This week’s Have I Got Social Enterprise News For You has been overshadowed by news of a dangerous virus which has finally taken hold in parts of the UK, and now threatens to wreak havoc.
But enough about UKIP (can we put him in quarantine?), here’s your round-up of social enterprise news.
- An interesting overview of Social Enterprise and Social Investment from Philanthropy Impact which goes some way to define some of the jargon thrown around in the sector.
- Feeling green fingered? Grow Wild is awarding grants of £1,000 to £4,000 to community groups that want to bring people together to transform a communal space by sowing and growing native plants – apply by December 2nd.
- If you are delivering social impact in Liverpool, SIB are offering ‘unsecured loans of between £50,000 – £250,000’ through the Liverpool City Region Impact Fund.
- The fantastically named Alternative Commission on Social Investment launched, tasked with investigating what’s wrong with the UK social investment market. Rumours that the soundtrack in the office consists of the Smiths, Nirvana and Joy Division are so far unfounded.
- If you are in Wiltshire, there are a whole host of free workshops for social entrepreneurs currently on offer.
- An interesting two day workshop in London next weekend Shake Your Gift which offers ‘an innovative way to partner up with likeminded people and achieve all of your creative goals!’.
- Pioneers Post are curating a series of articles offering a global perspective of social enterprise.
- First Thursday looks like a cracking networking event which is launching in London on November 6th at the British Library. It’s open to anyone from the private sector, social enterprises, local authorities and charities that want to use entrepreneurial means to make a social or environmental difference.
- Chivas Regal Scotch whisky are launching ‘The Venture‘, a global competition to fund and support social entrepreneurs – A UK finalist will win £10K and receive access to specialist business advice. Make mine a double.
- The Guardian have summed up ‘Five things charities need to know from the party conferences’.
For the first time! Unveiling the SSE award section:
SSE Fellows are a successful lot…
- Crisis Skylight Cafe London, whose Alana Cookman was a previous participant on our Trading for Sustainability course, is up for for an Urban Food Award – you can vote for them here.
- SSE London Fellow Sinead MacManus was the winner of the first Startup Pitchfest at the Future of Technology in Education conference with her social start-up Fluency which trains young people in need with digital skills and connects them to jobs.
- SSE Dartington student Nina Farr has been nominated as a finalist for ‘The Mumpreneur Awards’
- SSE Yorkshire and Humber student Jon Johnson and his team at Strip the Willow were nominated for the ‘Social Enterprise Yorkshire and Humber Start-up of the Year Award’.
Have a good week, and thank you to everyone who sent news in – no need for cockney rhyming slang this week!
