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Tuesday, 2 February 2010
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Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Sunday, 17 January 2010
'Tis the season to be socially entrepreneurial: Events to attend in 2010
As this is my first blog post of 2010, may I wish you all a Happy New Year!
I'm determined to bl
og more this year and what better way to kick off than with a list of the top social enterprise coming up in 2010. There do seem to be a huge number this year which bodes well for the future. The more exposure the sector gets, the better off we'll all be!
So here are my pick of what should be in your social enterprise calendar this year. I plan on attending them all.
19 January: School for Startups: Growing a successful social enterprise, London
Would you pay £10 for hours of expert advice from an ex-Dragons' Den panellist? Of course you would! You can do exactly that at this event where Doug Richard and big names from the world of social enterprise will be telling delegates everything they need to know about building a socially driven business. Doug Richard supported my event The Pitch last year and I experienced his expertise first hand. On that basis, his event is set to be a humdinger!
1-2 February: Voice10, Cardiff
Voice is the Social Enterprise Coalition's annual conference and this year it takes place in Cardiff. The theme for 2010 is 'No more business as usual' and features top class speakers including John Denham MP, minister for communities and local government; Carwyn Jones AM, Welsh first minister; Ed Mayo, chief executive, Co-operatives UK and Peter Holbrook, chief executive, Social Enterprise Coalition.
4 February: Media 140, London
Media 140 is fastly becoming one of the world's leading events focusing on the benefits of social media. Despite being founded around a year ago, the not-for-profit organisation has already held events in the UK and Australia. On 1st February, Social Media Week kicks off and Media 140 has chosen to focus on social media and the third sector. Exact details are still to be confirmed but the event will take place in London on the afternoon of 4 February. Keep an eye on the Social Media Week website for updates.
25 March: Twestival, Around the world
Twestival is a charity initiative founded in 2009. Arranged through Twitter, events take place in cities all around the world on the same day with all money raised going to charity. In February 2009, 185 cities took part and £400,000 was raised for charity: water. This year's event takes place on 25 March with all funds going to Concern Worldwide, currently doing great work in Haiti following the devastating earthquake. I have a big interest in this one as I'm organising the Bristol Twestival.
14-16 April: Skoll World Forum 2010, Oxford
Seen as the grand-daddy of social enterprise conferences, the Skoll World Forum is organised by the Skoll Foundation, set up by American billionaire Jeff Skoll. The agenda is yet to be confirmed but with previous speakers including former US president Jimmy Carter; ex-US vice president Al Gore; Mohammad Yunus, founder, Grameen Bank and Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, it's set to be pretty good!
13-15 May: Shine, London
Shine is an unconference for social entrepreneurs. Described as the 'antidote to traditional conferences', unconferences have no set agenda but allow attendees to decide the sessions, seminars, discussions and debates. The organisers of Shine promise practical workshops, real stories from established social entrepreneurs and one-on-one advice sessions on all aspects of building a successful social enterprise.
If you'd like to share details of any other social enterprise events in 2010, please post below.
I'm determined to bl
og more this year and what better way to kick off than with a list of the top social enterprise coming up in 2010. There do seem to be a huge number this year which bodes well for the future. The more exposure the sector gets, the better off we'll all be!So here are my pick of what should be in your social enterprise calendar this year. I plan on attending them all.
19 January: School for Startups: Growing a successful social enterprise, London
Would you pay £10 for hours of expert advice from an ex-Dragons' Den panellist? Of course you would! You can do exactly that at this event where Doug Richard and big names from the world of social enterprise will be telling delegates everything they need to know about building a socially driven business. Doug Richard supported my event The Pitch last year and I experienced his expertise first hand. On that basis, his event is set to be a humdinger!
1-2 February: Voice10, Cardiff
Voice is the Social Enterprise Coalition's annual conference and this year it takes place in Cardiff. The theme for 2010 is 'No more business as usual' and features top class speakers including John Denham MP, minister for communities and local government; Carwyn Jones AM, Welsh first minister; Ed Mayo, chief executive, Co-operatives UK and Peter Holbrook, chief executive, Social Enterprise Coalition.
