InTouch issue 25

SEEE is a membership & networking organisation for social enterprises and others. We also have a strategic influence on national, regional and local policy relating to social enterprise. Our primary aim is to support and promote the social enterprise sector in the East of England

in SPRING 2009 issue 25

cover story Report from Voice 09 What Do You Think?

Give Us a Hand Focus On Hertfordshire 20 Things We Know About You...

If You Don’t Ask You Don’t Get Craig Dearden-Phillips A Matter of Priorities

in inside Don’t believe everything you read in the papers Like most things you pick up to read these days, there’s quite a bit in this issue about what we used to call the credit-crunch, and now call the recession.

I think the word read is quite significant, because while there are some industries that are suffering from the downturn in the economy, most of the business people I talk to are doing okay, at least for the time being. It’s only when I pick up a newspaper or watch the news on TV that I’m told that we’re all doomed and should really just throw in the towel.

There’s a very simple reason for this - bad news sells papers – everyone in the media knows that, so there’s no wonder editors are so keen to print it.

The old adage ‘misery loves company’ is true and it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of believing and spreading all the bad news. In CEO Michele Rigby’s piece she talks about the ‘Good News Guru’ who’s taken on the job of finding something positive to talk about during the coffee break at the SEEE office, and how we can learn from the attitude of the fish salesmen on Seattle’s Pike Place Market, (go if you get the chance) in other words stop grumbling and get on with it.

It won’t be easy if your business is suffering in the recession, but remember, recessions don’t last forever and that editors need to sell newspapers.

David Jordan Editor

CONTENTS PAGE

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SPRING 2009 issue 25

Michele Rigby CEO SEEE Cover Story Report from Voice 09 What I Wanted to be When I Grew Up

4

We Can Survive!

SFEDI Success Business Advisors Directory

5

What do you think?

Give Us a Hand

6

Focus on Hertfordshire Organic Café Opens Special Offer for In Touch Readers Get Set

7

Focus on Hertfordshire Out of Hours GP Service Ready - SFEDI - Go

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8 20 Things We Know About You New Members pg9 New Member Profile pg10 If You Don’t Ask, You Don’t Get Social Investor’s + Social Enterprises = Sustainability pg11 Subscribe to In Touch Craig Dearden-Phillips; A Matter of Priorities pg12 Book Review pg13 Legal Eagle Why Join SEEE? pg14 Contact Us pg

welcome...

At SEEE Towers, we share a coffee station with other organisations. Mingling with other businesses – including one or two SEEE members - we hear what is going on, not least from the plasma TV that shows the news as we arrive for work and get that first caffeine shot of the day.

In recent months, that news has invariably been cheerless, prompting one of the ‘regulars’ to declare himself the ‘Good News Guru’ as an antidote to recession depression. When he hears good news about a business, he passes it on. It’s not always easy, and some days even he finds good news scarce on the ground, but I have to admire his stance. Upbeat and determined not to let gloomy news dictate his attitude, he reminds me of the Seattle Pike’s Place Fish Market training video. Here staff of a successful fish-stall, show how they consciously choose their attitude to attract customers and tourists. Choosing an upbeat attitude sells more fish, and eventually lifts a low mood.

Trying to appear cheerful when everything seems to be going wrong might seem counter-intuitive, but it’s good for business.

Attitude is infectious: is it better to be positive, or to infect your team and customers with your pessimism? I’m not saying be unrealistic about what you need to do to survive, and I’m not saying you should hide your problems, but choosing a positive upbeat attitude is more likely in the long run to release your creativity and encourage others to rally round, or to buy your product or service.

Trying to appear cheerful when everything seems to be going wrong might seem counter-intuitive, but it’s good for business. Attitude is infectious...

And if you can’t quite manage it, we at SEEE have resolved to be upbeat and be positive on your behalf. So if you need a boost, or want to hear a cheery but sympathetic voice in a time of uncertainty, give us a call. And if we know of anything that will help you in the short or long-term, we’ll let you know that too!

