailing any SENS action
points. Please make sure you attend these meetings - on a first
come first served basis - to make sure your enterprise gets the
full benefit!
Check the Events page
for the latest information on the next event.
APRIL
- Free Event
for the smaller social enterprises in Suffolk
If you're a small social
enterprise (less than 50 employees) based in Suffolk, or in the
process of establishing one, check out the "Events"
page for a free local support workshop...
- A local team
of Community Development Volunteers participated in Wisbech
Event
left to
right: Terry Barrow, Phil Peeling, Katie Hopkins and Don Tricker
Three directors of the Saxmundham
& District Community Interest Company – Terry Barrow, Phil
Peeling and Don Tricker – were invited to take part in a major
regional community event in Wisbech, aimed at helping with the
regeneration one of Wsbech's historic buildings.
'You've Been Fired-Up'
was an EEDA-sponsored two-day event, run by Action for Market
Towns, where 35 delegates from across the country learnt how to
renovate old buildings to become community facilities.
Mimicking the Apprentice television series, delegates were placed
in teams to undertake six tasks which helped them assess the future
use of the Wisbech Institute. Tasks included market research,
business planning and a mock radio interview with a BBC interviewer
Their final task was to make a presentation to a panel of experts,
which included the glamourous Katie Hopkins - TV star of "The
Apprentice" (with Sir alan Sugar) and "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me
Out of Here". The winning team was led by Liz Burton, another
local Suffolk Coastal social entrepreneur with Felixstowe Radio.
NB. There is currently regional and national funding to enable
community partnerships to take on the management and ownership
of buildings which are underused, derelict or in a bad state of
repair, in order to unlock their potential for community use.
FEBRUARY
- Government
Focus on Social Enterprise
Hazel Blears has announced
the creation of a Social Enterprise Unit in the Department of
Communities and Local Government, "to make sure that community
enterprise runs right through my Department's DNA".
- SENS
Strategy to Promote Social Enterprise in Suffolk
After
an extensive consultation period and inputs from large and small
social enterprises and infrastructure/support enterprises, please
find attached the final SENS Strategy for Promoting Social Enterprise
in Suffolk . Many thanks to all those who responded.
In
the coming weeks and months the SENS management committee will
seek opportunities to hold meetings with social enterprises in
Suffolk to flesh out some action plans with measurable objectives.
Meanwhile,
you can read the final
document by clicking here.
- Free Business
Support for pre-start-up and start-up Social Enterprises in
Suffolk
Business Link East are
offering free eVouchers to those considering setting up a social
enterprise or have just started.a local social enterprise. These
eVouchers can then be exchanged with approved business support
suppliers for one-to-one advice.
For more information
on free business advice from Business Link East, please visit:
www.businesslink.gov.uk
ot tel: 08457 -171615, or contact local SENS member PASTEL
Community Interest Company - a social enterprise based in Suffolk
- who are one of Business Link's approved suppliers in the eVoucher
scheme.
For further information
on PASTEL, click here.
- Audit of
Social Enterprises in Suffolk
Social enterprises in
Suffolk are an important emerging sector with potential significant
impact on economic, social and environmental issues and social
cohesion. But who are they, what do they look like, what are they
doing? And where are they heading?
These are some of the
questions to be answered by a current audit, commissioned by Suffolk
County Council, and being carried out by a joint SAVO/ICVS project.
SENS will be supporting this vital work and sharing in the results
to help plan a forward support service. The
deadline for the survey to be completed is 31/3/08.
There is currently a
great deal of ignorance surrounding social enterprises in Suffolk.
They can take several forms (eg Social Firms, CIC, Development
Trust, Co-operative, Credit Union etc.), but you can do your bit
to help, and promote your enterprise, by participating.
For further information,
click here.
JANUARY, 2008
- SENS
Strategy to Promote Social Enterprise
Many thanks for all
those who responded to the SENS consultation on shaping the social
enterprise outlook for Suffolk. We will ensure that these "bottom-up"
findings are fed into other county and regional bodies with an
interest in supporting an emerging and thriving social enterprise
sector in Suffolk. Over the next few weeks the returns will be
analysed and consolidated into a final strategy document with
a priority action plan. This in turn will be supported by further
workshops to promote the strategy and the actions. Updates will
be posted on this SENS news page. Meanwhile, for more details
see December news entry...
