The more eagle-eyed among you will notice that the irritating picture of me in the email header above has been replaced by a new, possibly even more irritating picture of me. Before you start, it wasn’t my idea. I was told to do it by the powers that be so contact them with any feedback. I don’t want to hear it. Apparently I don’t look like I did three years ago so need to bring it all up to date- I like to think it’s because I look older and wiser but it’s probably just because I’m older and have new glasses.
Right, that’s out the way so let’s crack on with this week’s news…
Simply the best
Have you ever wondered where the best place to be a social entrepreneur is? Wonder no more, because the answer is Canada. That’s according to Thomson Reuters Foundation, who have just published the results of a survey which interviewed 800+ social richard mille replica entrepreneurs around the world and asked about their experience being a social entrepreneur in their country. As has been pointed out on Twitter, the methodology isn’t the most solid but it’s an interesting read nonetheless.
You can read the results here and there is also a free networking event and panel discussion to launch the report in London next Tuesday morning. You can book a ticket here.
Headline act
If you missed out on tickets for next year’s Glastonbury never fear, I’ve got the perfect alternative: The Plymouth Social Enterprise Festival. You don’t even have to wait until next summer because it’s taking place between 16th + 25th November and I’m reliably informed that there’s a 0% chance that you’ll have to watch Coldplay at any point.
There’s loads of good stuff going on, you can find out more here.
Going global
If this newsletter leaves you wanting more words from SSE staff members on the screen in front of you then your in luck this week. Our head of comms Sophie stared into a crystal ball and came up with her perfect future in ‘Fast forward: three changemakers reveal their vision of a positive future‘ for the Guardian while I shared some marketing tips over on the Pioneers Post website.
What a way to make a living
I’ve got three meetings today so will be paying close attention to Happy’s ‘five simple ways to improve any meeting you run.’
A quasi-equity storm in a tea cup
If you like articles about Big Society Capital then the past week must have been like Mardi Gras for you. At one point I thought there were going to be more articles about Big Society Capital published than articles about Brexit. First up, Eastside Primetimers’ Richard Litchfield posed the question ‘is Big Society Capital a big problem?‘. Nope, ‘we’re part of a Big Solution‘ replied Cliff Prior, ceo of BSC.
Here’s ‘Access’s take on the cost of capital in social investment‘ chipped in Seb Elsworth. David Floyd provided commentary on Twitter.
All very exciting really. If you don’t have a clue what anyone in any of the articles is going on about (and I wouldn’t blame you) you might like to check out our Unlocking Social Investment course on 7th November.
Nominative non-determinism
Exciting times in Liverpool where Steve Rotherham, the slightly confusingly named Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region, has announced a new fund worth up to £5m to support ‘socially trading organisations to multiply and grow across the city region’. At the moment a working group is looking for feedback from local socially trading organisations, community businesses and the wider city region social economy.
Serious bit
There’s been a noticeable increase in the amount being written about social entrepreneurialism and mental health over the last twelve months or so, which can only be a good thing. Reporting from this year’s Social Enterprise World Forum, Reuters cover how ‘more social entrepreneurs report burnout‘ while back in Blighty chief executive of Lloyds Bank Foundation Paul Streets writes that ‘charity leaders must take care of their mental health‘.
Speculate to accumulate
Your chance to play the market and make millions*: Co-Op have set up an organisation called Student Co-op Homes, which is looking to raise finance to purchase properties in Glasgow, Nottingham and Brighton to be leased to student co-op housing groups. It’s a neat idea which allows students to bypass private landlords and collectively own and manage their own digs. They are now looking to raise £2m in funding through a share offer – you can invest from £50.
*please don’t ever take financial advice from this newsletter
Local news for local people
Southwark Council have launched the Southwark Pioneers Fund, offering grants of up to £5000 to ‘enterprises and entrepreneurs who may be piloting, testing and experimenting with new/innovative solutions, and/or at an early stage in their growth journey’.
Deadline to apply is 25th November
Odd jobs
SSE Fellow and current board member Joel Davis has two vacancies at his fantastic social enterprise Tutors United. He’s looking for a Programme Coordinator (£20,000 – £24,000) and a Tutor Coordinator (also £20,000 – £24,000) to join his team, based in Shoreditch. Tutors United provide affordable private tutoring to the primary school pupils who need it most. You can find out more here and apply by 4th November. If you do see Joel remind him he owes me a crate of cider.
SSE Fellow Yvonne Farquharson has two positions within her organisation Breathe AHR: an Arts in Health Project Manager (£31,000) and a Head of Development / Fundraising (£40,000). Based in London, it’s a brilliant organisation which brings performing arts and research into healthcare settings.
Definitely a job that someone reading this newsletter can do – the Association of Mental Health Providers are recruiting a Social Enterprise Development Manager (£34,950) promote and support the voluntary mental health sector in the use of enterprise business models. The location for the role is flexible. You can apply here.
Finally on the recruitment front, SSE Fellow Emma Baines has a vacancy for an Operations Manager (£25k-28k) at her organisation Find Your Voice. The organisation creates singing communities where people are seen to grow, heard through a collective voice, together, achieving something different. You can find a job description here.
