InTouch Issue 12

InTouch SOCIAL ENTERPRISE EAST OF ENGLAND

Autumn 2005 • Issue 12

Inside: Editorial

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How to promote your events to the wider social entrerprise network in the East of England ... and how to be networked yourself

CME celebrate 20 years of music-making in Norfolk

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Steady growth sees CME planning further expansion and new premises

Next steps to earning success – ideas into action?

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A diverse group met for two days and entered Chris Lee’s own version of “the dragon’s den”

Social enterprise in novel partnership

Social enterprise –

help shape the future

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Recycle-IT! goes for its next level of growth by partnering with a successful private sector company

Social Enterprise Visit Programme adds another east of England host

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Find out how successful social enterprises do it – and avoid some of the costly mistakes that can be made along the way

Working advice to social entrepreneurs

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Ten ways to make your social enterprise more effective from a seasoned advisor

CCDA to grow at new location

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Cambridgeshire Co-operative Development Association have new offices and plans for expanded services to social enterprises and cooperatives

Co-operative & Community Finance

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Industrial Common Ownership Finance (ICOF) have relaunched themselves as “the lender for social purpose”

Focus On ...

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Andrew Saul focuses on different forms of community transport

Networks unlimited

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News and forthcoming events in the region.

Tell us what you’re doing

Regeneration for the new generation

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Two pioneering facilities that benefit children and their parents are made possible by a mix of imaginative funding

Internet: SEEE’s Web partner services are at: http://www.seee.co.uk http://www.seee.co.uk/interactive http://www.nearbuyou.co.uk

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Nicky Stevenson at the December 2004 SEEE Draft Strategy event

s the East of England is about to celebrate the launch of the regional Social Enterprise Strategy and a membership drive for Social Enterprise East of England is about to begin; it feels like the right time to review the context in which these developments will take place. Having consulted with social enterprises and support organisations, we have a good idea of what the priorities are within the sector, but how does this fit with what’s going on in the wider world?

Some of these priorities, such as access to business support and support around procurement issues are emerging within other agendas. What does this mean for social enterprises?

Regionalisation of Business Links

Since April 2005, Business Links have no longer been under contract to the Small Business Service at the DTI, the contracts are now managed by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA). Over the next 18 months the 6 Business Link operators in the region, which currently provide one stop shops for business advice, will undergo some radical changes.

It is clear that their primary role will be to deliver Information, Diagnostic and Brokerage, as set out by national guidelines from the Small Business Service and this will be separate from the provision of business advice. Across the country each

individual Regional Development Agency will plan how services are to be delivered in the regions and the plans will be developed during the next few months. We hear that the Business Link service may delivered by one or more of the current Business Link operators in the future.

Our question is: who will they broker to? If the Business Link’s role is only to broker, who will provide the business advice that the businesses need? It is likely that EEDA will issue either one big regional contract or one sub-contract for each sub region – but how will social enterprises be recognised? We have ample experience of mainstream business advisers not having the right skills to advise social enterprises and social enterprises have complained about their lack of access to high quality business advice. Worryingly the view of the Small Business Service at national level is that they do not see the need for specialist social enterprise support. It will be important to influence this process and ensure that the needs of social enterprises are taken seriously.

SEEE, along with social enterprise networks from other regions, is involved in trying to influence the organisers of the re-organisation of Business Links. We met with the Social Enterprise Unit in July to identify how social enterprise business suppor t could best be ➜ page 2

SEEE Strategy delivered in the new environment, and will be involved in taking forward a position paper from the Unit to the DTI and the Regional Development Agencies.

EEDA’s own stated position suggests that it will be vital for those of us who believe that social enterprises flourish when they are supported by strong, specialist advisers, will need to engage with this consultation process to make our case (see box).

The role of ChangeUp

infrastructure organisations will be able to provide these services, rather than access advisers working with social enterprises.

It will be very important to work in partnership with these organisations at regional and sub-regional levels to ensure that there is no duplication of services, wasting valuable resources. It is also important that social enterprises, whether from the voluntary and community sector or elsewhere, have the best information and support available to them. As one business adviser in the region said “there’s no such thing as low level business advice”.

ChangeUp is a new fund from the Home Office and its aim is to develop the infrastructure of the Voluntary and Community Sector. How does Simon Ash, head of business services at EEDA, said: this affect the social enterprise “EEDA is committed to ensuring social enterprises sector? flourish in the East of England. That’s why we’re There seems to be some encouraging SEEE and its partners to get involved confusion in the way that in consultations and inform the debate on both ChangeUp is being delivered. the operating structure of the Business Link service T h e re i s a f o c u s o n h ow and the long-term future of business support in infrastructure organisations can the East of England. EEDA has no preconceived become more sustainable through views on the outcomes of these important pieces selling their services – thus of work. We want to find ways of supporting becoming more entrepreneurial – social enterprises as part of a holistic approach and the opportunity for individual to business support and community regeneration front line organisations to bid across the region, rather than set up a raft of for contracts to deliver public overlapping specialist services, and we’re looking sector services. The voluntary to partners to contribute ideas and best practice and community sector approach to make this a reality.” seems to be that their own

Launch of the Social Enterprise Strategy for the East of England As previewed in Issue 11 of InTouch, the Social Enterprise Strategy for the East of England is about to be launched.

To mark the occasion there will be a reception on Monday 17th October in Auditorium 2, The Junction, Cambridge.

So far we have confirmed as speakers, Hilary Brown, Director of the Social Enterprise Unit at the DTI and Mahua Nandi, Social Enterprise Networks Manager at the Social Enterprise Coalition.

Gwyneth Jones, Director of Inspire East, will speak on the Importance of Social Enterprise in sustainable community renewal.

Those attending will have the chance to hear how the strategy fits with national and regional policies and how Social Enterprise East of England expects the strategic objectives to be taken forward.

In addition, there will be opportunities to see demonstrations of the SEEE website and to register as a user, plus chances to talk to a wide range of organisations involved in social enterprise in the region.

The reception will run from 4.30pm to 7pm and will be preceded by an event from 2pm - 4.30pm (lunch available from 1pm) showcasing developments in social enterprise in the region, each highlighted by a case study. The case studies will be presented by participants in the featured enterprise. The dissemination event will cover the key learning points to emerge from the range of activities that have been supported by the SSEER programme.

More details and a booking service can be accessed at www.mybusinesslink.co.uk/events or by phoning 01727 813613, or to talk informally about the event, please contact Peter See.

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No 12 Autumn 2005

What can social enterprises do?

If you are currently using business advice services delivered through a Business Link, ask how these services will be delivered in future and make sure you let people know what sort of services you need and how you need them delivered.

Find out whether the voluntary sector infrastructure organisations (Councils for Voluntary Service or Rural Community Councils) in your area are doing anything on procurement that might be of value to you. Certainly have a look at the excellent procurement publication ‘think smart … think voluntary sector’ available on the Active Communities Unit website.

Let SEEE know of any concerns you have about changes to services you use and value, to help make the case for the continuation of specialist support for the social enterprise sector.

If you have any comments on the issues raised in this article or would like to raise any other policy issues for discussion, use the address below to join the discussion forum on SEEE’s website. http://www.socialenterprise-east.org. uk/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=53 Nicky Stevenson Director, SEEE

Does your organisation have a community, social or environmental purpose?

Do you want to raise more income from more stable sources?

Or are you already getting income from trading or contract work?

Funded by:

You are warmly invited to Cambridgeshire & Peterborough’s conference on

&

Community organisations trading!

