0121 667 6810 info@disecic.org
PROUD TO BE A
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
Fast Forward Your Social Enterprise
Social Enterprise is a way of doing business. Last Social Saturday (2015) we sponsored a range of video showcases to help you understand more about social enterprise and the varied things they do, see below.
If you need help and want to start or grow your social enterprise then give us a call 0121 667 6810.
WBC Fit Club CIC
The Olive Branch Kitchen CIC
Jericho Foundation (Charity) running a number of social enterprises here is the Print Works
Want to see more? Head over to our Youtube channel
SoLO Life Opportunities “Embracing Disability, Empowering Lives”
Business Development Manager. An exciting new opportunity has arisen within SoLO for the right person to join our Senior Management Team – are you that person? We are looking for an enthusiastic, confident, high achieving individual with marketing and bid writing experience at a senior level.
But we want more than this! The right candidate would need to have a passion for ensuring that people with a learning disability are given an equal chance in life. He or she would have experience in managing teams of people and have the ability to inspire, motivate and direct the current marketing and fundraising team. He or she would need to demonstrate evidence of successful fundraising and bid writing with an understanding of how the voluntary sector works.
If appointed, you would become part of an exciting new programme of development, have the satisfaction of working in an environment which makes a difference to people’s lives and gain significant job satisfaction.
This appointment is subject to enhanced DBS clearance.
The post is a one year funded post, part time initially, starting at 25-30 hours a week (with opportunity to grow to full time and permanent), salary £18.18 an hour
For further information please contact Janet Down on 0121 779 3865 or by email Janet@solihullsolo.org alternatively you can view the vacancy and download an application form from our website at www.solihullsolo.org
Due to nature of funding, the deadline for applications is 2nd May, 2016
Interviews will be held on 5th or 6th May.
A quick update for those of you who aim to grow your community businesses and to follow up on a post ( a few weeks ago) about the £10m fund.
Power to Change has now released the funding guidance to apply for the fund which will potentially provide up to 75% of the development costs with a ceiling application of £300,000.
Please note this is a fund that has strict criteria and is aiming to fund sustainable community business development so do check the criteria carefully. In previous rounds only 5% of applications were awarded and a very high proportion were not awarded based on the organisation not meeting the basic community business criteria.
You can download their guidance here http://www.thepowertochange.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Community-Business-Fund-applicant-guidance.pdf
We’re moving a step closer to making it simple for charities to convert to a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation), as the Cabinet Office has recently opened a consultation on the process (details below).
Charities may be able to convert to a CIO as (soon) as the 1st October 2016, the provisional timetable being:
For some this will be welcome news, as it has taken some time to get to this point. Those supporting the sector’s development may remember that we were discussing the possibility and the then “new” legislation for a CIC and CIO back in the very early 2000s.
The CIC became available for social enterprises in 2005 and it was thought the CIO would follow swiftly, but it finally became available in 2013 and now the Charity Commission has reported that around half of the applications to form a new charity are using the CIO model.
The CIO model has been welcomed, prior to that, Charities needed to register with Companies House as well as the Charity Commission in order to become a limited liability legal entity. They therefore had two structures and needed to report to two regulators, the CIO streamlined this being a limited structure only reporting to the Charity Commission.
If you would like to comment on the consultation then you can do this by Respondents to the consultation can submit a response or an enquiry via email to charities-act@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. For further information on how to respond, click here.
Our friend Melanie over at Social Investment Business dropped us a line to remind us that the entrepreneur of the year awards close on Friday.
Having worked in our region for Social Enterprise West Midlands she knows the spirit and passion of social entrepreneurs here and wouldn’t it be great if someone local won!
So if you know someone, or you think it could be you, why don’t you zap over to the website and apply… nothing ventured, nothing gained… someone once said!
So this is a last reminder entries close on Friday so there is still time to apply http://www.ey.com/UK/en/About-us/Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneur-Of-The-Year
Good luck!
If you need £50,000 to £300,000 to support your community business to develop and grow then you’ll be pleased to know that the Power to Change £1om grant programme is opening a new funding round on 26th April 2016.
A few pointers:
Power to change is for community business rooted in the community with community ownership (check eligibility here) and in previous rounds it only funded 5% of applicants and more than two thirds of applications dd not meet their criteria. Funding will rarely exceed 75% of overall development costs.
Power to change is expecting this round will be highly competitive and is having further rounds in July and October. the fund expects to award relatively equal acorss each round.
Key dates to note:
To register your interest then click here
Firstly we’d like to say we’re extremely pleased to have been selected as a preferred supplier for business support on this new initiative and look forward to helping cooperatives develop and grow, but now what you really want to know.
The Hive a new programme of business support for people wanting to start or grow co-operatively run organisations has been launched today.
Run by Co-operatives UK, the network for Britain’s thousands of co-operatives, in partnership with The Co-operative Bank, The Hive will provide mix of online resources, training, advice and peer mentoring to organisations and start-ups right across a range the co-operative sector.
You might run a co-op already and want to strengthen it, be at the early stages of starting-up your business, or considering converting your organisation to co-operative or community ownership.
From renewables to retail, sports to social care, if you’re looking for business support, The Hive is for you.
See how The Hive can help you build a better co-operative business.
The Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Start Up programme is open for applications.
Now we’ve got your attention. The school for Social Entrepreneurs (Midlands) is open to applications. We are proud to work with the School for Entrepreneurs as “Expert Witnesses” on their Social Enterprise Start up programme not just because their Learning Manager (2015) said “every start-up programme should start with Development in Social Enterprise”, but because it’s probably the best start up programme for social entrepreneurs in the Midlands.
The programme offers:
As you can see the programme is an extensive action learning programme with a grant and therefore places are highly contested, but if you don’t apply you won’t be in the running!
They are holding an Information and Taster session in Birmingham in the evening of 3rd March to help you find out more and provide insight into what a successful application looks like – Book a place now.
The deadline for full applications is 1:00 pm on 21st March. Applications here https://www.the-sse.org/courses/start-up/
Good Luck!
For those of you considering whether the co-operative model is right for you then look no further the Co-operatives Essential Training Package is now live.
The programme begins with a Strategic Planning and Change Management session on Wednesday 16 March in Manchester. The participative full day training is designed to help businesses manage change and improve their approach to strategic planning.
On Tuesday 22 March, also in Manchester, they have an opening training event specifically designed for co-op secretaries. Oversubscribed last year, this session will cover a secretary’s duties and responsibilities – including legal requirements and best practice.
From sustainability and co-op marketing to effective meetings and director duties, the co-op training programme continues throughout the year, with sessions held in Bristol and London as well as Manchester.
For more infornmation and the full list of training courses , dates and locations http://www.uk.coop/developing-co-ops/training-events
The Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Start Up programme at the School for Social Entrepreneurs in the Midlands is open for applications. Around 40 places are being offered.
The programme is free to attend and offers:
You will learn the key things that you need to know about running a successful social enterprise. You will learn with a group of like-minded individuals who will support you and encourage you.
Previous participants have described the programme as ‘Transformational’, ‘Inspiring’, ‘Essential’, ‘Brilliant’, ‘Priceless’ and ‘Hugely enjoyable’.
