The signs have been there for a while. Things click when I stand up. I not only watch Gardeners World, but have recently found myself wondering where Monty Don gets his shirts from. I have more conversations about primary schools than I do about nights out.
But this week saw final confirmation that my youth is behind me and I am in fact middle aged: I spent 40 minutes online looking for a magazine rack for my living room. I found a good one, but that’s not the point. What am I doing with my time? I’m not sure what happens next – do I start wearing corduroy and reading the Mail? Cups of hot milk at bed time? One of the more elderly members of the team at SSE recommends a drink called a ‘Hugo’ as something of an elixir, so maybe I’ll give that a go.
Still, my enthusiasm for social enterprise news remains youthfully exuberant so let’s get on with it…
E-news
The letter ‘e’ has had a difficult time of it recently. All these companies and apps that have turned their noses up at it – Tumblr, Grindr, Flickr. And now there’s further humiliation, as new app ‘Fundr’ launches. It’s a tool that promises to help ‘build a targeted corporate fundraising pipeline for your charity by searching over 500 continually updated corporate partnership opportunities’.
I’ve not had a chance to try it; it costs £1.99 and my SSE expense account won’t stretch that far, but it looks like it could be useful.
Money money money
Ian McLintock, founder of the Charity Excellence Framework, has put together a handy list of funding sources for social enterprises, comprised of relojes imitacion government contracts, trusts and foundations, social investors and more. It’s a sample of the resources available from the framework, which is free to access here.
Read 30+ Sources of Funding for Social Enterprises
The most important meal of the day
“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,” said Piglet at last, “what’s the first thing you say to yourself?”
“What’s for breakfast?” said Pooh.
The answer, if you happen to be in York on October 11th, is a slice of a toast with a side of leadership chat. SSE Yorkshire and North East are hosting a leadership breakfast with Liam Black, author and social entrepreneur. It takes place at the Micklegate Social and begins at 9:30am, giving you plenty of time for a lie in.
Don’t call it a comeback…
But our crowdfunding for charities and social enterprises course is back. A bit like when Lucy Robinson came back in Neighbours it will look and sound a bit different but the overall theme remains the same. Forward planners will be glad to hear that it takes place at SSE London on December 2nd.
Once upon a time in the West
A cracking looking event in Bristol on October 21st: ‘The New Western Frontier’ is for anyone interested in how the regional business community can create growth and deliver positive change. It’s free to register and there are speakers from a whole range of organisations – Creative England, Simpleweb, Mayden Academy, Creative Youth Network, Triodos, Engine Shed, Knowle West Media Centre, Sureserve Foundation, Ashley Community Housing, DotEveryone, Resonance Ltd, Ecomotive, Working Knowledge and the School for Social Entrepreneurs.
I’ve been told that tickets are likely to go fast, so book asap
Heal the world
Our North West, Midlands, Yorkshire & North East schools have joined forces with the Co-op Foundation to run a brand new programme for environmental entrepreneurs. Taking place over 10 months in 2020, the programme will offer the leaders of 15 organisations the support to increase impact and become more sustainable.
There’s loads more info on our website: apply by 31st October.
Work out
What do you need from a co-working space? I’d say that the essentials include meeting rooms, fibre-optic internet, 24hr security and specialty coffee. Which, would you believe it, are the exact things on offer from Well Grounded’s new co-working space in King’s Cross, London. Membership starts at £279 per month and you’ll be supporting Well Grounded’s mission to help people out of unemployment and into meaningful and sustainable jobs in the coffee industry.
No laughing matter
Comic Relief Community Fund have opened grants to grassroots community organisations in England with an income of less than £250,000. Two types of grant are available – capacity building grants of up to £500 and project delivery grants of up to £4000.
Be the change
Big Issue are looking for nominations to their Changemakers 2020 list, celebrating ‘the people working hard without any recognition to make a difference’. The first part of that sentence rules me out, but if there is someone you’d like to nominate you can email [email protected] with your suggestions. Last year SSE Fellow Jem Stein of The Bike Project made the list.
Er…
A long time ago I used to work in recruitment and we used to make notes on all the candidates that we used to interview. One day, one of my colleagues accidentally emailed the entire database of notes to the entire database of candidates. On realising her mistake, she looked up and uttered the immoral line “Er…I think I may have done something wrong”. Quite the understatement, it certainly made for an interesting couple of days.
If only we’d had SSE’s head of comms Sophie’s guide of ‘What to do when things go wrong.’ Swear a lot doesn’t appear as one of the options.
Situations vacant
If you’re looking for a new job it seems you’ve come to the right place, there are loads this week:
At SSE headquarters, we’re looking for a Salesforce Administrator (£32,061 – £35,032, 4 days per week) to, er, ‘support Salesforce and data system development and evolution, alongside administering the systems as built to maximise efficiency and ensure data quality’. If those words mean anything to you, apply by midday on Monday 7th October.
Living Streets are looking for a Business Development Coordinator (£26,519 – £33,513 per annum pro rata, plus London weighting if in London) on a fixed term contract until March 2020. It’s a tight deadline – you need to apply by Monday – but it looks like an interesting job. You can base yourself in London, Newcastle, Cardiff or Edinburgh. Further info here.
SSE Fellow Martin Cosarinsky is on the hunt for a safeguarding trustee for Breadwinners Foundation, ‘a small but multi award winning and ambitious charity providing employment and training opportunities for refugees and people seeking asylum’. If you have knowledge of safeguarding policy and can commit to 8 hours per quarter you can find out more here.
Our friends at Impact Hub Kings Cross would like to meet a passionate and resourceful communicator looking for their next challenge. If this sounds like you, take a look at their Communications Manager (£25k) position based in – you guessed it – Kings Cross, London. Deadline is 7th October.
Something a bit different, but equally as important: The Ivy House pub in Nunhead are looking for a general manager. “Why are you advertising pub vacancies Dave?”. Well, the Ivy House is London’s first co-operatively owned pub and Co-Chair of the Management Committee Emily Dresner is a current SSE student. It’s also only a ten minute walk from my house so I have a vested interest. Find out more here.
A slightly further walk (maybe 20 minutes) is Catford, home of SSE Fellow Amy Kimbangi’s social enterprise Good Measure which delivers a training programme in catering and bakery for long-term unemployed people. Amy is now recruiting a project manager (£28k pro rate, 30 hrs / week) with a strong background in the catering industry to play a key role in growing the business. Deadline to apply is 4th October.
The Katie Piper Foundation has a fantastic part-time, flexible, remote working Communications Executive role that would work really well for someone who needs time for their own project be it family or a start-up. They need a marketing and communications person who can think big, start small and grow quickly. You’d be telling the fresh story of their brand new Rehabilitation Centre for survivors of burns to potential service users, supporters and other stakeholders. Deadline 9.30am Monday 7th October. You can apply here.