Organised by:

Supported by:

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9th November 2005, 10am-4pm Hinchingbrooke Country Park, Huntingdon Entry is free, even the lunch!

Follow the example of successful Social Enterprises round the country by joining us to: • Share ideas and experience • Support each other by buying each other’s products and services • Get information from and lobby public authorities and funders • Develop their skills and knowledge There’ll be a range of seminars on offer and support agencies available to give advice.

We’re pleased to welcome Ben McCall from Merseyside Social Enterprise Coalition to talk on Social Enterprise Networking: What’s in it for me?

Booking line 01223 360977 The event is free, but booking is required.

For more info, contact Cambridge Co-operative Development Agency on 01223 360977 or email cambridgecda@connectfree.co.uk

Editorial

From the Editor

InTouch

Social Enterprise East of England Autumn 2005 Issue 12 The SEEE network is co-ordinated by Business Link Hertfordshire

InTouch is financed by SEEE (funded by the European Social Fund ) and published in its support by Business for People in partnership with Creative Touch, both of which are social enterprises

Tel.

Unit 9, Cooper's Business Centre Ferrars Rd, Huntingdon PE29 3HH 01480 433302

SEEE Team: Development Manager: Peter See SSEER Project Manager: Elaine McCorriston SSEER Project Executive: Donna Pollard Diversity & Social Sector Manager: Jo Ransom (Exemplas Ltd) Web Manager: Lin Evens (EPAS Ltd) Nearbuyou Manager: Michael Waring (The Guild) Editorial Staff: Editor: David Lloyd intouch@seee.co.uk Content Editor: Peter Durrant Contributing Editors: Jonathan Mitchell Andrew Saul Advertising Sales: Joseph Law 01480 433302 Layout: Lorraine Peacock Creative/production Editor: Austin Bambrook Please send PR and other information items to: Peter Durrant, e-mail: humberstone@pop3.poptel.org.uk Tel. 01223 262759

David Lloyd is managing director of Business for People in Huntingdon. He is editor and contributor to various publications

News we can use?

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s I mentioned in the last issue of InTouch, we are introducing a free monthly email newsletter, InTouch Express. The combination of a quarterly journal and a monthly e-newsletter (or e-zine) gives us the opportunity to continue to address deeper issues and case studies through InTouch while keeping you up-to-date with diary events and breaking news in InTouch Express.

Publicising your information and events ...

What does this mean for you?

As we will be publishing more often, this means we can help you promote your events more effectively. There should now be a maximum of only four weeks between you sending us your information and it being circulated to thousands of interested people and organisations in the East of England.

We can pick up on your events and follow some of them up as articles and case studies, either in the e-newsletter or the magazine.

You can find out more about what events others are organising, so if you are looking for training courses or seminars you can see at a glance what is coming up.

There are no charges for any of these services.

We want to hear from you so that the magazine and the e-newsletter are based on your experiences and ideas, and to hear your responses to articles and case studies we have already featured. We want InTouch to be the main source of information for social enterprises in the East of England .... So its up to you.

Contact me if you would like to send us some information about your activities. We also have space available for paid adverts, so if you would like some information about our rates, please contact Joe Law. Our contact details are in the box to the left.

... and please check your details!

In order to make it as easy as possible for you to continue to receive InTouch – and additionally receive InTouch Express (we currently have only one-third of our subscribers’ email addresses) – we’ve enclosed a foldable reply form with this issue so you can update your information. Please take a few minutes to complete it and put it in your post.

Alternatively, you can go to http://www.seee.co.uk/ and click on the InTouch subscription box in the left column. If you register on the website at the same time, you’ll be able to access and change the address details we hold thereafter, as well as participating in forums, submitting your events, jobs and key documents, should you wish.

We’ve also added an additional subscr iption for m should any colleague or friend be interested in their own copy of InTouch and/or the monthly e-newsletter.

It was the philosopher Francis Bacon who wisely noted that “information itself is power”. So stay informed by ensuring we have your complete and up-to-date contact details. And make sure all those other InTouch readers get to know about your achievements, news and events.

InTouch Express

The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers or of Business Link Hertfordshire, SEEE Ltd, Business for People Ltd or Creative Touch Social Enterprises Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an information retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the publishers. This publication has been prepared using information provided by contributors and, while we make every effort, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. SEEE Ltd is unable to accept any liability for the consequences of any inaccuracies, errors or omissions in this publication. No representations, warranties or endorsements of any kind are intended.

© SEEE 2005

InTouch

No 12 Autumn 2005

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Initiatives

CME celebrate 20 years of music making in Norfolk

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his August marked the 20th Anniversary of Norwich based charity Community Music East Ltd, or CME as it is known to its many users. Since 1985 CME has been providing music-making activity promoting personal development and encouraging lifelong learning. These activities and opportunities have recently expanded to include multi media.

Beneficiaries of CME’s work are generally people who would otherwise not have the opportunity to engage in such activities. Participants have included special needs groups, disadvantaged and disaffected groups, those with learning difficulties, mental health groups, the homeless, offenders and ex-offenders and after school groups. In the last 5 years CME has managed to reinstate its public activity programme of both music and multi-media activities providing progression for existing groups and opportunities to participate for the general public.

CME has grown steadily over the years and is now a substantial organisation with 8 full time staff based at their offices on King

Street plus a team of 25 freelance tutors who have all been trained by CME. Currently providing an e x t e n s i v e p r o g ra m m e o f workshops from its base on King Street in Norwich, CME will soon open the Community Music Centre and Recording Studio in the heart of the City Centre. The new premises will be situated between the new Chapelfield Development and the Theatre Royal and are due to open early 2007.

Next steps to earning success – ideas into action?

Chris Lee reports on 30 hours of eating, sleeping and breathing income generation in rural Cambridgeshire

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t turned out I wasn’t the only one to be reminded of the cult TV series “The Prisoner” as I reported to the gatehouse of the Genome Campus near Cambridge. High tech buildings sat shoulder-to-shoulder with historic Hinxton Hall – our training venue for two days and a night in mid-May 2005 – in 55 acres of Cambridgeshire countryside.

It was a big occasion for me – piloting a new course “Next Steps to Earning Success” that I’d been developing on and off the previous 18 months. Designed as a ‘shot in the arm’ for voluntary sector organisations with ideas for earning income from trading goods and services – to turn their talk into action.

For me, success would partly depend on how well our participants got on together and how much they put into the course. This explains the choice of rural isolation in our substitute Portmeirion – fewer distractions, a stimulating learning environment, participants staying for the full 30 hours and, as it happened, beautiful sunshine for outdoor breaks.

Groups had come from Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire each with different levels of knowledge about, and experiences of, this thing called “social enterprise”. This diversity turned out to be a real asset, and early disagreements

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No 12 Autumn 2005

about the benefits of business to the not-for-profit sector were, on reflection, creative more than divisive. And it got us thinking and talking!

The course was programmed but informal, with tutor presentations rather than lectures. Time limits dictated that topics – marketing and money matters to name just two – were introduced rather than explored in depth. Handouts, such as “Earning Success – what does it take?” and “Social Enterprise – a guide to resources”, were designed to stimulate and signpost after the course.

Day two, judged by the 13 participants to be the more useful of the two days, revolved around “Dragon’s Den” style 10minute presentations of their business ideas, which included selling training, producing a debt advice toolkit, and setting up an internet café. The panel of three practitioners – from the voluntary, social enterprise and private sectors – weren’t dispensing finance, but their sound advice was generously given and gratefully received.