Michele Rigby CEO SEEE

PG 1~ SPRING 2009

COVER STORY

Big guns like David Cameron, Kevin Brennan and Liam Byrne lined up alongside local representatives to speak at this year’s Voice 09 social enterprise conference in Birmingham. It was encouraging to see such high-profile politicians taking part in a social enterprise event, although some delegates were a little disappointed that Birmingham’s richly diverse community wasn’t reflected in the panel of plenary speakers. However, their remarkable creativity was displayed for all to see in the ‘trade fair’ marquee outside the convention centre.

Stephen Mollison, Ho Law & Keith Smith were awarded burseries to attend the conference

Three SEEE members were awarded bursaries to attend the conference. Each had their own reasons for being there and each took something different away from the 24-hour immersion in things social enterprise.

For Stephen Mollison, from Norfolk-based Graphic Design and Print CIC, his sense of uplift from the event “rewarding and inspirational …has given me renewed strength to continue the work we are doing” was balanced by a frustration with politicians “selling an idea not an answer. Vote for me”, and the apparent ignorance about the social enterprise approach, and associated legal structures, by banks, funding bodies and procurement departments. For Stephen, it was ultimately time away from the office (though still quite pressured at the conference) to take in the wider view and reflect on the way ahead that may have a lasting benefit.

Chris & Laurie ‘in the pink’

Michele Rigby and Malcolm Williamson (Business Link) share a drink

PG 2 ~ SPRING 2009

SEEE staff and members were there with an exhibition stand which changed (along with the polo shirts worn by staff ) as the conference progressed. This clearly bewildered a few of the conference participants who wondered whether they’d had a little too much to drink the night before.

The electioneering of the political speakers was also noted by Keith Smith of the Ferry Project, in north Cambridgeshire.

“Everyone was making promises, but not making much real sense” says Keith, adding “well not sense that is going to make much difference to you and me and the people we serve.” Time away from the big speeches was particularly valuable for Keith – “The exhibition was good with lots of people to talk to, some I’ll never normally meet, and some interesting ideas. I hope some of the conversations will lead to opportunities, but they will take time to come to full fruit. This though is why I come. These are the things that make the real difference.”

what I wanted to be

By Cally Lawrence Wooden Hill

Laurie, Ilse & Chris sporting a shade of orange!

I know I’m very lucky, I always wanted to be an actress; that’s what I became and what I still am. From the age of six growing up in Bedfordshire I never wanted to be anything else.

Fortunately my parents were very supportive although they’d never been in the business themselves or had anything to do with the stage. My teachers were less enthusiastic about my ambition to tread the boards, but undaunted at the age of 17 I applied to three London drama schools. Sadly I failed the auditions, it wasn’t that I couldn’t act, I just wasn’t very good at auditions!

For a time it looked as though my dreams were not to be, but I never gave up and despite spending the next five years working in the printing industry I was still determined to become an actress, but for now performing with amateur drama groups and youth theatre in Bedford was as far as it went.

All together at the end of a productive day, note another outfit change!

For Ho Law from Empsy in Peterborough, the range of speakers and workshop leaders conveyed the breadth and depth of interest in social enterprise – not just the politicians, economists, and bankers, but representatives of grassroots initiatives in this country and abroad. Phrases like ‘small is beautiful’, ‘never say no’ and, on risk-taking, ‘turtles only make progress when they stick their necks out’ helped to convey the vibrancy of the sector. The spirit of social enterprise was summed up by speakers in the closing plenary session.

Changing the way we do business; openness, transparency and social accountability; translating trust into practice; transforming with social values; being ethical with money. “Still no definition of social enterprise yet” concludes Ho “but we are living in an exciting time and we are witnessing social enterprise in the making.”

