National coverage

Work & Jobs: Enterprising Solutions

Thursday 12th July 2012, 9:00am - 3:55pm
Organiser: Social Firms UK

 This conference is relevant for organisations and individuals in all three sectors: public, private and civil society. Unemployment is on the increase and spans the sectors; it calls for collective creative solutions. This conference will be of interest to:

Social Enterprise Coalition Bulletin

Social Enterprise Coalition issue a fortnightly bulletin. You can subscribe directly to this by emailing  subscribe@socialenterprise.org.uk

Social enterprise with teeth…

Monday 19th March 2012, 1:30pm - 4:30pm

 A half day seminar exploring the precedent and potential for social enterprise run dental services

Summary The provision of frontlinedental services by charities and social enterprises is relatively underexplored in the UK. The SCA Group is one of a small number of existing social enterprises that have expanded into the provision of NHS dental services.

Social enterprise with teeth will explore how social enterprise and other civil society organisations can create and sustain effective dental practices. It will focus on the frontline experience of the SCA Group, which has opened six NHS dental practices in identified areas of high dental need within the last five years. It will also feature high level presentations from Hempsons, one of the leading providers of legal services to existing and emerging dental social enterprises in the UK.

Website in a Day

Wednesday 15th February 2012, 9:30am - 4:00pm
Organiser: Electroville

 Does your organisation need a website? Starting from scratch? Have you got an out-of-date website that you find difficult to update?

In just one day, Electroville will teach you all you need to know on writing and producing a website that will promote your organisation's needs and get your message across to a wider audience.

Planning, Designing, Learning, Creating

A brilliant way to take control of your website, to learn about web design basics and to create your own site. For many organisations this will be all they need. For others it is an excellent stepping stone to an independently hosted site giving greater scope, creativity and flexibility.

Ps - these workshops are hands on and have limited space available. Book now to ensure that you get a place.

Restorative Justice, and Gang, Gun and Knife Crime Conference

Wednesday 14th March 2012, 9:00am - 5:00pm
Organiser: No Offence!

 Hosted by former television presenter, business journalist & news reader 'Ed Mitchell'

Speakers Lizzie Nelson - Director, Restorative Justice Council Restorative Justice Council Director, Lizzie Nelson, will provide the introductory presentation for the Conference, providing:

Working Capital - a social investment conference

Thursday 1st March 2012, 9:15am - 3:30pm
Organiser: Social Enterprise Yorkshire and Humber

 Working Capital is a Social Investment Conference designed to bring together the leading exponents in Social Investment with Social Enterprises and Social Entrepreneurs to learn about emerging products, do deals and undertake business. This is a first for the North of England and we hope this will become an annual event to cement our place as a leading marketplace for Social Investment.

Our Speakers include:

  • Nick O’Donohoe, CEO, Big Society Capital
  • Jonathan Jenkins, CEO, Social Investment Business
  • Jo Hill, Director, UnLtd Ventures
  • Jake Hayman, CEO, The Social Investment Consultancy
  • Ann Oldroyd, CEO, Key Fund
  • Mark Sesnan, CEO, GLL
  • Geoff Burnard, Chief Investment Officer, Charity Bank and CEO, Investing for Good

We will also have workshops and a pitching session where you can pitch your idea to a panel of investors.

Social Enterprise Exchange

Tuesday 27th March 2012, 8:30am - 5:30pm

Social Enterprise Exchange marks the first time Social Enterprise UK and Social Enterprise Scotland have joined forces, bringing together Voice and S2S, the two social enterprise events north and south of the border.

This makes the event uniquely well-placed to create a real exchange: of business, of knowledge, of best practice. It will include:

  • high-profile speakers from across the UK and beyond
  • masterclasses on social investment and engaging with the private sector
  • a substantial networking and trading area
  • practical workshops on sales, start-ups, spin-outs, impact measurement, export + more
  • 1:1 clinics with expert agencies in the field
  • hundreds of exhibitors seeking to do business
  • social enterprise event suppliers, including event production partner CEiS Events 

Click here to download the programme

Social Firms UK WISEs up

 At an EGM yesterday, members of Social Firms UK passed a special resolution that enables the national support agency to represent all employability-focused social enterprises across the UK, including Social Firms. In European speak, these social enterprises are termed ‘WISEs’ (Work Integration Social Enterprises) and, recognising that there is not significant awareness of this terminology, Social Firms UK will also refer to them as ‘employability-focused social enterprises’ which explains more succinctly what they are. All Full Members already fall into this category and many Associate Members are more broadly engaged with work integration activities of disadvantaged people (their activities might include intermediate labour market, vocational training, job placement, volunteering and, in the case of Social Firms, job creation).

Social Firms demonstrate the Big Society in action for social enterprise day

 Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) & Lambeth Council visited Star Social Firm Lambeth ACCORD to mark global Social Enterprise Day on Thursday the 17th of November and got a taste of the Big Society in action.

Lambeth ACCORD is a leading London disability Social Firm that provides managed office space and a conference and training centre. This community resource centre acts as the ‘hub’ for a thriving diverse disability community in Brixton, South London and has been awarded the prestigious quality standard, Star Social Firm.