So did this experiment in not-for-profit business development work? An honest group appraisal at the end of the two days gave valuable pointers to improvements if/when the course is rolled out in other parts of the country. All participants left with action plans for the months ahead and each will be interviewed to check on progress. Whether the talk will turn ideas into cash, time will tell.

Initiatives

Social enterprise in novel partnership R

ecycle-IT!, a leading social enterprise based in Luton, has initiated a novel partnership with private sector Business Development Group to take its development to the next stage.

This partnership – believed to be the first of its kind for the social enterprise sector – will use tried and trusted means, commonplace in the private sector, to boost the ability of Recycle-IT! to grow to the next stage of its development and rise to the challenge of the new EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive expected to become UK law in 2006.

Recycle-IT! has been refurbishing computer equipment for the charitable, community and educational sector for ten years, whilst providing training and job opportunities for people who have experienced long-term unemployment. It has been extremely successful, supplying low-cost computers in bulk to schools in countries such as Kyrgyzstan and Georgia, and to charities and low-income families in the UK, winning a number of prestigious social and commercial awards in the process.

The Business Development Group has been specialising in the development and capacity building of private sector companies for 38 years, with an impressive portfolio of companies.

Detailed negotiation was required between the two companies over six months to ensure that the best help was available to Recycle-IT! without compromising the essential social and nonprofit nature of the company.

Arnie Kosky, Managing Partner of Business Development Group, and Chair of Recycle-IT! said: “With our wealth of experience in taking companies to the next stage of their development, we are well aware that the barriers in the way of most small

businesses are lack of time and resources, and lack of time to gain extra resources. We offer the time and urgent resources, freeing up the existing management structure to stand back and take the measures that they know their company needs. We are delighted to add a social enterprise to our portfolio, especially one as successful and ground-breaking as Recycle-IT!, and to be able to use our expertise to make a real difference to a company that is doing such important work.”

Recycle-IT! Managing Director Michele Rigby said: “As a social enterprise that has always been 95% self-sufficient, we are proud of our successes, especially as the company has been built by people who have suffered long-term unemployment, and has made such a difference to the lives of low-income groups, families and individuals in this country and others. But we were frankly struggling to achieve our ambitions with the resources that we had. By working with Business Development Group, we will be able to take the quantum leap in our social business that will allow it to meet the commercial competition that the WEEE Directive will bring, and remain as the largest and most successful computer refurbishing company in the social sector. I have always been an advocate of private-social partnership, and am delighted that BDG have the foresight to see that a social enterprise is as likely to benefit from their expertise as a private company.”

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Michele Rigby, Managing Director, Recycle-IT! Ltd Tel: 01582 492436 Email: Michele@recycle-it.ltd.uk Arnie Kosky Chair, Recycle-IT!, Tel: 0208 546 6868 Email: bdgl@dial.pipex.com

What can WEETU do for you?

Building on 17 years of experience providing enterprise and employment support for women in the East of England WEETU, the Women’s Employment, Enterprise and Training Unit, have developed a range of tried and tested products and services which may be of use to your organisation.

Full Credit – Turning Ideas Into Enterprise Full Credit gives you all the tools to support enterprise in your community including • Pre-enterprise training • Access to WEETU’s Full Circle Loan Fund • All training materials and documentation • Full support from the Full Credit team The Full Circle programme was described as “a model for the rest of the country” by then Minister for Employment, Andrew Smith.

Full Credit has been successfully implemented in both rural and urban settings with single and mixed gender groups.

Skills for Business To support the pre-enterprise training WEETU has a package of business skills training – breaking down the skills required to start your own business, making them more accessible and less intimidating for your clients.

Social and Economic Impact Evaluations To effectively measure the value of any programme one needs to measure both social and financial impact. Without both one cannot tell the whole story.

WEETU can provide evaluation tools which can be adapted to suit your needs.

Short Courses WEETU can also draw on its considerable experience to provide bespoke short courses for your organisation or clients including • Financial Literacy • Business Start-Up aimed at community groups • Confidence Building • Practical Skills to improve your employment prospects We have an ever increasing portfolio of short courses and are constantly developing new approaches, so contact us if you think we might be able to help.

For more information please contact Jo Ludbrook 01603 767367 j.ludbrook@weetu.org

www.weetu.org

InTouch

www.fullcredit.org

No 12 Autumn 2005

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Initiatives Social Enterprise Visit Programme adds another East of England host

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he Social Enterprise Visit Programme seeks to promote better business through shared learning and the exchange of ideas and experience.

There are now two social enterprises in the East of England who are hosts to the Social Enterprise Visit Programme – Hadleigh Training Centre in Essex and Branching Out in Cambridgeshire.

New host Branching Out

Branching Out is an excellent example of a community business. It is comprised of several social enterprises that include recycling, horticulture, garden and village furniture design and build, a community café, a shop and a computer recycling business. All these enterprises provide real work opportunities for students with learning difficulties from local colleges. Branching Out works in partnership with education providers, the council, business networks and other community organisations in Littleport, Ely and Huntingdon.

Specific business topics that Branching Out will examine at their visit days are: business planning (using the plan as a business development tool), customer focus, and raising finance.

To learn from their experience and find out how they have become successful, you can visit Branching Out on 16th March 2006. What you learn can then be applied to help develop and improve your own business. (Customised visits can also be arranged – call 0870 458 4147 for details.)

Book your visits or find out more

Visits cost just £95 plus VAT per place. To book, or for an information pack and to find out how the programme can help your business, respond to the advertisement below.

Why repeat the mistakes that others have made?

Benefit from the experience of successful social enterprises Building a successful business is hard enough without falling into the same traps as others that have gone before you. The Social Enterprise Visit Programme puts you in touch with other social enterprises whose experience can help you make your business a success.

For further details, or to receive an information pack, simply � Call the Visit Team on 0870 458 4147 � Email sevisits@statuscommunications.co.uk � Visit www.socialenterprisevisits.com Make life easier for yourself and your organisation, and benefit from the experience of others.

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Managing a Social Enterprise A rolling training programme designed to develop, sustain and promote your organisation Contains three core modules; Project Management Money Management Business Plans And three additional units; Presentation Skills Evaluating the idea Market Opportunities All modules/units are accredited with the Open College Network (OCN) and are fully funded in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

Contact Keith on 01603 615200 or email keith@the-guild.co.uk

Initiatives

Working advice to social entrepreneurs Paul Watkinson, CEO of support organisation Working Herts, offers some seasoned advice to social enterprises 1. Filing Cabinets – Make room for lots of these. Whatever happens you will end up with a system requiring double the paperwork of an SME because you add to the normal paperwork generated by trading activities and customer records these other forms; – beneficiary tracking, soft outcome records, grants monitoring, public accountability, and multiple audit requirements.

2. Who is the customer? This is the famous question asked by troubleshooter Sir John Harvey-Jones, the former Chairman of ICI . It is equally applicable to social enterprises.

It is easy for board members or staff to take different views about who the “customers” are: beneficiaries of the charity, people purchasing the service, the end user, or in the case of environmental organisations, future generations. From board level down, there must be unanimity about how these priorities are ranked, otherwise there will be years of discussion, division and customers going elsewhere.

3. Piloting – Wherever possible, pilot any service you plan to deliver first, before committing yourself to huge forecasts, promises, agreements and purchases. This enables you to establish costs, staffing, delivery times, risk assessments, to rehearse latent problems, and it proves you can deliver the big contract before signing up.

4. Pricing – Selling services cheap gives signals from day one that you work to lesser quality. If private companies are competing to deliver the same service, and they perceive you are undercutting them on the basis of a perceived “subsidy”, there will be trouble.