For copies of Stephen, Keith and Ho’s reflections on Voice 09, e-mail chris.lee@seee.co.uk

The routine 9 to 5 existence was definitely not for me and one day I decided I couldn’t stand it any longer, gave the boss a month’s notice and left. That was the last ‘proper job’ I had and it was the best move I ever made. I worked as an office temp, lived in Turkey for a while teaching English, and made several trips to the USA working with kids at Camp America, it all taught me a lot about life and the wider world.

I realised I needed to get back into education if I was ever to achieve my ambition and eventually won a place at Manchester Metropolitan School of Theatre & Television and took a three year course in acting.

Thirteen years on and I’ve been working as an actress and theatre director ever since. I’ve appeared in all the usual stuff - Heartbeat, Emmerdale, Doctors - but probably the role most people will remember is when I played Ricky Gervais’ blind-date in the last episode of ‘The Office’ - it often gets repeated and people sometimes recognise me from it.

I started Wooden Hill UK here in Bedford in 2002 with John Handscombe whom I met years ago when we did Youth Theatre. I really enjoy using my skills to help young people develop and realise their full potential.

It’s important never to let go of your dreams. web www.woodenhilluk.co.uk tel 0845 094 0335

PG 3 ~ SPRING 2009

we can survive!

Surviving the economic slowdown is not just about strong financial management: successful organisations are built on people as well as finances. During my time working with the third sector I have heard numerous people say that the sector needs to do more to improve the quality of its people management; however this is something that could be said about many small businesses too.

You may be aware that Business Link runs workshops on starting-up a business, regulation and finance but did you know that we also deliver a whole range of workshops aimed at improving management skills and developing people?

For managers who want to develop their own skills there are workshops on: Time Management, Presentation Skills, Asserting Yourself, Influencing Skills, Staying Organised and Personal Effectiveness.

In addition there is a range of workshops aimed at helping managers with their day to day duties. These include: Coaching and Developing Staff, Developing Management Skills, Effective Recruitment, Employment Law, Customer Service and Redundancy & Dismissal Procedures.

These workshops are run regularly at more than 90 locations around the region. On average they last no longer than three hours and start times vary to help you find a workshop that fits in with your work commitments and caring responsibilities. As well as learning from our excellent tutors, who have experience of tackling real issues in business, you will also have the chance to Paul Henry Regional Partnership Director

SFEDI success

SFEDI assessor George Ruddock presents Sally Kelly of The Guild in Norwich with her certificate as a specialist social enterprise SFEDI advisor. Sally was the first advisor to go through the rigorous assessment process with the help of a bursary from Social Enterprise East of England.

PG 4 ~ SPRING 2009

network with other businesses. This gives social enterprises the opportunity to compare themselves to, and learn from, those commercial organisations that they are increasingly having to compete with for business.

For full details of the range of Business Link workshops visit

www.bookevents.org or call 0845 601 1000 If you would like to know more about how Business Link can help your social enterprise then call

08457 17 16 15

what do you think?

In December 2008, we asked SEEE members …

Is the third sector better able to survive an economic downturn than the private sector?

Of the 60 members that responded, only four answered “No”, 27 said “Don’t know”, but a small majority – 29 – said “Yes”. An intriguing range of views about why the third sector has special survival skills included the following: “Poverty thinking has always inhibited a fair percentage of third sector clients we deal with, so in a way, they're used to being on a budget anyway. There is also better community involvement than commercial ventures, so they tend to have better flexibility with local supplier payment terms, even 'goods for services' barter. They are also less exposed to boom and bust cycles, as more steady state activity than growth model ventures”.

“Overheads for those with volunteers are far lower; perhaps better public goodwill plays a part in terms of those with retail trading arms likely to have increased revenues as people are more discerning with their cash. I also suspect such a downturn as this one particularly, may actually generate higher Third Sector start-ups than we've traditionally seen, as people may perceive the current economic system as not being fit for the purpose of sustaining a robust, ethical, humanitarian and environmental future. The rise of Credit Unions, greater investment in community ventures rather than hedge funds, may well change the face of funding in the third sector”.

