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“Big Society” and Social Enterprise
Posted By Social Enterprise West Midlands
On 20 July 2010 - 11:56am

Where are the key hooks for social enterprise in the West Midlands from David Cameron’s speech launching his Governments ‘Big Society’ idea?

The speech set out in general how he wants to emphasise the need for active citizens to grasp the opportunities his Government is committed to delivering and creating a Big Society which he said;

Is where people …don’t always turn to officials, local authorities or central government for answers to the problems they face …but instead feel both free and powerful enough to help themselves and their own communities.

It’s about people setting up great new schools. Businesses helping people getting trained for work. Charities working to rehabilitate offenders.

Already the social enterprise movement is gearing up to assisting a whole range of individuals to better access working opportunities but we believe that is most effective where that workplace is one that is experiencing the very real pressures of ...more

The movement of the waves.
Posted By Sarah Dunwell's blog
On 20 July 2010 - 11:37am


catch the wave

There is a lot going on at the moment in the world of social enterprise and in our world here at Create.   We are in the middle of Big Society Week and there is a huge buzz and an even bigger debate going on about the big idea of the big society.

In our own social enterprise there is also a lot going on.  After three years of building a sustainable and profitable social business we are on the brink of a national expansion and these two things are part of the same bigger picture.

A big part of the coalition governments plans for the big society is the replication and scaling of social enterprise – ...more

If you’ve got them buying equity their hearts and minds will follow
Posted By Beanbags and Bullshit
On 20 July 2010 - 10:49am

I think the growth in community share schemes is potentially one of the most exciting areas for development in the social enterprise world. The Social Enterprise Coalition clearly disagree as – judging from the attendees list – they couldn’t even be bothered to send the work experience kid to last week’s launch of the Community Shares project’s new resources for practioners who want to sell shares to their communities, and investors who might want to buy them.

The creative tension between the Co-Operative movement and the rest of the shiny new world of social enterprise was hinted at during a storming contribution from Ed ...more

Mondragon system for pensions
Posted By UK Worker Co-operative
On 20 July 2010 - 10:38am

Does your worker co-operative have a pension scheme? Would you want one and what characteristics would you like it to have?  I did a briefing note for one of the worker co-operative council reps on; Mondragon and what it does for its worker co-operative members. 

I thought I would share this in a blog, so it doesn't languish on my computer:

When worker co-operatives were first started in ...more

Why we need to reconfigure the Big Society programme:http://bit.ly/bxSg4y [#bigsociety]
Posted By Toby Blume's posterous
On 20 July 2010 - 10:16am

There has been a lot of Big Society talk this week with David Cameron’s ‘Big Speech’ in Liverpool. Much of the debate has focused on whether or not Big Society is simply a way to use volunteers to plug gaps in public services. But let’s be clear – that’s what charities and voluntary organisations have done for centuries. Where would our social care provision be without the millions of people caring for their loved ones in a voluntary capacity? And it’s been the same with voluntary efforts to tackle homelessness, poverty, protect civil liberties and even political reform. In this sense, this is nothing new.

 

The government have made perfectly clear their intention to eliminate the structural deficit and to make spending cuts to achieve this. So the real question is, how do ...more

Big Society Day
Posted By Bubb’s blog
On 20 July 2010 - 9:55am

Yesterday certainly put "Big Society" centre stage! A good speech from David Cameron; there is no doubting his passion for this agenda. But as often happens with Governments there can be a gap between rhetoric and reality. Whilst I am clear that DC does not see this agenda as a cover for cuts, nor as a withdrawal of the State, this big idea is to be implemented against a background of the biggest cut back of public spending since the war. That means inevitably third sector organisations will find cuts in grants and support. Indeed they already are, as NCVO showed over the weekend, and as short-sighted Councils like Croydon make savage cuts to the sector.

So how will it work?

There are a number of conditions for success of this agenda.

# it requires a strong, well organised, properly capitalised and professional third sector. The Government has to ensure our sector's capacity and infrastructure is strengthened. They must accept that more volunteering ...more

Why we need to reconfigure the Big Society programme
Posted By Whitehall Watch
On 20 July 2010 - 9:10am

There has been a lot of Big Society talk this week with David Cameron's ‘Big Speech' in Liverpool (http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/speeches-and-transcripts/2010/07/big-society-speech-53572). M... ...more

Social Enterprise Mark awarded to East Midlands businesses
Posted By Social Enterprise Mark
On 19 July 2010 - 1:07pm

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New mark holders presented Social Enterprise Mark  at SEEM

BrightKidz based in Kettering, The Cooke e-Learning Foundation from Leicester and The TREES group which includes ...more

Make the most of Social Enterprise Day 2010!
Posted By Social Enterprise West Midlands
On 19 July 2010 - 11:30am

This year Social Enterprise Day, which is part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, is on Thursday 18 November. If you are stuck for ideas for a cost effective way to celebrate Social Enterprise Day this year, here are our top five tips to get the most out of the day.

1. Launch a new project or service

This is a highly effective way to raise awareness of what you offer. Tying the launch of a new product or service, in with this national day will help you reach a wider audience, as well as help promote the day. To maximise publicity, write a press release to send out to the local newspapers and radio stations. They are inexpensive to produce and will increase the ...more

Meet Sophie..
Posted By Red Button Design
On 19 July 2010 - 11:12am

Hi, nice to meet you, I’m Sophie
*offers firm handshake and best smile*

Despite being told from all corners of the media, my parents, and almost all adult acquaintances that I would end up on top of a big pile of unemployed, living at home, graduates after finishing my UCL degree, I seem to have landed on my feet.

That is, I’m here, less than a month after finishing uni, being the ‘affiliate marketing officer’ (no less) for Red Button Design. If that wasn’t good enough for you I’m also being paid for it by the UCL Advances internship scheme. So take that scaremongering media.

Anyway enough about me- oh go on then just a little bit more-. I’m a history of art ...more