If there is a market price for the service, get it and you will still be providing value for money; you will be providing services up with the best of them, and have a chance to achieve surpluses which are critical to growth, ability to take risks, to innovate and for long-term sustainability. How can you innovate without reserves?

5. How do disadvantaged people deliver a world class service?

If your beneficiaries are delivering the service, here you turn disadvantage into advantage. We use six trainees and a qualified supervisor to do the work of two qualified tradesman, and the jobs take longer. This becomes a marketing advantage in its own right,. With more people, you can do things by the book, you can take more care over the service you provide (cut no corners), you can get to know the customer better, you can do more for them.

6. Multi-hatted staff – Staff have to work towards different objectives simultaneously. When the phone rings, are they sorting out a customer, dealing with a social problem, strengthening the bottom line, or trading off an environmental for a financial target?

There may be no formulaic answer except to work in an open plan office, where these complex judgements can be agreed in open discussion. That way, people can sing from the same song-sheet.

7. Investing in whose people? Many organisations are tasked with progressing their beneficiaries into outside employment. The investment in their skills is continually lost to the organisation, always saying goodbye to your best people. Entrepreneurs see this as a disaster but, to social entrepreneurs, this is the triumph.

8. Expansion beyond community – There is a trade-off between providing a service to a local community (community based, such as a residents’ service organisation or local SRB project) and achieving economies of scale using acquired know-how to expand elsewhere, into different markets, different authorities, different funding regimes. It may be helpful in this case to see beneficiaries as a community of interest rather than a group defined by geographical boundaries.

9. Charitable objects – There is a point when a charity developing into a social enterprise might be acting ultra vires with regards to its constitution, especially when trading is growing and market opportunities take the organisation in new and unexpected directions. Amendments to the constitution, the formation of a trading subsidiary which endows its profits in the parent charity, or the formation of a CIC (Charitable Interest Company), might be required to enable it to develop trading without defeating the original purposes.

10. Evaluating success – Social enterprises work to more than one objective, and these different objectives are at times mutually incompatible; for example weighing up getting people jobs against achievement of environmental targets, or the importance of making a surplus (hence sustainability) against increasing expenditure on beneficiaries of the service. Hence clear agreement about what constitutes success is crucial. In an ideal world, this needs tools such as cost-benefit or social audit to complement conventional accounts, particularly because many outputs are “soft” and difficult to measure in money terms.

These tools – once developed – can be used to sell the service; for example by promoting the value to society of making an environmental improvement, or of rescuing an individual from long-term unemployment.

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InTouch

Paul Watkinson, CEO Working Herts Ltd T: 0208 207 4600

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Profile

CCDA to grow at new location

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CDA (Cambridgeshire Cooperative Development Association) has moved to new offices at Chesterton Mills, Cambridge. Co-Director Zoe Wallis said: “This new space is exactly what we hoped for: we can now consolidate our existing activities and expand our services even further. Thanks to ChangeUp East funding, our offices include a library and access to computers for use in business support and a training room for workshops and group meetings.”

Chesterton Mills is a quiet historic site close to the centre of Cambridge with ample parking and good public transport links. CCDA are in the process of trying to improve access to the property for physically disabled people. Since their establishment in 1982, CCDA has supported co-operatives and social enterprises across Cambridgeshire. The agency offers advice, support and guidance to individual entrepreneurs, groups and organisations and works at local, county-wide and regional levels to promote the development of the sector.

The services include promotional activity, guidance, training and advice from first contact through to trading. CCDA can help with social enterprise and co-operative registration costs and have the facility to provide low-cost loans which enable matched funding to be secured for business start-ups.

They are also currently undertaking research into the needs and priorities of social enterprises in Cambridgeshire for the

Youth Intelligencia’ Education & Training

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Ethnic History Project EDUCATIONAL LEARNING PROGRAMME As you may know October marks Black history Month, which is a nation wide month highlighting Black/Ethnic history. As part of its ongoing outreach work with young people, YPDA is offering this year-round project.

YPDA delivers positive cultural and educational workshops/seminars in schools, colleges, universities and community groups. These workshops will be celebrating cultural diversity (past, present and future), designed to bring awareness to the positive contributions made from black and ethnic backgrounds in the U.K, and will cover the following workshops; Love 2 Learn – Intro 2 Black History 50 years of Music – Black Music In Britain History V Film – Ethnic Film and the Media at a Glance Arts in Motion – Ancient Drumming and Steel Drums Workshop African Fashion Design workshops – Includes Batik & Tie-Dye Developing Professionals – Designed for teachers/tutors Mobile Careers Advice – for young people 16 plus Chef’s Island Cooking Workshops – In African & Caribbean Cooking Workshops will include interactive demonstration through Slide presentations, Overhead projectors/Videos/Handouts/Quiz/Questions and answer sessions.

YPDA’s Core activities are: Flexi-Style Accredited Courses Music-Media YPD Housing Care 4 Parents (C4P) Advice, Information & Guidance Positively working to empower the young people © Young People’s Development Agency - 2005

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For more information, contact:

Tel: 020 8902 0077/1700/1485

No 12 Autumn 2005

Fax: 020 89029445 Mob: 07930-232511 Email: ypda@uk2.net Reg No: 5539283

Greater Cambridge Partnership, delivering training and business support for Business Link Cambridgeshire, and developing a network of social enterprises across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough for Social Enterprise East of England.

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CCDA, T: 01223 360977 8 Chesterton Mills. French’s Road, Cambridge, CB4 3NP. E: cambridgecda@connectfree.co.uk W: www.colc.co.uk/cambridge/ccda

Co-operative & Community Finance

A brand new look for the lender for social purpose

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new name has appeared in the social enterprise firmament, with the rebranding of one of the most longestablished organisations. Industrial Common Ownership Finance (ICOF) was set up over 30 years ago as a loan fund for worker co-operatives. However the lending remit grew to include employee ownerships and all manner of social enterprises, so last year the decision was taken to rebrand the organisation.

Co-operative & Community Finance was launched as the new trading name in May, with the addition of a new strap line –’the lender for social purpose’. “Since our former sister organisation ICOM moved to become part of Co-operatives UK, our old name stood alone and did not tell our client base what we do”, said Development Manager Andrew Hibbert. “We are committed to providing flexible finance for the sector and to enabling genuine social businesses achieve social, environmental and financial objectives. Our name needed to reflect this.”

Co-operative & Community Finance is unique in the UK in being a viable business in itself, making a living out of lending to businesses which cannot obtain money from conventional sources – either because their structure is unusual or else because they are perceived as too risky. Security or personal guarantees are not a necessary condition of a loan. “We have built up an unrivalled network of support services throughout the UK, and coupled with our experience this makes us good judges of what is likely to succeed and what sort of support is needed” says Andrew.

In the East of England Co-operative & Community Finance has worked with EEDA on the dedicated regional Community Capital fund, and is always looking for further clients, either as borrowers or as investors in the fund.

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Andrew Hibbert Co-operative & Community Capital, 53 Cavendish Avenue, Cambridge CB1 7UR. T: 01223 243087 E: andrew.hibbert@co-opandcommunitycapital.coop W: www.co-opandcommunitycapital.coop

Focus on: Community Transport

by Andrew Saul Editor's Comment: Community Transport is particularly topical with Hackney Community Transport having been recently voted Social Enterprise of the Year 2005.