For the full list of 42 responses e-mail chris.lee@seee.co.uk

Jacky Bennett

Will the credit-crunch end 200 years of industrial heritage and enterprise?

Jacky Bennett, Chief Executive of Hertfordshire based SEEE member - The Paper Trail – looks for alternatives to printing money …

In 2008, The Paper Trail was all set to sell a piece of undeveloped land at its Apsley Mill site, where John Dickinson, business man and entrepreneur built the largest stationery company in the world – think Basildon Bond and Croxley Script – in the 1800’s.

Dickinson’s invented the world’s first envelope and the machine that makes security paper for bank notes and stamps (including the first Penny Black). We’re sure he would have been pleased to see The Paper Trail investing cash from the land sale into its modern-day social enterprise, especially as business is booming at our Frogmore Paper Mill site with a new Visitor and Education Centre and a full order book for our 100% recycled paper.

But sadly, property and land values dropped dramatically in the last quarter of 2008. We were advised not to sell, leaving The Paper Trail with a huge hole in its carefully planned budgets for 2008 and 2009 and no cash to invest in vital equipment to increase production and efficiency at the mill.

Like all good social entrepreneurs we’ve tried to turn a problem into an opportunity – we’ve launched a fundraising campaign (over £70K raised so far) and approached banks and trust funds, but we still need much more.

How can you help? Do you need conference facilities, or to rent a small office? Do you want a fascinating family day out, or to join our office paper recycling scheme? You could of course make a donation to our ‘Give us a Hand’ campaign, they are always welcome!

PG 5 ~ SPRING 2009

focus on

HERTFORDSHIRE

new conference facilities - Letchworth As the world’s first Garden City, Letchworth has always had a pioneering spirit. That tradition is being continued by the entrepreneurial folk running the Letchworth Centre for Healthy Living, located between Letchworth and Hitchin in a green and tranquil 8 acres.

It makes an ideal setting for training and conferences; which is why the centre has recently appointed Jacqui Derrick as conference and marketing manager. Since September, they have opened an organic café offering home-cooked food.

The salads in summer will be home-grown as part of a horticultural therapy project being run at the centre. Delegates at a recent training day enjoyed apple juice that had been pressed just 30 minutes earlier!

So you can now feed the brain and the body in north Hertfordshire - as befits this former hospital, now dedicated to caring for the whole person through a wide range of complementary therapies.

Learning in Letchworth can seriously improve your health! For further info contact Jacqui on; t: 01462 678804 e: jaqui@letchworthcentre.org w: www.letchworthcentre.com

Get set Hertset is the social enterprise network for Hertfordshire. For further information, including details about Hertset’s ‘Third Thursday’ events series, e-mail Kate Belinis on: kate.belinis@cdaforherts.org.uk PG 6 ~ SPRING 2009

focus on

HERTFORDSHIRE

Out-of-hours GP services in Herts just got &

bigger better!

Although it was only officially launched in January, SEEE members Herts Urgent Care have a been making news ev ever since they opened for busine business in September 2008.

Herts Urgent Care – run as a Community Benefit Society with no shareholders – provides out-of-hours GP and other services across Hertfordshire. “We’re delighted that the Primary Care Trusts have been so positive about the potential for health service provision through social enterprise” says Margaret Hickman, Director of Engagement.

Demonstrating the role for social enterprise in large-scale health service provision, the Urgent Care team consisting of more than 300 GPs and nurses, and 200 operational staff have joined a consortium of five of the country’s largest social enterprise providers of out-of-hours care to form Urgent Health UK Ltd. For further information about how you can get involved with Herts Urgent Care; email: margaret.hickman@hertsurgentcare.nhs.uk

ready … SFEDI … go!

