ESSEN [East Sussex Social Enterprise Network] and The Business Community Partnership would like to invite you toShow You’re Worth It!A morning workshop about measuring social impact and social accountingon Friday 26th March 2010 at the University of Sussex

A QUIET BUSINESS REVOLUTIONSocial Enterprise in Hastings and Rother

1. In these days of recession and job losses a quiet but encouraging business revolution is happening in Bexhill.  In a redundant garage in London Road Bexhill a thriving Social Enterprise Business Centre has been set up, which has already lead to new jobs created and advertised locally.
   
   

Helping to build capacity of Social Enterprise delivery in East Sussex The Better Project This innovative programme is aimed at improving infrastructure support for social enterprises in East and West Sussex and Brighton and Hove.  The project aims to do this by working with social enterprises and their support organizations, as well as those involved in procuring and commissioning services, to develop a better understanding about the use of social impact measurement and its value in the public sector procurement process.  

Office of the Third Sector (OTS) Project News Update – February 2009

Welcome to the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) project update from Business Link.  This is intended to provide detail to the SE2 partnership as to current and future activities

Voucher scheme

Business Link is pleased to announce that the OTS (Office of the Third Sector) have just confirmed the final arrangements for the allocation of funds for a business support package available to social enterprises across the region.  The project which is being managed by Business Link, in conjunction with SE2 partnership, aims to remove the barriers which may be stopping social enterprises from obtaining much needed specialist advice.  Via OTS business support funding, organisations will be able to access the services of those providers who have expertise and experience in supporting social enterprises thus helping them increase their profitability and make themselves more sustainable.

Guided by the knowledge and expertise of the sub-regional social enterprise networks, in the form of the SE2 Partnership, this project aims to provide the right support to social enterprises.  By developing an effective user-friendly referral system for social enterprises, clients are now able to access general advice from ‘social enterprise friendly’ Business Link advisers and apply for funding for independent specialist advice via OTS Business Support Funding.

Key details include

• Social enterprises can now apply for business support funding between £500 and £2,500 to help them procure the services of independent business support providers.
• There is NO matched funding required
• Social enterprises need to have been trading for at least 3 months.  The funding is not available for pre-start or initial start up funding.
• Specialist providers will be sourced from the Business Link Supplier Matching Service.

Further details for the scheme will be provided under separate cover or via Janette Beetham on janette.beetham@aol.com.

SFEDI/PD4SE

The OTS project is also making funding available for independent social enterprise advisers to obtain the necessary accreditation through SFEDI or PD4SE.  Individuals in each sub-regional social enterprise network area can benefit from the acquisition of a nationally recognised quality standard.  Initially this training/CPD opportunity is being offered on a 50/50 split basis in that half the places per network area are being offered to the network organisation or infrastructure body and half the number offered to the wider network area.  Please forward the names of nominees to JanetteBeetham@aol.com by the end of March 09.  The ‘take-up’ will be monitored and spaces will be re-allocated as necessary to ensure this opportunity is exploited fully across the South East region.

Allocation of places by sub regional area (based on IDBR split of the total)

VISIT PROGRAMME

Social Enterprise visits have provided Business Link Advisers with fantastic experience in viewing first hand the needs of social enterprises.  In conjunction with SE2 partnership, six visits have taken place in 2008/09 building relationships between Business Link and the sector as well as offering social enterprises the opportunity to showcase their organisations to stakeholders.  In 2008/09, visits have been organised by social enterprises in West Sussex, Berkshire, Brighton & Hove, Hants and IOW, Milton Keynes and Surrey.  It is anticipated that there will be one final visit this financial year in Buckinghamshire – date and details to be announced soon.   

The sub-regional networks are invited to apply for funding for two further visits per network area for the period 2009/10.  Please confirm your interest to Janette Beetham on janette.beetham@aol.com  who will coordinate this activity. 

AWARENESS RAISING EVENTS

The final element of the OTS Project is Awareness Raising Events.  This activity offers the social enterprise sub-regional networks the opportunity to host events which encourage people to find out more about social enterprise. These events can be tailored to meet local needs; to cover issues affecting social enterprises at different stages in their lifecycles; to target specific audiences interested in social enterprise.   A Business Link Adviser will be on hand at each event to give delegates information on the service available from Business Link.  Hampshire and IOW have been the first sub-regional network to take advantage of the funding available.  Following research into ‘Social Enterprise Attitudes and Experience’ they identified a common need amongst those interested in venturing into the sector and have used the OTS funding to host a series of ‘What to Trade’ workshops.

The OTS Project Manager is keen to hear from the Sub-regional network leads with their ideas and plans for future events and would also like to start getting  these scheduled.  Events will need to be joint branded with Business Link. 

SUMMARY

The OTS project provides a fantastic opportunity to support social enterprises in the South East using a variety of different mechanisms.  With Business Link working with SE2 partnership and the individual sub-regional social enterprise networks, it is hoped the project will provide benefit for the remainder of 2008/09 and into 2009/10 and to really make a difference to social enterprises in the region.

For further information and to schedule awareness events and visits please contact:  Janette Beetham, OTS Project Manager – JanetteBeetham@aol.com

Report available for download.

Social Enterprise: Winning with 2012   Social Enterprise: Winning with 2012

The Tool Factory have just launched the first in a series of free e-books aimed at helping social entrepreneurs and voluntary organisations as they write their business plan.

Secretary of State for Health Patricia Hewitt has outlined her vision of the role of social enterprise in the provision of health and social care services.

In a pamphlet published by the Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC), Ms Hewitt says that ‘unleashing the potential of new providers in the third sector and social enterprises' can ‘help us meet the extraordinary challenges and safeguard the founding values of the NHS for another generation'.

She says the role social enterprises could play in the NHS is an ‘under-explored issue'.

More social enterprise news can be found on the Social Enterprise Magazine website located at: http://www.socialenterprisemag.co.uk/

From January 1st 2007 to March 2009 individuals and groups in the Bexhill and Hastings area were able to call upon the services of a social enterprise development officer.

The two-year post was funded under the governement's LEGI programme and was aimed at helping stimulate a culture of enterprise in communities in the Hastings and Bexhill area.

A full  evaluation report will be published shortly but download an interim final report below.

ESSEN has been successful in  securing fundingfor a person to provide advice and information to individuals and groups in rural East Sussex, Eastbourne and Lewes.

The East Sussex Economic Partnership has agreed to fund the work to support emerging social enterprises as it recognises the potential value that social enterprise can bring to the economic development table

For more information about social enterprise in rural East Sussex, Eastbourne and Lewes contact Barbara Beaton on 01424 775572