Norwich Door to Door

F

or people with severe disabilities, finding low-cost, accessible transport to take them out and about at a time and to a destination of their choosing can be a problem. In 1992 a group of young people who were frustrated by this problem in the Norwich area decided to do something about it. Borrowing a vehicle from the Norwich volunteer bureau, they were assisted by members of the Lions Club in Taverham to register as a charity with the Inland Revenue, form a management committee, seek volunteers and raise funding.

A Lifeline for over 600 people

Today, the charity is still volunteer led, owns four fully accessible minibuses, and has a membership of 630 disabled people who rely on it for their transport needs. The buses are fully equipped with passenger lifts, wheelchair clamps and safety seat belts. Pick ups are made between 9 am and 4 pm Mondays to Fridays; and only group bookings are taken at weekends. Last year its members booked 12,500 trips on the three buses available, allowing them access to education, healthcare, shopping and whatever else they needed. There are 21 regular volunteers and one of the original founders is still serving in the role of Vice-Chairman.

The stated aim of the charity is to provide social inclusion to people living in their own homes in Greater Norwich, (which includes Norwich City and the parishes of Thorpe, Sprowston, Hellesdon, Taverham, Costessey, Cringleford and Eaton and Trowse) where their mobility problems and disabilities are so severe that they are unable to access public transport or use the volunteer car schemes. The Norwich transport strategy of 1998 suggests that between 10% to 12% of people living in Norwich, i.e. around 24,000, are unable to use public transport.

Making the service add up Members pay £5 a year subscription. To provide a single journey costs the charity £9, and the members are asked to make a contribution of £2.50 towards the cost. Fares account for about 26% of the budget. The balance of funds comes from grants and donations, and both the Passenger Transport and Social Services departments of Norfolk County Council help with regular annual grant funding. Additionally, in April 2004, a three-year grant was secured from Broadlands District Council. Together these three grants provide 45% of the charity’s revenue. The balance is obtained from both local and national charitable trusts working in similar areas, and the Norwich Door to Door charity has an annual Norwich Community Hospital Bowthorpe Road, Norwich. NR2 3UD programme of events T: 01603 776735 and fundraising W: www.norwichdoortodoor.com initiatives.

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Herts Action on Disability

T

he charity Herts Action on Disability runs a community transport scheme that will transport people to or from any part of the country, providing they are disabled. One user has even been picked up from Cheshire on a regular basis.

24-hour “whenever, wherever” passenger service

The scheme, which has been in operation for over eight years, is a 24-hour service that aims to take people wherever and whenever they want to go. The only limitation is that journeys have to be prebooked. The scheme has transported people to all parts of the country, such as Brighton, Clacton, Center Parks and Dorset. To illustrate the type of service they provide, one elderly lady who used to use the scheme recently returned to the country and was picked up from Gatwick.

Membership is not a requirement to use

the scheme and users vary from regular customers to those using the service on a one-off basis. Because the charity’s drivers are fully employed, a fare has to be charged. Exact costs vary according to the nature of the trip, but the aim is to keep the costs cheaper than using a taxi.

Self-drive also provided

The charity also operates a self-drive hire service whereby a customer can ring up and hire a vehicle to take a disabled relative out for whatever length of time is required, be it a day or a week or whatever, at a cost of £35 a day. The driver hiring the vehicle must have no more than six points on his or her licence, be able to show a licence when collecting the vehicle, and pay a deposit of £250, refunded on return of the vehicle.

Currently, the charity operates six minibuses (it is soon to purchase a

seventh) and two self-drive hire vehicles.

The transport scheme is self-funding, though it has to work creatively to remain financially viable. An additional source of funding is through an exhibition centre called the Henry Stevens Centre that sells disability aids at competitive prices.

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Herts Action on Disability Woodside Centre The Commons Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire. AL7 4DD T: 01707 375159

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Focus on: Community Transport

by Andrew Saul

All at Sea T

o travel between the Essex communities of Brightlingsea and East Mersea takes a 12-mile journey by road, but a ferry service launched last year reduces the journey to a sea-trip lasting only three minutes. This year Mersea Island, previously accessible only by a causeway, was added to the list of destinations covered by the service.

The 21-foot purpose-built ferry was made possible by funding from EEDA, Brightlingsea Town Council, St. Osyth Parish Council, Brightlingsea Business Association, Orchards Holiday Village and the Harbour Commission, who have taken on the running of the service, issuing 9,000 ferry tickets in its first year. At high tide, when it is not possible to land at Point Clear because of its shingle beach, pleasure trips are offered around the harbour. The vessel can carry up to 12 passengers, and has a winched ramp which can be lowered for wheelchair users and bicycles.

Historic Background

Brightlingsea is one of 23 villages or towns sometimes known as “Limbs of the Cinque Ports” – places that have a historic association in supporting the original Cinque (five) Ports on the south coast. The area last benefited from a ferry service three years ago – before the ferryman retired – just a small boat with an outboard motor. There has been a ferry in the area since 1600, and the restoration of such a service with a larger vessel benefits both locals and the tourist trade so vital to the region's economy; the Orchards Holiday Camp in Brightlingsea hosts 8,000 visitors in high season, while the Cudmore Grove Country Park in East Mersea attracts about 5,000.

East3 www.east3.co.uk

Phoenix Development Fund Project for Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex

info@east3.co.uk

Three Business Links connected to support social enterprise development

Need Help in Developing a Trading Idea? – The Social Enterprise Feasibility Programme.

Through this programme Business Link for Essex provides fully subsidised consultancy support to voluntary or community organisations who wish to assess the viability of a new trading idea.

The consultant will work with the applicant to: • Assess the feasibility of a new trading idea • Establish an action plan to take the idea forward The feasibility study will cover: • Market research/market intelligence • Procurement advice regarding contracts • Finances needed to take forward the new business (please note we will not secure funding on your behalf).

• Human resources needed This programme is available to the following organisations: • Existing voluntary or community organisations looking to trade or sell a service • Existing social enterprises looking to develop a new trading activity • An individual or collective looking to start up a social enterprise ****Organisations must be based in Essex to qualify for this programme****.

To find out more about this programme or to apply call 0845 717 16 15, email paul.henry@BL4E.co.uk or go to www.east3.co.uk

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No 12 Autumn 2005

There are many historic attractions and natural places of interest in the area to be enjoyed by tourists; as a port that supplied ships and men to the King’s Navy, the area used to be free from having taxes levied on it. Unfortunately, this situation ended in the early 19th Century, and now the region has to find other sources of commerce. The establishment of this ferry service will prove a great asset.

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Brightlingsea/Point Clear/East Mersea Foot Ferry Brightlingsea Harbour Commission T: 01206 302200 Bob Shotton, Tourism Manager T: 01206 302669 www.brightlingseaferry.co.uk

Brokerage Scheme B

edfordshire Community Transport Brokerage, BEDS CTB for short, is operated by the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity in order to facilitate groups willing to offer the use of vehicles to other groups with transport needs. Some of the vehicles have passenger lifts and ramps, and are available to groups and organisations that are properly constituted as not-for-profit, and that provide an activity or service within Bedfordshire.

All drivers of BEDS CTB vehicles have completed MIDAS (Mini-bus Driver Awareness Scheme) training and all vehicles are subject to a quality standard assessment to ensure that they are safe, legal and meet passenger requirements. There are over 100 mini-buses available for hire under the scheme. The groups providing vehicles receive payments towards running costs from the borrowers. Similar brokerage schemes exist throughout the country, but this scheme is new to Bedfordshire.

Two-way benefits

The scheme is available to organisations such as charities, clubs, societies, community organisations, schools and colleges.