Eileen Hutchinson

Hertfordshire-based coach and business advisor, Eileen Hutchinson, has recently become SFEDI (Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative) accredited. Eileen, who runs Harmony Coaching and Mentoring Avenues, is one of a growing number of advisors across the East of England who have achieved specialist social enterprise accreditation. SFEDI is a gold standard for business advice, giving clients the assurance that they are working with someone who really understands the issues and has the highest standards of practice. For details about business advisors in the East of England go to www.seee.co.uk/businessadvisors

PG 7 ~ SPRING 2009

PG 8 ~ SPRING 2009

hello there! welcome to new SEEE members

December 2008 – January 2009 Onwards Enterprises CIC iComputeIT CIC Dyslexia Rooms CIC Freemind Well-being CIC The Projects Company Lighthouse Furniture Project Wholefood Planet Norwich CIC Screenreader.net CIC

Norfolk Essex Essex Essex Essex Essex Norfolk Cambridgeshire

NEW

member profile

Gerry Thornton started his not for profit computer training company, ‘iComputeIT’ last September, having been made redundant from his job in the City where he’d worked for 31 years.

“After being made redundant I decided not to seek similar employment in the City and to try to give something back to my local community by using my skills to teach basic computing skills to the over 50’s,” said Gerry.

Having spent most of his working life in IT Gerry came up with the idea after showing his Mother and her friends how to keep in touch with their relatives abroad.

His decision to break away from City life was also influenced by a trip to Calcutta

in 2007 where he worked with street children in a mobile school; an experience which he says was very humbling.

The company recently ran two 8 week courses in Leigh-on-Sea and will shortly be holding FREE taster sessions in Canvey, Rayleigh, Thorpe Bay and Rochford with a view to holding 8 week training courses in these areas too.

Gerry continued, “I believe social enterprises offer a wonderful and viable alternative to the sometimes greedy and faceless corporations in our country today and I would welcome working alongside other organisations in the Social Enterprise Family.”

For more details about ‘iComputeIT’ visit www.icomputeit.co.uk or call 01983 898881

PG 9 ~ SPRING 2009

if you don’t ask, you don’t get...

£1000 voucher scheme for the East of England

No matter what kind of business you are in, low carbon issues are going to affect your work; supply chain, operations, and customers are all part of the challenge. If you need to increase profitability through low carbon efficiency, develop new carbon technologies, reduce your carbon footprint and create sustainable business strategies, then i10 can help.

The low carbon voucher scheme helps address these issues by connecting you with relevant university expertise. The voucher pays for up to 2 day’s consultancy with a university and there are 50 £1,000 vouchers available. You must apply by 31st May 2009 and the consultancy must be completed by 31st July 2009.

It is easy to apply - log on to: www.i10.org.uk/lowcarbon or ring Rachelle Andrews on 07734562761 for more information.

During these difficult times we could all do with some extra help.

The level of training can range from A-levels, BTEC diplomas, Certificates in Higher Education, Honour and Bachelor degrees, to Doctorates.

Social Enterprise East of England are working with Beyond 2010 to give businesses in the East of England access to sector-specific training advice and funding for new skills.

Beyond 2010 can offer you up to 50% of funding to harness your full potential.

The nature of training is also varied: customer service/care, design, IT, leadership and management, membership, sales and sector specific skills.

A Beyond 2010 team of experienced sector specialists can work with you and your organisation to identify training opportunities that will equip your staff with new skills to "meet the challenge of change".

PG 10 ~ SPRING 2009

Please visit www.beyond2010.co.uk to find out how you can fully utilise this exciting opportunity or email; ilse.leenders@seee.co.uk for more information.

Beyond 2010 is delivered by the Essex Development and Regeneration Agency and funded by the East of England Development Agency and European Social Fund.

social

investors

social enterprise

by Peter Hughes Regional Manager East of England www.charitybank.org 01732 774040 According to a recent survey, almost three-quarters of charities say they face a rise in demand for their services, but because of falling income and rising costs, 29% are making staff redundant.

Additionally, the current climate means some enterprises are facing a cash flow squeeze. On one hand, suppliers are looking for earlier payments, while on the other customers are delaying payments.

