Whilst SSE's focus has been resolutely on the UK over the past 6 months (hello Cornwall, Yorkshire, Devon, Hampshire to the growing franchise), there's also been a bit of international expansion and work going on as well.
By all accounts (there was a significant UK / Scottish presence…), the Social Enterprise World Forum 09 in Melbourne was a great event, and congrats are due to the organisers (Social Traders and all at Social Ventures Australia). To get a sense of what the event was like, you can check out the photo gallery (look forward to Voice 10 being opened with a 'smoking ceremony') or, better still, watch the video of the centrepiece debate, featuring SSE CEO Alastair Wilson in fine form:
Second up video-wise, SSE was the UK partner in recruiting and inputting into the design of the Ariane de Rothschild Fellows Programme on Dialogue and Social Entrepreneurship, involving Jewish and Muslim social entrepreneurs from France, UK and US. Again, it was an exciting thing to be involved in, and we were delighted with the UK participants selected: an amazing bunch, including two SSE Fellows (Athol + Mobeen) and one current SSE student (Norma). Here is a 5 minute video that gives you an insight into the 2 week programme in New York:
There is also a round-up video from the US partner / delivery organisation, Columbia University here:
Following Colin Crook's witness session, the SSE residential in Dartington took an unexpected turn (ok, so the staff were expecting it, but anyway). London SSE Director of Learning Marcia sounded the siren from the middle of the Dartington lawn (see photo below) to announce the start of the (drum roll) APPRENTICE CHALLENGE.
14 teams made up of SSE students from across the UK were challenged (by Dartington CEO Vaughan "Alan Sugar" Lindsay) to research, conceive and present a new social enterprise idea, taking into account social impact, community needs, sustainable thinking (financial + environmental) and, most challenging of all, to work effectively as a team along the way. Each team was given a set budget of $500 Dartington Dollars to spend in various advice shops (marketing, evaluation, finance, materials, and even focus groups with "real local people" etc), as well as having to register their team name with "companies house" and submit a press release to a set deadline.
By the end of the Wednesday (day 3 of residential), each team had to have created a stall in the marketplace to showcase their product, with clear evidence of thinking / planning around social impact, a 3 year financial forecast, a brand / advert, mission statement and so on. One team narrowly escaped disqualification for trying to sneak an extra print-out onto their table after time, but otherwise all teams achieved this on time.
Thursday morning was judging time (judges included the CEO of Dartington, and SSE trustees + staff), and the pressure was really ramped up as three teams were chosen to be grilled on the stage by the judging panel. Once one team was dispatched (with the immortal words "you can't polish a turd"), Dramatic Impact were up against Love + Life for the title. It went to the crowd's vote and, perhaps slightly against the judges' preferences, Love + Life won. And celebrated. Quite a lot.
Huge congratulations to all the teams and social entrepreneurs though. It was by far our biggest ever residential with over 150 people there, and everyone really entered into the spirit of the event to achieve the maximum while we were there. At times, it was challenging: as well as being fun, it was also quite a pressurised day and a half, and (as with the real Apprentice), pulling a team together from complete stranger at such short notice is tough. Especially when they are social entrepreneurs with strong opinions and plenty of ideas! But most importantly, given the discussions I heard during and after the event, there was a lot of learning and development (both skills and personal) that took place over the four days. As well as a lot of networking and friend-making.
Here's a final slide-set featuring many of the presentations, teams at work, judging, dancing, clarinet-playing (Jimmy is a star), laughing, big team photo etc etc. Enjoy. And a final huge congratulations to Cynthia, chief organiser-in-chief, and all the other SSE staff and students who made it a success.
So I'm at Dartington Hall in Devon, in 1500 of the UK's finest leafy acres. But no time to enjoy the peace and quiet, or the view. Because I am here with 150 social entrepreneurs from across the UK: all the students who are currently on SSE programmes in the UK: that means from Fife, Cornwall, London, East Midlands, Liverpool, Yorkshire and Hampshire….and the new Devon SSE will be based right here as well.