- Free Coaching for small Suffolk Social Enterprises!
(between 1-9 employees)
This is a new a new
peer-to-peer support programme.
Have you ever felt that you wanted to talk or learn from someone
who understands the pressures on you as a small social enterprise?
Would you like to develop your skills in a particular area?
The programme trained leaders and managers of small organisations
(less than 10 employees) to become Micro Coaches. Micro Coaches
share the specific expertise, skills or knowledge they have about
business with other small social enterprises.
If you are looking for help with a skill or area of your organisation
and would like an experienced peer to offer you free coaching,
search through the Micro Coaches and skills that are available
to you by clicking here.
- Suffolk Enterprise For All
This programme offers
free training and business advice to social enterprises. It runs
from Jan.23rd to Mar. 12th and covers the following topics:
- Strategic Management
- Marketing
- Business Planning
- Finance
- Introduction to PQASSO
- From Income & Expenditure to Profit & Loss
Venues are in Ipswich,
Bury St.Edmunds, Stowmarket and Lowestoft.
For more information,
please call Norman Rides on 01223 360977
DECEMBER
- SENS
Strategy to Promote Social Enterprise
The Social Enterprise
Network Suffolk (SENS) have produced a "SENS Strategy to
Promote Social Enterprise in Suffolk"- with a view to establishing
a SENS prioritised action plan to support existing and start-up
social enterprises in Suffolk. SENS, as the sub-regional network
within Social Enterprise East of England (SEEE) is building on
the SEEE document (The Social Enterprise Strategy for the East
of England - launched some 18 months ago, following extensive
social enterprise consultations. To be Compact compliant, the
SENS draft strategy is out for over 3 months consultation until
Monday, January 21st 2008.
Please read this concise
document and let us have your reaction. In particular we want
to set priorities and measurable targets - just
like any business, so please let us know what you feel
these should be to help social enterprise in Suffolk.
For the SENS
document in pdf format for easy access, click
here.
NOVEMBER
- Public
choose social enterprises to deliver local services
A YouGov poll has revealed
that over sixty per cent of the British public would choose a
social enterprise to run their local services.
The survey was completed on behalf of the Social Enterprise Coalition
and asked respondents what type of institution they would choose
to run their local services (i.e. healthcare, rubbish collection
and transport) as efficiently as possible, assuming the cost of
the service would not change.
Out of the over 2,200 people polled across Great Britain, 64 per
cent said they would choose a business which reinvests its profits
for the benefit of the community to run their local services.
Only eleven per cent said they would pick a Government institution.
OCTOBER
- SENS lead
on Bid to support Social Enterprises
SENS have submitted
a bid to the Suffolk Strategic Partnership's Performance Reward
Grant fund to deliver activities that will help to support social
enterprises in Suffolk . Specifically, SENS is leading on a bid
supported by our partners (SEEE and The Guild). Our bid is broadly
to establish Social Enterprise baseline information eg assess
the size structure and trends with social enterprises in Suffolk.
AUGUST
- New Funding
for Social Enterprise in Suffolk
The Suffolk Strategic
Partnership has launched its Performance Reward Grant worth just
over £0.75 million. The grant can be applied for through
a tender application process that is open to social enterprises
who wish to apply to deliver activities that will help to address:
- Support for
Social Enterprises
- That promote
Social Inclusion
- The Engagement
of Young People
- Childhood
Obesity
- Improve Rural
Service provision
- That strengthen
links between Communtities and the Natural Environment
- Help Communities
to reduce Carbon Emissions
- Support 2012
in Suffolk
The Suffolk Strategic
Partnership is particularly keen to see smaller social enterprises
engaged in PRG tenders and would like to encourage partnerships.
Individual social enterprises can apply for PRG funding.
For further information,
click
here.
- Suffolk County
Council/ Local Area Agreement
Suffolk County Council
have drafted a "Social Enterprise Strategy
for Suffolk" document which has gone out for a 4 weeks
consultation (22/8), with a deadline for responses by Nov.16th.
SENS, as the trade association
for social enterprises in Suffolk and the SEE sub-regional network,
will be responding in due course and that response will also be
posted on this website.
Click here to view
the document. |