On top of this, social enterprises and other groups have told me their ability to access support from the high street banks is being restricted.

All this means that the ability of an organisation to manage its cash position could be challenging in the forthcoming months, where short-term funding support may be needed but not easily accessible.

That’s why social lenders like Charity Bank are seeing an increasing demand for their services. Because we have a different

sustainability

approach to banking we’re better placed to help organisations with a social purpose that might be facing difficulties.

Charity Bank is a bank, and it’s also a charity. We operate a philanthropic banking model – we use our depositors’ funds to lend solely to organisations such as charities, social enterprises or community groups. And we offer more than just finance – we provide handholding and support, pre and post investment.

We don’t raise funds on the money markets – in fact we place money there – so we have not been affected by the current ‘gridlock’ in the financial sector.

Our capital is sufficient to sustain our exiting business and we still have funds to lend.

Our model means we don’t price our lending against the Bank of England base rate. Instead, we charge our borrowers enough to cover our operating costs – typically between 5-8%. The stability of our rates can be useful for organisations considering a loan, as it means they can budget knowing that their repayment costs are unlikely to change.

One of our borrowers in the region is Jubilee House Care Trust, based in Welwyn Garden City. We provided £480k to enable it to complete a purpose-built respite service for adults with learning disabilities.

The organisation recently deposited some of its reserves with us. Trustee and Treasurer, Graham Nolan said: “It is essential for us to secure a competitive return for our funds whilst retaining the highest level of security. We believe that Charity Bank provides an appropriate level of balance and we are delighted that our deposits will be used to assist other charities.”

It is immensely satisfying to work with such socially-minded organisations.

Their support takes us some way towards achieving our mission: to create a network of social investors using their funds to help deliver a sustainable future, for borrowers and ultimately for the third sector.

PG 11 ~ SPRING 2009

a matter of priorities

by Craig Dearden-Phillips

Social Enterprise: What it is and Why it Matters

by Martin Price Don’t judge this book by its cover. At its best, social enterprise is creative, colourful and people-rich; the cover isn’t. While ‘Social Enterprise: What it is and why it matters’ (cliché alert) says what it does on the tin; it’s just that the tin itself belies the quality of the contents within.

So it’s not a book you’d pick off a shelf in a bookshop and, at £9.99 for less than 80 pages, you might think it’s over-priced. But you’d be wrong because Martin Price has written a refreshingly clear and concise booklet – saving the reader much precious time. It looks and feels like a self-publishing job but the author knows his stuff, and so he should.

PG 12 ~ SPRING 2009

Martin Price is big in the Third Sector in Wales being associated with a long list of respected organisations, including the Development Trusts Association Wales, Social Firms Wales, the Princes Trust and Business in the Community. A welcome consequence of the Welsh connection are the local case studies, including Pack-IT in Cardiff. Pack-IT were Enterprising Solutions Social Enterprise of the Year in 2003 and European Social Firm of the Year in 2005. They also have Martin Price as their non-executive Chair.

Those new to social enterprise should find the coverage of charity trading, legal structures, the explanations of the terminology, and the

Leona Roche, a solicitor in Bates Wells and Braithwaite’s Charities and Social Enterprise Department, outlines some of the key questions that need to be answered to get your business up and running.

Some of the things a budding social entrepreneur should consider...

What is your mission? Who will you help – is your community local or nationwide? It is crucial to be clear about your goals when looking to attract support for your plans.

How will you deal with your profits? Will they all be ploughed back into the enterprise or will some be distributed to investors? This will affect your choice of legal form.

Who will be in charge? Who will run the enterprise day-to-day? To whom will you be accountable? And how will you involve those interested in your work (your stakeholders), for example, service users or the community you serve?

Fflan Ltd/ 2008/ ISBN 978-905979-00-4/ £9.99 arguments for social enterprise as a business model, particularly useful.