4 February: Media 140, London
Media 140 is fastly becoming one of the world's leading events focusing on the benefits of social media. Despite being founded around a year ago, the not-for-profit organisation has already held events in the UK and Australia. On 1st February, Social Media Week kicks off and Media 140 has chosen to focus on social media and the third sector. Exact details are still to be confirmed but the event will take place in London on the afternoon of 4 February. Keep an eye on the Social Media Week website for updates.
25 March: Twestival, Around the world
Twestival is a charity initiative founded in 2009. Arranged through Twitter, events take place in cities all around the world on the same day with all money raised going to charity. In February 2009, 185 cities took part and £400,000 was raised for charity: water. This year's event takes place on 25 March with all funds going to Concern Worldwide, currently doing great work in Haiti following the devastating earthquake. I have a big interest in this one as I'm organising the Bristol Twestival.
14-16 April: Skoll World Forum 2010, Oxford
Seen as the grand-daddy of social enterprise conferences, the Skoll World Forum is organised by the Skoll Foundation, set up by American billionaire Jeff Skoll. The agenda is yet to be confirmed but with previous speakers including former US president Jimmy Carter; ex-US vice president Al Gore; Mohammad Yunus, founder, Grameen Bank and Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, it's set to be pretty good!
13-15 May: Shine, London
Shine is an unconference for social entrepreneurs. Described as the 'antidote to traditional conferences', unconferences have no set agenda but allow attendees to decide the sessions, seminars, discussions and debates. The organisers of Shine promise practical workshops, real stories from established social entrepreneurs and one-on-one advice sessions on all aspects of building a successful social enterprise.
If you'd like to share details of any other social enterprise events in 2010, please post below.
Saturday, 4 July 2009
Are social entrepreneurs key to rebooting Britain?
It's hard to deny that we're in a bit of a mess. The economy is facing its toughest challenges for decades, public services are being hit by ever increasing demands and trust in politicians is the 
lowest level it has ever been. With all that in mind, NESTA has organised Reboot Britain, a conference in London on Monday which will focus on how by embracing modern technologies and business practices, such problems can be overcome.
Looking through the schedule - which is probably one of the most impressive line-ups of conference speakers I've seen for a long time - there is a heavy emphasis on social enterprise. It's clear that the old way of doing things haven't worked and it's now time for the social entrepreneurs out there to take charge and make good things happen.
I'm going to be at the event and in the app below I've outlined the sessions I plan on attending.
In particular, I'm looking forward to the 'Building An Entrepreneur Country' session led by Julie Meyer, founder of Ariadne Capital and star of the BBC's online version of Dragons' Den. I'm a huge fan of Julie and hers should be an inspiring speech. One thing she believes is that the UK should be embracing the ever increasing number of entrepreneurs taking a social approach to business.
Previewing the event, Meyer wrote an excellent piece in The Independent earlier this week. Here's an extract:
"Entrepreneurs are some of the most generous people I know. They ‘send the elevator down’ to the next generation, as the overwhelming majority of them remember that they have been helped by others before them. Provoke their generosity by giving tax incentives for their work.
"Social enterprise is a hot area where many leading entrepreneurs are flocking, whether it’s Hoult’s Yard in Newcastle, or DoTheGreenThing out of London, or Bono’s Red led by Seb Bishop, the founder of Espotting, or Just Giving which is transforming charities. Not only do entrepreneurs know what to do to fix social problems, they do it."
If you're going to Reboot Britain, do say hello if you spot me. If not, I'll be tweeting and blogging as usual.
lowest level it has ever been. With all that in mind, NESTA has organised Reboot Britain, a conference in London on Monday which will focus on how by embracing modern technologies and business practices, such problems can be overcome.Looking through the schedule - which is probably one of the most impressive line-ups of conference speakers I've seen for a long time - there is a heavy emphasis on social enterprise. It's clear that the old way of doing things haven't worked and it's now time for the social entrepreneurs out there to take charge and make good things happen.
