Search is on for photographs that capture the social enterprise spirit

The Social Vision photography competition is run by Triodos Bank in partnership with Social Enterprise UK and Social Enterprise Live. Heats will be held in the nine English regions as well as in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The 13 winners of these heats will be announced in November on Social Enterprise Day and go into the UK final. A new People’s Vote Award has also been introduced, which will be decided by online public vote and not the judging panel. The overall winners will be announced at a special event in London later in the year.
The winning photographers will each be awarded a £500 cash prize by Triodos Bank, and the winning social enterprises will also receive a £500 cash prize, plus a year’s free membership to Social Enterprise UK, a one year subscription to Social Enterprise Live magazine and two tickets to Social Enterprise UK’s annual event in 2012. The competition runs until 31 October. Entries can be made via the Triodos website

Food Co-ops Fruit and Veg Bag Scheme

Food Co-ops Fruit & Veg bag scheme event
Do you want to find out how to be involved in setting up a local scheme in Kent??

Wednesday 28th September 2011, 10am-1pm
At Westgate Hall, Canterbury CT1 2BT.

This event is ideal for community groups and individuals who want to find out how to set up a Food Co-op, with an emphasis on fruit and vegetable bag schemes, to provide affordable, local food to their neighbourhood.
The morning will cover...

What is a Food Co-op/fruit & veg bag scheme?

Introduction to the ‘Food Co-ops Toolkit’

How to encourage more volunteers to be involved

How to promote your scheme

What support is out there

Meeting others who want to do the same thing

How to do an action plan to get started!

This is a FREE event, but booking is essential!
To book, contact Sara Osman Sara@sustainweb.org
For more information about food co-ops and the Food Co-ops Toolkit: www.foodcoops.org

Guardian Social Enterprise Award

The Guardian Social Enterprise network is looking for the UK's most promising social enterprises who have the potential to make a big impact. Tell them why your social enterprise's venture has good growth potential, is ready to "scale-up" and deliver greater social impact. Pitches must videoed and no longer than three minutes long. Four outstanding finalists will be showcased online and at the Guardian Social Enterprise summit 2011, where delegates will vote for the overall winner. More information on rules and eligibility can be found on the website

Last Opportunity for SEIF Funding - CLosing 16th September

Until 16 September, they’ll be taking applications from health and social care organisations for capital grants and loans.  They will be awarding grants of £50,000 to £150,000 in value. Loans are also available if the organisation can show it is able to repay. Investments of over £150,000 will include a loan element. 
The Social Investment Business, with Local Partnerships, manages the SEIF on behalf of the Department of Health.
Find out if your organistaion is eligible for the SEIF Capital Growth Fund. Alternatively, ring the investment team on 0191 269 2276 for more informationNew Capital Growth Fund opens for health and social care social enterprises.The Social Investment Business would like to invest in social enterprises working in health or social care.

More Funding

FUNDING: new big community safety fund.

The Home Office's 'Community Action Against Crime Innovation Fund' aims to stimulate grassroots community organisations to find innovative approaches to tackling community safety problems. It will do so by empowering local groups to develop creative new projects to tackle local community safety problems. The Fund is worth £5 million in 2011/12, with a further £5 million set aside for 2012/13. Individual grants of between £1,000 and £50,000 are available. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis so that groups have time to develop their bids. The deadline is 1 December 2011. Full details at: Clinks VCS Network

Our newsletter has been re-designed to make it easier to read and for us to collect information on whose reading it. It will make it easier for you to pass it on to colleagues and for them to sign up.

In July we said good-bye to Rachel as she went off on maternity leave. Daisy Mae arrived on the 16th August, congratulations from all of us here at se2. Mel our adminsitrator left at the end of August having secured a position that fitted better with her child care needs.

There has been a grest deal of change recently and we are looking forward to the EGM and AGM later this month that will give se2 a clear mandate to go forward.

The Directors have been working extremely hard in the last 4 months, looking through our Memorandum and Articles, reviewing the new funding landscape in order to make se2 fit for purpose. se2 consulted with its current membership and various options were worked through.

On 22nd September an EGM of the current members will vote on a resolution to change the articles. If this is passed the membership of se2 will be opened to individual social enterprises as well as networks. We will update you after the EGM with a special bulletin on our progress.

TLI - the buzz word of the Summer. By now lead partners will have had their expression on interest apporved. se2 registered in all areas of the South East to ensure that social enterprise is represented in local partnerhsips. We have received several emails from lead partners and we have refered them to their local network. These include Hants and Isle of Wight and Buckinghamshire. If you as a local network are unable to be involved or would like support from se2 then please email sue@se2partnership.co.uk

Have you engaged with your local LEP, do have one in your area?

se2 would like to know how involved social enterprise has been in LEP's - this follows up on the work at the end of last year when we were able to allocate funding from the OCS programme to support engagement. Please send any comments or news  you have to info@se2partnership.co.uk

Over the last month there have been some interesting conversations on LinkedIn about social enterprise these have ranged around:

• Are Charities social enterprises and why should they have the Mark
• Does a CIC need The Mark?
• Do we need to re-brand social enterprise again!

We'd be interested on your comments - let us know what you think and we can put your comments in the next newsletter.

info@se2partnership.co.uk

Many charities would have been encouraged by the Green Paper, "Modernising  Commissioning", which recognised the barriers to the Sector becoming more involved in the delivery of public services. 

Following that we have very strong rhetoric from the Government in its White Paper "Open Public Services" that they want to open up the delivery of public services to a range of diverse providers. 

However, many charities and social enterprises may consider that the White Paper does not go far enough to enable a level playing field for charities and social enterprises, both large and small, to compete with the private sector in the commissioning of services.
To download a full pdf got to: Hempsons web site http://www.hempsons.co.uk/sectors/third-sector/news/news-briefs/september-2011-issue-6/article/how-open-will-public-services-be-to-charities-and-social-enterprises/

Social Firms UK has announced that it has secured a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Middlesex University. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) is a UK-wide programme enabling businesses to improve their competitiveness, productivity and performance through the forming of a Partnership with an academic institution. The funding will be used to recruit a graduate Research Associate for one year to assess the business success factors in establishing and running a Social Firm.
 

Social Firms, such as the bread maker in Scotland (pictured above), are social enterprises that generate at least 50% of their income through trade, reinvesting profits to create more jobs.
The Research Associate will be employed by Middlesex University but based in Social Firms UK office. The project aims are to:
• Identify successful growth factors in the Social Firm sector;
• Identify potential new markets and report on best practice;
• Develop tools and resources which incorporate the learning from this project.
 

To apply for the position of KTP Associate, visit www.mdx.ac.uk/jobs. The deadline for applications is Monday September 19th.