Having taken over what seemed like most of the train from Paddington, everyone's got here safe and well, and last night got to know each other over dinner, an ice-breaking session (a bit of 'forum theatre' with SSE Fellow Claire Hodgson from Diverse City)…and possibly some drinking and dancing. Though obviously I was tucked up in bed.
Today is a witness session with Colin Crooks (blog post to follow) and Vaughn Lindsay (CEO of Dartington), followed by some reflection time and networking.
Very exciting times: about double the size of any previous SSE residential, and the energy and enthusiasm and passion is palpable in the room. And there are loads of them: the SSE residential effectively qualifies as one of the large social enterprise conferences now…..which leads me to my title and to my final question: what is the collective noun for social entrepreneurs?
Matthew Thomson (formerly of SSE, and now of LCRN) used to say that we were a school OF social entrepreneurs, as well as a school FOR them, which might give us one answer. Or we could go surreal, like murder of crows or parliament of owls. A gaggle? A storm? A generous helping?
Answers on a postcard / e-mail /blog comment / tweet.
So much going on, and so little time. No time to stand around like these people smiling and joking (see left). Here is my attempt at a round-up of recent major news and events int he social entrepreneurship world etc.I have picked out some highlights but you can read more of what we've been reading on the Twitter feed as well: @SchSocEnt
– SSE has recently started work in Lewisham, in Yorkshire (official launch article, and photo above; massive thanks to Campbell Robb from OTS & Saeeda Ahmed, Social Enterprise Ambassador + SSE Fellow), and the Ontario feasibility study is motoring along…and we've hosted the induction of our new Australian CEO Benny Callaghan over the last fortnight, which has made for a busy, if enjoyable schedule…
.- Event-wise, it's a smorgasbord of choice for social entrepreneurs and social enterprises. The Social Enterprise World Forum is currently going on in Melbourne, complete with SSE Australia staff and students. Follow #sewf09 on Twitter for live updates (through the night….) or to catch up.
– Hopefully they will all take a leaf out of this year's amazing Shine unconference (yes, SSE is a co-founder of the event, along with Ashoka UK, the Hub and UnLtd); for a sense of this year's event in May, check out this recent video by BeInspired:
– Further Guardian piece on the first 'embedded' social entrepreneur in the NHS; not convinced they are one as such (more a facilitator, development officer) but it's an interesting experiment….
– Inspired to read about the Sheila McKechnie Award-winners (for campaigning) and especially delighted that Lea Misan, current SSE student, was a winner; and that Sam Akpabio (SSE Fellow) was a finalist. Well done all.
– And finally, best recent headline was definitely Social Enterprise Skyscraper; congrats to all those at Coin Street for showing perseverance, vision, and many other entrepreneurial qualities to get this done.
If you happened to be at Trafalgar Square Monday morning, you undoubtedly caught the fabulous performance by SSE Liverpool student Bernadette Whelan on the Plinth. Bernadette was one of over 32,000 applicants chosen to be part of Antony Gormley's astonishing living
monument that throughout the summer has occupied the empty Fourth
Plinth in Trafalgar Square in London. A space normally reserved for
statues of Kings and Generals, participants become an image of themselves,
and a representation of the whole of humanity.
To see Bernadette's performance in its entirety, go to the archived recording on the One and Other website.
Bernadette, a singer, teaches performing arts in schools in the
Liverpool
and Merseyside regions as part of her business "Crescendo". She is developing this business as a student of the School
for Social Entrepreneurs in Blackburne House Liverpool, and will graduate in a few weeks with the 2008-09 cohort.
She is in the
process of working as a singing therapist with Alzheimers patients and
stroke survivors to enhance language and memory recall and hoping to
conduct clinical research as how this actually works and its benefits
for the NHS in terms of the health and wellbeing of patients.
As part
of this mission, she trains the children in the schools to act as mini
therapists with her
to encourage inter-generational and community contacts.
Everyone at SSE thoroughly enjoyed your performance today and we are really proud of you! Thank you Bernadette!
Welcome to our social enterprise blog. Here you'll find news, views and updates from the School for Social Entrepreneurs.