The owners of vehicles have the benefit of receiving financial contributions to the overall running costs and they may have access to other owner members vehicles if their own vehicle is being serviced. Vehicles are used more efficiently – they are driven more frequently and receive regular checks, and expensive resources are more accessible to the community.

Funding organisations are more willing to provide financial support if vehicles are available for wider usage through a brokerage and advice on minibus management is available.

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Bedford Rural Communities Charity Brokerage Scheme T: Beni Wright, 01234 838771

Focus on: Community Transport

by Andrew Saul

Nene and Ouse Community Transport I

n rural areas, not having a car can be a serious problem, especially as mainstream public transport services on rural routes are inadequate. To fill such a void Thrapston Area Community Transport (TACT), created a new service, Nene and Ouse Community Transport, which covers an area from East Northamptonshire to Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire.

Funding and scope of membership

TACT has lottery grant funding until 30th September 2007, but this willl drop from £87,000 to £66,000 per annum this October.

This still represents a reduction of £21,000 a year compared with what the service benefited from previously. TACT serves members over 55 years of age, those who suffer social exclusion, and lone parents. This does not necessarily mean single parents, but can mean those who do not have the car for the day due to their spouse or partner needing it for work.

To use the scheme, one must first register as a member for a fee of £6.00 and pay for each journey. Child companions between the ages of 5 and 16 are permitted providing they are picked up with a member. Bus passes are accepted on ring-aride journeys, which comprise the larger part of the service. The service provides shopping trips with drop-off points at Kettering, Huntingdon, Milton Keynes, Bedford, Northampton, St. Albans,

Cambridge, Stamford, Wellingborough, Corby and Leicester.

Unfortunately, the company is looking at scaling back the ring-a-ride operation, as it is impossible to sustain without heavy government funding. TACT is currently 59% subsidised, and the aim is to reduce that to 40% in the next three years in order to satisfy a lottery fund requirement to make the operation sustainable.

Fulfilling a community need

The scheme also operates a group hire-service, available to any not-for-profit organisation for a registration fee of £25. The fee includes MIDAS (Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme) training for one driver, who must be provided by the group. They may then take advantage of the competitive rates for hourly and daily hire.

Groups such as playschools, MIND, Scout and Guide groups, sports teams and ladies clubs all currently use the scheme and find it useful in getting out to events without the huge costs of running their own vehicles. A volunteer car service for use of patients who have difficulties in reaching medical appointments is also available in some areas.

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Nene and Ouse Community Transport Huntingdon – T: 01480 411114 Thrapston – T: 01832 733336

Insurance with a Difference Finance Redirect Limited is an innovative social enterprise authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA Ref: 306507) in respect to general insurance. It is the trading subsidiary of the registered charity Create (reg. no. 1078672) and distributes its profits back to the charity, who in turn distribute the profits as grants to local charitable and/or church projects.

Finance ReDirect has formed partnerships with quality insurance providers to be able to offer a comprehensive range of insurance services. For example, our extensive range of cover includes the following options: Book Debts - Outstanding debit balances that cannot be recovered due to loss of records by an insured event.

Business Interruption - Loss of income following damage caused by an insured event.

Employer’s Liability - Legal liability for damages, legal costs and expenses as a result of injury to employees (including volunteers).

Goods in Transit - Cover for loss or damage to your goods in your own or hired vehicles.

Legal Expenses - Legal expenses cover in respect to employment disputes; defending your and your employees’ legal rights; etc.

Material Damage - Cover for buildings and contents (including options for Accidental Damage and All Risks).

Money - Cover for money and cheques on the premises, in transit and at an employee’s home.

Personal Accident - Injury to employees or voluntary workers arising from accidents while working in connection with the organisation.

Property Owners Liability - Legal liability for damages, legal costs and expenses as a result of injury to the public or damage to their property arising from ownership of buildings or land.

Public Liability - Legal liability for damages, legal costs and expenses as a result of injury to the public or damage to their property.

Trustee Indemnity - Damages and legal costs arising from a ‘wrongful act’ committed by a trustee, such as breach of duty or breach of trust, breach of contract or breach of warranty.

The above list is not exhaustive, we also provide many other options e.g. Directors & Officers, Fidelity Guarantee, Contractors All Risks, Professional Indemnity cover; etc.

Contact us to discuss your organisation’s insurance needs – we are here to help!

Finance ReDirect Limited – Tel: 0800 652 1211 www.financeredirect.co.uk

InTouch

No 12 Autumn 2005

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Networks unlimited This section of InTouch is for you to promote and report on the activities of your organisation. Send news of staff changes, business developments and examples of smart thinking to Peter Durrant on 01223 262759 or send an email to humberstone@pop3.poptel.org.uk EEDA to boost rural enterprise On 21st September the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) announced funding of over £700,000 to help rural businesses to become more successful in our region.

The extra funds will help

the Business Links throughout the East of England to tailor business advice to the needs of rural firms as well as supplementing the business support available to those in rural areas. Rural businesses seeking assistance can now expect a wide range of support and to be given options

Events Regional/National Launch of the Social Enterprise Strategy for the East of England As previewed in Issue 11 of InTouch, the Social Enterprise Strategy for the East of England is about to be launched.

To mark the occasion there will be a reception on Monday 17th October in Cambridge. For full information see the advertisement on page 2.

Plunkett Foundation Rural Social Enterprise 5 (incorporating the first national Community Retailing Conference) Plunkett’s National Rural Social Enterprise Conference is now in its fifth year and has firmly established itself as the mustattend event for policy-makers, practitioners and participants in the rural social enterprise sector.

This year’s event will be on 24th & 25th November at Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

The conference will feature a range of presentations and case examples which explore ways in which rural social enterprises can both acquire capital and ensure that it is used effectively.

The first day of the conference will be devoted to the subject of community-owned village shops.

For further information contact: Quintin Fox T: 01993 810730 E: quintin.fox@plunkett.co.uk

Social Audit Network training workshop A three-day (“masterclass”) workshop will take place in Stevenage on 21st - 23rd November. The trainer/facilitators for this workshop will be Alan Kay (CBS Network) and Lisa Macmullan (Train 2000). The first two days of these masterclass workshops will explore the revised Three Step social accounting process and how best to implement it. The workshops are especially targeted at people wishing to facilitate the process with social economy organisations and/or

12 InTouch

No 12 Autumn 2005

including information and signposting to expert help.

Help is available through local Business Links or by clicking on the website: www.businesslink. gov.uk.

David Marlow, chief executive of EEDA, said, “As more rural enterprises move away from the typical agricultural businesses associated with our region, it is our role to help those who need support to start up, succeed and grow their business. … There is huge potential need for these services as more people move to the countryside to set up business; which can range from organic farmers to web design companies – but we need to provide the infrastructure for effective business support. As

the variety and complexity of firms increases there is a need to ensure businesses get the right advice at the right time – this injection of cash should make this possible.”

Funding of £16.5m for the ChangeUp national hubs is confirmed Home Office Minister Hazel Blears confirmed in August the funding of £16.5 million for six ChangeUp national hubs of expertise over the next two years. These hubs will act as beacons of best practice and provide strategic leadership for the voluntary and community sector. Each national expertise hub will aim to achieve excellence in a specific area. The areas are:

Help us to help you

If you book any event featured here, please let the contact person know where you found the information

become SAN approved social auditors. To book a place on this workshop contact info@cbs-network.org.uk

National CRED Furniture Networking Event 2nd November, 10am - 3pm in Luton Hosted by Noah Enterprises, Luton. The programme includes update on WEEE legislation (to take effect in January 2006), Richard Featherstone of London CRN on Furniture Re-use, and the national Furniture Re-use Network on their best practice study.