I'm going to be at the event and in the app below I've outlined the sessions I plan on attending.
In particular, I'm looking forward to the 'Building An Entrepreneur Country' session led by Julie Meyer, founder of Ariadne Capital and star of the BBC's online version of Dragons' Den. I'm a huge fan of Julie and hers should be an inspiring speech. One thing she believes is that the UK should be embracing the ever increasing number of entrepreneurs taking a social approach to business.
Previewing the event, Meyer wrote an excellent piece in The Independent earlier this week. Here's an extract:
"Entrepreneurs are some of the most generous people I know. They ‘send the elevator down’ to the next generation, as the overwhelming majority of them remember that they have been helped by others before them. Provoke their generosity by giving tax incentives for their work.
"Social enterprise is a hot area where many leading entrepreneurs are flocking, whether it’s Hoult’s Yard in Newcastle, or DoTheGreenThing out of London, or Bono’s Red led by Seb Bishop, the founder of Espotting, or Just Giving which is transforming charities. Not only do entrepreneurs know what to do to fix social problems, they do it."
If you're going to Reboot Britain, do say hello if you spot me. If not, I'll be tweeting and blogging as usual.
Monday, 15 June 2009
Social enterprise on the doorstep
Social enterprise can turn up in places where you least expect it as I discovered recently when I popped down to an event taking place as part of the Bristol Design Festival.
I'm a big fan of the festival. From humble beginnings in a room above a market in 2007, this year's spectacle stretched to 30 venues across Bristol. Not bad for an initiative which is run entirely by volunteers.
Flicking through the programme, one venue in particular caught my eye - the Jamaica Street Studios. Situated in Stokes Croft, an area of the city with a reputation for being far from salubrious, my visit confirmed you should never judge a book by its cover!
It turns out that the studios have been based on Jamaica Street for an impressive 20 years and currently house 43 artists. Over the past two decades, the resident have developed a collective which serves as a mentoring group to encourage and nurture new talent. As I spent time wandering around the building, it was hard not to be inspired by the creativity and energy oozing out of every nook and cranky of the cast iron and wood beam architecture that is the studios.
Next door to the building is the People's Republic of Stokes Croft, a not-for-profit social enterprise. As well as its fabulous name, PRSC has a laudable aim; to prevent what it calls the gentrification of the area and promote it as Bristol's cultural quarter. In this video, founder Chris Chalkley explains how street art is being used to provoke social change:
The People's Republic of Stokes Croft and the Jamaica Street Studios are perfect examples of how social enterprise can bring real change to an area. Building yet more luxury apartments won't deal with the social problems faced by the local residents but empowering them will.
Unfortunately, the studios are threatened with closure. Once the 10 year lease is up in 2010, the landlords intend to put the property on the market. The 43 artists are attempting to raise the money required to buy the building but with between £800,000 and £1m needed, it's going to be tough.
However, I'm one blogger who supports their cause as I hope those other social enterprise fans reading this post do too. We need more organisations of the likes of the Jamaica Street Studios and its social enterprise neighbour. They represent the social change that the UK and other nations desperately need.
I'm a big fan of the festival. From humble beginnings in a room above a market in 2007, this year's spectacle stretched to 30 venues across Bristol. Not bad for an initiative which is run entirely by volunteers.
Flicking through the programme, one venue in particular caught my eye - the Jamaica Street Studios. Situated in Stokes Croft, an area of the city with a reputation for being far from salubrious, my visit confirmed you should never judge a book by its cover! It turns out that the studios have been based on Jamaica Street for an impressive 20 years and currently house 43 artists. Over the past two decades, the resident have developed a collective which serves as a mentoring group to encourage and nurture new talent. As I spent time wandering around the building, it was hard not to be inspired by the creativity and energy oozing out of every nook and cranky of the cast iron and wood beam architecture that is the studios.