For me, the book put into words what I’ve had in my head for many years but never been able to articulate. I also learnt about the most unlikely of social enterprises; the British United Provident Association – BUPA! Reviewed by Chris Lee

How will you be financed? Can you obtain start-up support from government or funds for social enterprises, or will you need to take out a loan? Once you are up-and-running, where will your funding come from?

Can you secure appropriate property and premises?

What other assets and equipment will you need?

Once your purpose is clear and you have considered the questions above, one key practical step that must be taken is to decide upon the legal structure through which your social enterprise will exist and operate. The box below lists the diverse range of organisational structures that social enterprises can take, and indicates which can have charitable status. For more information, Keeping it Legal is a good introductory guide to the different legal forms, containing real life case studies.

It is important to choose a legal structure that will give your organisation the freedom to operate effectively, both initially and in the long-term. The choice will depend on various factors such as your purpose, funding and the people who will be involved in running and controlling your organisation.

In the next issue of In Touch Leona will explore the key features of community interest companies and their suitability for social enterprise. legal structure

can it be a charity?

Company Limited by Shares

yes, but unusual

Company Limited by Guarantee

yes, most common form

Community Interest Company (limited by shares or guarantee)

no

Industrial and Provident Society (community benefit society)

yes

Industrial and Provident Society (co-operative)

no

Charitable Incorporated Organisation (should be available in 2009)

always

Limited Liability Partnership

no

Keeping it Legal, produced by the Social Enterprise Coalition and Bates Wells & Braithwaite. Available from; www.socialenterprise.org.uk

PG 13 ~ SPRING 2009

We thought we could list all the reasons you should join Social Enterprise East of England, but that could be boring and you might not believe us.

Instead, we invited members (obviously we chose ‘satisfied customers’) from each of the six counties to tell us why they were members. This is what they said …

Membership of SEEE has brought us so many benefits. It provides excellent networking and show-casing opportunities and has helped us to develop useful partnerships to support and progress our work.

Jacky Bennett, Chief Executive, Apsley Paper Trail, Hemel Hempstead

I need access to good quality training, support and networking. Through SEEE I have been able to avail of good training, up to date workshops on hot topics and emerging issues…I’ve also been able to get to know other Community Interest Companies in the region which has reduced the risk of isolation.

Gareth Gault, Social Enterprise Director St Luke’s Healthy Living Centre CIC, Southend-on-Sea

We are very grateful to SEEE … I have benefited from a range of conferences and events organised

by SEEE regarding Workwise's social enterprise development.

Melanie Jones, Business Development Officer, Workwise (Suffolk) Ltd, Bury St Edmunds

SEEE has made us feel like part of a caring family, we really feel like they value us and have our best interests at heart. The courses they organised have been superb… the social events are spectacular and give you the chance to dress up and meet some really interesting and influential people.

Ann Peckham, Manager The Real Renaissance Café, Bedford

SEEE stands out for its applied, timely, responsive and friendly services.

Tim Allard, Chief Executive, Space East, Norwich We couldn’t have put in better ourselves!

Would you like to join Jacky, Gareth, Gill, Melanie, Ann and Tim? If so, call Chris Lee on 01234 834710 to find out how.

It’s good to belong to a regional organisation, otherwise the danger is becoming too parochial – especially in a rural county. SEEE staff are always very enthusiastic and supportive of what we do… the AGM/Conference was well worth the time.

Gill Riley, Director, Opportunities without limits, Sawston

Issue 25 Spring 2009. In Touch is published by SEEE. SEEE is funded by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA).

To communicate with SEEE contact: a: SEEE, Bedford i Lab, Stannard Way, Bedford, MK44 3RZ e: hello@seee.co.uk t: 0845 6066296 Editorial staff: Editor: David Jordan Assistant Editor: Steve Jordan Graphic design: Berri Art & Design Advertising sales: SEEE office 01234 834549 Please send PR and other information to: David Jordan e: intouch@seee.co.uk t: 01908 695500

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SUMMER 2009 ISSUE 26