Also including a networking workshop for Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire projects and council recycling officers.

To book contact Heidi, T: 01223 401022

Building the future 2nd November is when Raising the Ceiling will be joining forces with the Bedfordshire Funding Advice Bureau and Cambridge CVS for a day on Sustainable Funding and the Futurebuilders Programme, led by staff from NCVO’s Sustainable Funding Project Contact chris.dcvs@classmail.co.uk

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire Social Enterprise Workshops Organised by Business Link and Cambridgeshire CDA, all workshops are 3 - 7pm.

22nd November: Managing a Social & Community Enterprise St Johns Innovation Centre, Cambridge 25th January: Marketing Salvation Army, Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough T: 01480 846415 to book places

From Concept to Collections: setting up a community wood recycling project 13th October. Cost per place £80.00 including VAT. Contact Carrie Freeman on T: 0117 9420142 or E: events@crn.org.uk

Networks unlimited performance improvement, workforce development, governance, information and communication technology (ICT), finance, and recruiting and developing volunteers. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/n_ story.asp?item_id=1349

The Adventure Capital Fund Established to help community organisations in England become sustainable by generating income through t r a d e, AC F c a n p r ov i d e loans, funding and some gift capital to fill the gap between traditional grant aid and commercial loans. They have a new, informative, and welldesigned, website at www. adventurecapital.fund.org.uk.

GO-East Business Plan 2005/2006 The GO-East Business Plan 2005/2006 is now available and explains the changing role of Government Office, putting their work into the context of national policy and regional ambitions. The Plan includes key outcomes to be delivered

by Apr il 2006. For more information go to http://www. goeast.gov.uk/goeast/about_ us/business_plan/.

Launch of Nearbuyou Design Nearbuyoudesign will offer everything from simple static brochure sites through to sophisticated database driven sites and online shopping facilities. Other aspects of

Essex Essex Reuse & Recycling Seminar (& ECORRN AGM) 28th October, 10am - 3pm in Brentwood Speakers plus a visit to Brentwood ‘Lighthouse’ project, including a special focus on how to increase sales income and the benefits of community/business partnerships.

More from Martin Coleman, ECORRN Network Secretary, T: 01279 416112.

Hertfordshire HERN Funding Fair 19th October at Fielder Centre Hatfield Programme of workshops etc are available soon from Andrew Burt, T: 01992 555213 or Carol Cain, T: 01992 555366. Booking essential.

Local NCVO day on Sustainable Funding and Futurebuilders 8th November 9.30am - 4pm at North Hertfordshire College, Stevenage.

An introduction to the themes of sustainable funding, strategic planning, outcome assessment and outcome funding, the principles of generating income, Futurebuilders and its key principles, and other forms of finance. £5 for Stevenage CVS members, £15 non-members. Further details and booking form from Stevenage CVS on T: 01438 353951.

Being Businesslike in the Voluntary Sector (26 October in East Herts) Free. Details/booking: East Herts T: VOCAL 01992 638555 E: vocal@bvsda.org.uk

Developing a fundraising strategy 23rd November in Broxbourne. Free. Details/bookings: Broxbourne T: VSDA 01992 638633 E: info@bvsda.org.uk

From asking to earning Thinking about income generation: two linked mornings on

the ser vice can generate online surveys, mail-outs or newsletters and they can host your site for you.

And they will even help you check whether or not your site is DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) compliant.

Find out now with an Accessibility Check from Nearbuyoudesign, including a detailed breakdown of your site and recommendations to make your site compliant.

O ve r t h e c o m i n g ye a r, Nearbuyou will be launching a series of training seminars to help social enterprises understand and get more value from the Internet.

Visit their website at www. nearbuyoudesign.co.uk or call 01603 615200

Making People Welcome This book is a practical companion for those adapting to the recent changes of the Disability Discrimination Act and for those who wish to welcome Britain’s changing demographic structure. It provides a forum in which employers can feel comfortable addressing sensitive questions, and offers relevant authorities to help them further.

To read more go to: h t t p : / / w w w. c d x . o r g . u k / resources/library/disability. htm#disability

Post-funding readiness toolkit Consultants Rocket Science have develop a new service to

11th & 25th November in Watford. Free. Details from Watford CVS T: 01923 254400 E: watfordcvsdtp@btconnect.com

Basic counselling skills 7 Tuesdays from 4th October in Hemel Hempstead, £100.

Further counselling skills for non-counsellors Four Mondays from 24th October in Welwyn Garden City, £100.

Bookings/details for both courses from Hazel Ward E: hazel@relatedacorum.co.uk T: 01442 266998

Full cost recovery A workshop at the HERN Funding Fair on 19th October (www. hertsdirect.org/hern).

Also see the presentation at W: www.philanthropycapital. org/html/full_cost_recovery.php,

Norfolk/Suffolk Norfolk/Suffolk Reuse/Network Meeting 31st October, 10am - 3pm in Thetford Special guest speaker will be Michael Mockel from RCYCL, a major community/training enterprise that collects/reuses/sells/ recycles all bulky waste in the German-speaking part of East Belgium.

To book contact Heidi, T: 01223 401022

Selling Techniques and the Web The Guild are running a course covering what a website can do for your organisation, how to sell online, and how to create a design brief.

Dates 13th October 2005 22nd November 2005 19th January 2006 23rd February 2006 21st March 2006 Cost: The seminar costs £20 (including VAT) per participant (free to Norfolk organisations). Go to W: http://www. nearbuyoudesign.co.uk/sellingtechniques.php

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No 12 Autumn 2005

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Networks unlimited help projects funded through grants to manage an effective succession or exit strategy after the funding has been exhausted. The Readiness Assessment Tool focuses on practical forward planning and on developing one of four possible succession routes – mainstreaming, self-standing enterprise, seeking further funding or project closure.

Free to download at W: www. rocketsciencelab.co.uk

Now we can all be over the Rainbow Our congratulations go t o Ra i n b ow Sa ve r A n g l i a Credit Union Ltd. Who have extended their common bond to cover the six counties of East Anglia and the main retail cooperative societies in the area.

John Evans, Chair, said “I welcome the opportunity to extend the facilities of the credit union to all cooperatives within the East Anglia region”.

is £16 per hour (one hour for shopping).

Supporting Suffolk Rural Shops

General and membership enquiries to: Keith Presence T: 01223 713746 or Tricia T/F: 01733 209555 Local rate T: 0845 6014712

Part-time vacancy: hungry for help!

Jeannette Sanders a t t h e We l w y n H a t f i e l d Foyer (E: Jeanette.

Sanders@ParadigmHousing. co.uk) is looking for a tutor to take a healthy cooking class on six Wednesday evenings from 6.15 to 8.15 with 4 residents in their training kitchen in Hatfield. The pay for 3 hours

Legal Structures for Social Enterprise A course by Charlie Cattell

A two day course on the 6th and 7th of December, essential for people working with, and supporting the social enterprise sector delivered by an expert in the field.

£200 per delegate For further details or to book a place, contact: incredit, First Floor, Saffron Ground, Ditchmore Lane, Stevenage, SG1 3LJ. www.incredit.org.uk email: info@incredit.org.uk Phone: 01438 794444

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No 12 Autumn 2005

Suffolk Village Shops Group, which is chaired by Suffolk County Council’s Strategic Development Division, i s i n t ro d u c i n g a s c h e m e which aims to improve the profitability of rural shops, t h e re by i n c re a s i n g t h e i r viability and ensuring these valuable community resources – allowing networking and the building of social capital – can be sustainable in the long term.