Next door to the building is the People's Republic of Stokes Croft, a not-for-profit social enterprise. As well as its fabulous name, PRSC has a laudable aim; to prevent what it calls the gentrification of the area and promote it as Bristol's cultural quarter. In this video, founder Chris Chalkley explains how street art is being used to provoke social change:The People's Republic of Stokes Croft and the Jamaica Street Studios are perfect examples of how social enterprise can bring real change to an area. Building yet more luxury apartments won't deal with the social problems faced by the local residents but empowering them will.
Unfortunately, the studios are threatened with closure. Once the 10 year lease is up in 2010, the landlords intend to put the property on the market. The 43 artists are attempting to raise the money required to buy the building but with between £800,000 and £1m needed, it's going to be tough.
However, I'm one blogger who supports their cause as I hope those other social enterprise fans reading this post do too. We need more organisations of the likes of the Jamaica Street Studios and its social enterprise neighbour. They represent the social change that the UK and other nations desperately need.
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
A new dawn for UK social enterprise?
Amid all the talk of government help for business in this time of recession, it's about time social enterprise got a mention. Thankfully that moment arrived today with the government's Social Enterprise Summit.
A press release arrived in my inbox this morning proclaiming the summit signifies "unprecedented government support for social enterprises". Strong words but let's hope the impact of the measures prove as such.
Announced was a new ministerial working group to ensure a "level playing field" for social enterprises and charities to compete for public sector contracts, a new guide to social return to help public service leaders understand the social value that social enterprises can bring to local society and a £45.6m Futurebuilders Investment Plan to help social enterprises deliver public services, through a new fast-track investment process.
Mandelson also revealed that changes to the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme (EFG), the initiative set up to provide bank loans to small businesses struggling to secure finance because of the economic downturn, will free up £20m to social enterprises in disadvantaged areas.
All great stuff but now the hard work begins.
The headline grabbing announcements are all very well and good but they're worth nothing if they don't get to the social enterprises they are designed to help.
The EFG has already received extensive criticism from businesses that loans are still hard to come by mainly because of confusion about the system among bank staff. We're told that £344m of eligible applications from 3,071 businesses that have been granted, are being processed or assessed, while 2059 firms have been offered loans totalling over £186m.
A good start but much more is needed.
Like Liam Bryne himself said, social enterprises are well placed to help the disadvantaged.
The traditional, excessive risk taking and massive profit making way of doing business has let us all down; now is the time for social entrepreneurs to seize the opportunity and prove that an ethical, sustainable approach to business is the future. It's not tree hugging; it's business. But it's business that generates social change.
The press release informed me that the "lessons from the summit will be taken forward across government". I'd certainly be keeping an eye on that one.
A press release arrived in my inbox this morning proclaiming the summit signifies "unprecedented government support for social enterprises". Strong words but let's hope the impact of the measures prove as such.
Announced was a new ministerial working group to ensure a "level playing field" for social enterprises and charities to compete for public sector contracts, a new guide to social return to help public service leaders understand the social value that social enterprises can bring to local society and a £45.6m Futurebuilders Investment Plan to help social enterprises deliver public services, through a new fast-track investment process.
Mandelson also revealed that changes to the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme (EFG), the initiative set up to provide bank loans to small businesses struggling to secure finance because of the economic downturn, will free up £20m to social enterprises in disadvantaged areas.
All great stuff but now the hard work begins.
The headline grabbing announcements are all very well and good but they're worth nothing if they don't get to the social enterprises they are designed to help.
The EFG has already received extensive criticism from businesses that loans are still hard to come by mainly because of confusion about the system among bank staff. We're told that £344m of eligible applications from 3,071 businesses that have been granted, are being processed or assessed, while 2059 firms have been offered loans totalling over £186m.
A good start but much more is needed.
Like Liam Bryne himself said, social enterprises are well placed to help the disadvantaged.
The traditional, excessive risk taking and massive profit making way of doing business has let us all down; now is the time for social entrepreneurs to seize the opportunity and prove that an ethical, sustainable approach to business is the future. It's not tree hugging; it's business. But it's business that generates social change.
The press release informed me that the "lessons from the summit will be taken forward across government". I'd certainly be keeping an eye on that one.
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