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iSE to launch new women’s SE network

October 31, 2012
by Alun Severn
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iSE is launching a new women’s social enterprise network on 15th November — a great way to celebrate Social Enterprise Day. iSE wants to help women in the SE sector support each other – while running amazing businesses. Click to view
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New BIG Lottery paper on ‘building capabilities’ — what it will fund

October 30, 2012
by Alun Severn
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Further to this earlier post,  the BIG Lottery has just announced that it has completed its consultation on ‘building capabilities’ (that’s more or less what we used to know as ‘infrastructure support’) and has just published Building Capabilities for Imp
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Is Brum a welcoming city for new arrivals?

October 26, 2012
by Alun Severn
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Birmingham’s green paper on social inclusion – which is currently out to consultation and which we have mentioned before on this bog here — has a section looking specifically at how Birmingham welcomes people from new arrival communities. it suggests that neighbourho
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iSE seeks Outreach Business Coach for social enterprise

October 26, 2012
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
iSE is seeking a part-time Outreach Business Coach for social enterprise. Closing date 5pm 2nd November 2012. Send a copy of your CV and a cover letter to dawn<dot>griffiths<at>i<hyphen>se<dot>co<dot>uk Hard copy applications should be sent to: Dawn Griff
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Advice sector gets its own “TLI programme”

October 26, 2012
by Alun Severn
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Those familiar with the recent Transforming Local Infrastructure programme, the Cabinet Office / BIG Lottery fund to enable providers of infrastructure support to transform services and adapt to the new economic conditions, will understand what I mean when I say that the advice sector
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LEP consults on its new growth strategy

October 25, 2012
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership is consulting with local businesses and other stakeholders on its strategy for growth in the LEP area. The Birmingham consultation event — hosted by Wragge & Co — is on the 8th November from 5.oopm for 5.30
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Birmingham City Council consults on new business charter for social responsibility

October 17, 2012
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
In line with the Leader of the Council’s policy statement of 12th June 2012, Birmingham City Council is developing a new Business Charter for Social Responsibility. This recognises that the council’s procurement spend of over £1bn a year can, if harnessed properly, be a fo
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Birmingham publishes social inclusion green paper

October 11, 2012
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Throughout the summer many organisations, including social enterprises and voluntary and community groups, took part in Birmingham’s social inclusion process. This marks a new commitment on behalf of the city to inclusion and equality as absolutely central policy aims. As a resu
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Unity Trust Bank publishes “tweeting handbook” for social sector

October 11, 2012
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Now this is interesting. Unity Trust Bank has just published About That First Tweet: A Practical Guide to Social Media for Charities and Social Enterprises. You can download it for free. Now those who know me will know that I am something of a Twitter sceptic, or perhaps I mean agnost
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Colebridge Enterprises expands and diversifies

October 10, 2012
by Alun Severn
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Colebridge Enterprises (formerly Waterloo Woodwork & Colebridge Communications) is embarking on a new venture that will create ten new part time jobs for adults with a learning disability in Solihull. The business is in the process of employing six people now with four more to fol
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Free Social Enterprise Networking Events in October

October 07, 2012
by Alun Severn
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Social Enterprise Mentor, the Midlands leading networking event for social enterprises or those interested in the sector, is on the move this month to Wolverhampton and the Jewellery Quarter (Birmingham) So join us in October, with our networking partners, as we bring to you our popul
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Gateway Family Services – new volunteering programme responds to need for work experience

October 05, 2012
by Alun Severn
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This just in from Vicki Fitzgerald, chief exec at Gateway Family Services… Here is our latest Friday story – Our volunteering programme has really taken off and we are delighted with the initial outcomes.   We too were cautious about volunteers taking away paid roles and being s
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CDFA gets £60m for lending to small, micro and social enterprises

October 05, 2012
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
The CDFA — the trade association for community development finance institutions, specialist social lenders such as ART in Birmingham and the Black Country Reinvestment Society in Wolverhampton — is to be given £60m for ‘on-lending’ by its members to social ente
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Blears says social value act is “weak”

October 04, 2012
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Further to this recent post on the Barrow Cadbury Trust-funded work we are embarked on jointly with Birmingham City Council to turn the Public Services (Social Value) Act into practical reality, I couldn’t help but pay particular attention to a story in today’s Third Secto
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BSSEC wins Awards for All grant

October 02, 2012
by Alun Severn
4 Comments
BSSEC is delighted to announce that it has won a grant from the Big Lottery Awards for All programme. This will enable us to give a much needed overhaul to our website, help meet the costs of providing our news and updates service, and enable us to produce some new briefing packs on s
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BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL SOCIAL ECONOMY CONSORTIUM C.I.C., trading as BSSEC. A community interest company registered in England and Wales with company no. 07992674. Registered office: c/o Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP, 134 Edmund Street, Birmingham B3 2ES | All rights reserved | Copyright 2013-BSSEC | Created by Citizen Click