New innovation centre contact for Suffolk and Norfolk Businesses in Suffolk now have a local point of contact for a free innovation and technology transfer service, thanks to the recent expansion of the East of England In n ov a t i o n Re l a y Ce n t re (IRC). East of England IRC is part of a European network of over 1,000 experienced and connected staff dedicated to helping companies in their region find or exploit the technologies that will give their business a competitive edge.

Social Firms UK have published a new toolkit The toolkit is for social enterprises to examine the feasibility of their business idea. The new tool is designed for social firms, but appropriate to all social economy organisations, and is available at a discount rate for to Social Enterprise C o a l i t i o n m e m b e r s . To o rd e r a c o py c o n t a c t E : info@socialenterprise.org.uk .

Social Enterprise London has launched a journal The journal brings together some of the most advanced thinking from practitioners and theorists working towards the development of social business in the UK. Check it out at W: www.sel.org.uk/ downloads/SEJV1.pdf For

further information contact Robin Harris on T: 020 7704 7490 or E: Robin@sel.org.uk.

Forming community companies The third fact sheet on the forthcoming Community Interest Companies legal model explains how to form a CIC and the mechanisms for ensuring that the assets and profits of a CIC are used for the benefit of the community. ‘Forming and running a Community Interest Company’, pdf format, 136kb, W: http://www.dti.gov.uk/ cics/pdfs/cicfactsheet3.pdf.

Cambridgeshire soon to see the opening of its second wood recycling project FACET, a social enterprise based at March has been working with Richard Mehmed, the founder of the Brighton and Hove Wood Recycling Project, to run a feasibility study for setting up a wood recycling project in Fenland. The research carried out was positive and they look to start in the near future.

This will be the second wood recycling project established, f o l l ow i n g Bra n c h i n g Ou t i n E a s t C a m b r i d g e s h i re, who opened their project in January this year.

Branching Out to export otherwise unwanted furniture to the US Branching Out is joining forces with the international charity St Vincent de Paul, to ship furniture that is hard to sell here and destined for landfill, to Oregon in the US, where it is then sold as highly fashionable products through their charity shops.

Thanks to the following e-publications and organisations for allowing us to use some of their material above and for information on events: ABCUL, CCORNN, COVER, CRNE, NCVO, Nearbuyou, Raiser (Hertsmere CVS), SEC and SEN, Update.

Working In Social Enterprise

Courses at APU

• Do you work in a social enterprise?

• Are you based in the East of England?

• Would you like to improve your skills and your business?

Register now for an APU social enterprise course Our upcoming courses include: running new courses on • “Finance Fridays” – to take place throughout September • “Managing a Social Enterprise” (accredited) – begins in October In addition, we will be offering on-line courses in • Social enterprise & entrepreneurship • Mission and vision • Social enterprise business planning If you’re interested in any of these learning opportunities, contact Andy Brady (a.p.brady@apu.ac.uk) for further details Why not visit our website? www.wiseproject.org.uk for more info

Are you planning a social enterprise or community business?

Register for the FREE Start Your Enterprise 16 week online course and: • Give your enterprise a sound business footing • Write a professional business plan and cashflow forecast • Study at a time and place to suit you • Access a panel of experts • Gain a qualification All you need is access to a computer with an internet connection.

To register for the course telephone the Booking Service on: 01727 813613.

Or register your interest on the website www.mybusinesslink.co.uk

This training is supported by the European Social Fund, by the Learning and Skills Councils for Suffolk & the East of England, and by i10

InTouch

No 12 Autumn 2005

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Profile

Regeneration for the new generation Two pioneering facilities in Suffolk that benefit children and their parents have recently opened their doors thanks, in part, to enterprise loans from Suffolk Regeneration Trust (SRT). In both cases the projects had received conventional bank financial support but needed additional funds. SRT is a Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) charged with revitalising communities in Suffolk and surrounding counties by filling funding gaps left by conventional financial services

Krafti Kidz K

rafti Kidz is the brainchild of Angela Gregg, an Ipswich mother of three with personal experience of both the enjoyment children get out of art and of the frustration local parents have at the lack of recreational facilities for children in the area.

“My kids, like most children, love any opportunity to be creative. Yet it can become tiring getting the paints and glue out and clearing it away every time they feel a creative urge,” explained Angela.

Krafti Kidz, situated in The Drift, off Nacton Road, Ipswich is the first venue of its kind in England and has all the ingredients needed for future regional and national roll out.

Pioneering a new concept

Parents of children aged 18 months to 12 years in Ipswich and surrounding area are now the beneficiaries of a pioneering new arts venue and coffee shop. Krafti Kidz is a pioneering new concept in recreational activities for children. It offers a range of art, craft and cookery activities including mask making, t-shirt dying, card making, collage design, and modelling, as well as running parent and toddler and after-school clubs and children’s parties.

“Angela has a great business idea. She had already done most of the groundwork in terms of research and planning and had convinced a high street bank (Lloyds TSB) to invest, even though her business idea was so original that many banks may have considered it too high risk,” advised Leanne Castle, business development manager at Suffolk Regeneration Trust.

The enterprising Angela is already talking to local schools, offering a venue to complete key stages 1 and 2 art and craft curriculum, giving teachers the time out to complete reports and paperwork, a strategy recently endorsed by the government. She has a variety of other events in the pipeline too.

If you’re interested in taking on a Angela Gregg, director Krafti Kidz franchise, Angela would Krafti Kidz Ltd Wolsey House, 2 The Drift, be delighted to speak with you.

Nacton Road, Ipswich, IP3 9QR Krafti Kidz is open Monday to T: 01473 290200 Saturday. W: www.krafti-kidz.co.uk E: angela@krafti-kidz.co.uk

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16 InTouch

No 12 Autumn 2005

Forever Kids P

arents of children aged six weeks to f o u r t e e n ye a r s i n Lowestoft, a town with a fast-growing population and l i m i t e d c h i l d c a re provision, will soon be the beneficiaries of a pioneering childcare facility.

Forever Kids is an exciting new concept in high-quality childcare. It offers a full day nursery, a school holiday playscheme and a weekend ‘dropn-shop’ service – all under one roof. Planned in consultation with OFSTED and developed on the principles of care, learning and play, it will be one of the UK’s largest childcare facilities of its kind and is likely to set the benchmark for other such facilities nationwide.

Pioneering community project

“Forever Kids is a much needed service. It has been planned with meticulous attention to detail and is totally committed to delivering high standards in child welfare, developmental practices and equal opportunities. The imaginatively designed premises are welcoming, accessible, safe and secure. We are delighted to be involved in such a pioneering community project and congratulate Lucy Daniels, its founder, on her vision and spirit,” commented Belinda Bell, chief executive of SRT. Funding was obtained from a range of sources, including Suffolk County Council, Lloyds TSB and Prince’s Trust. But some of this finance could not be released until the total amount needed was in place.

SRT’s enterprise loan was the crucial key.

“Even with the impressive amount of money we had managed to raise we were short of the final £50,000. Without this, the rest of the money could not be released and the project could not proceed.

SRT’s loan filled this gap. The importance of such schemes to new enterprises such as Forever Kids, which are often considered too high risk to receive loans from banks, cannot be stressed enough,” commented Lucy Daniels, founder of Forever Kids.

Articles contributed by Nicki Hayes, Suffolk Regeneration Trust, T: 01284 731780 E: info@suffolk regenerationtrust.org.

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For more information T: 01502 539200 or visit W: www.foreverkids.co.uk Articles