Social Firms UK

 In the run up to Social Enterprise Day (17 November), Birmingham based social firm Citizen Coaching is celebrating the achievements of two employees, hoping to inspire thousands of young people looking for work or across the country.

With youth unemployment figures at their worst in nearly 20 years, Nate Sheridan, 25, and James Farrell, 23, were taken on by Citizen Coaching in 2009, both having been unemployed for more than six months.

Nate graduated from university with a Sound Engineering and Music Production degree in 2008, hoping to secure work in a recording studio. After several temporary positions, he eventually joined the increasing number of other young claimants struggling to even get an interview.

The MoJ's National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has announced two new funding opportunities (each totalling £200k) for social enterprises in England to develop creative approaches to service delivery.

If you could deliver a supervision model incorporating skills and employability training in a work environment or could create training and work opportunities within the sustainable/green sector, then check out the full details and click here.

The European Social Firms of the Year Awards, which took place during the Social Firms UK and Social Firms Europe CEFEC annual conference, celebrated some of the fantastic work taking place across Europe was showcased and celebrated in style.  Those winners in full:-

Pat Bend, Sales Manager at the Birmingham based Social Firm, Textiles by St Anne's, is celebrating an order from an International curtain company which she puts down to the Future Jobs Fund. Six of the employees are financed by the government initiative and the increased workforce gave Pat the opportunity to bid for larger contracts. Pat believes the hires also bring a positive work ethic and new skills base which their service users with mental health problems can aspire to.