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Scope to offer Social Impact Bond worth £20m

October 31, 2011
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
I’ve written extensively on this blog about Social Impact Bonds. Since the first pilot SIB (the Peterborough criminal justice system SIB, covered here), things have begun to move forward quickly. Birmingham has been chosen as one of four local authority areas to trial a SIB aime
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Business in the Community launches ‘enterprise inquiry’

October 31, 2011
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Business in the Community’s business members want the organisation to take more action to support local enterprise growth.  BITC is therefore holding a series of Enterprise Inquiries to look at some of the ways larger businesses can stand alongside small businesses and social en
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Vacancy at the Health Exchange

October 31, 2011
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
The Health Exchange, a community interest company incorporated in 2008 and one of the fastest growing health social enterprises in Birmingham, is seeking to recruit a Research and Development Assistant. The role of the R&D Assistant is to provide staff and managers of Health Excha
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Sensory room the perfect start to CSR partnership

October 25, 2011
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Leading social enterprise Enta has teamed up with property advisory giant BNP Paribas Real Estate in an ideal partnership to boost the local community. The joint venture kicked off when a team of 15 BNP Paribas Real Estate employees visited Enta’s training centre, in Mill Wharf, Birmi
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2012 will see new European investment fund for social enterprise

October 24, 2011
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Third Sector Online reports today that from next year theUK’s own social investment bank, Big Society Capital, will be augmented by a similar European initiative. The European Investment Bank has announced that its venture capital subsidiary, the European Investment Fund, will l
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Social Enterprise Day — join iSE for lunch

October 20, 2011
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
iSE is celebrating Social Enterprise Day on the 17th November 2011 with a free networking lunch for social entrepreneurs. Come along and hear about some of the new social enterprises that have developed in the past twelve months in Birmingham. Those of you who have been active in the
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The ‘Public Services (Social Enterprise and Social Value) Bill’ will be better if…it doesn’t mention social enterprise

October 19, 2011
by Alun Severn
2 Comments
At least, so Nick Hurd the civil society minister seems to think. Tabling amendments to the Bill — which gets its second reading today — Hurd (or rather a Cabinet Office spokesperson) has argued that deleting the reference to social enterprise enables the Bill to  focus ex
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Communitybuilders reopens for business

October 18, 2011
by Alun Severn
2 Comments
Third Sector Online today announces that Communitybuilders has reopened for business as a permanently endowed £27m fund dedicated to providing mixed funding (grant, loan, match) to community-led ‘anchor’ organisations with major, sustainable regeneration and growth plans.
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Cloudberry to launch PopUpMarket

October 16, 2011
by Alun Severn
24 Carrots, PopUpMarket, Social Enterprise Mentor
0 Comment
Cloudberry, organisers of Social Enterprise Mentor, are working with 24 Carrots Food Market to launch a new exciting Pop Up project in Birmingham aimed at encouraging young people and communities to gain an experience of social entrepreneurship. As the name suggest, market stalls will
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2010 Think Venue – 2011 Think Catering!

October 13, 2011
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Calling all not for profit caterers! Share in the success of Think Venue as Think Venue Think Third Sector Co-op launch Think Catering! Think Venue has made it easier for potential customers to find conference or meeting venues with a social, environmental, charitable or community ben
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ACEVO, NCVO and others plan new impact reporting principles for adoption by government

October 12, 2011
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
As reported in yesterday’s Third Sector Daily emailing, ACEVO, New Philanthropy Capital, NCVO and four other organisations are collaborating in drafting a new framework and principles for social impact reporting which early signs suggest will be supported and endorsed by the Off
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Community finance is filling a gap in the market that the banks have created

October 11, 2011
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
ART is a not-for-profit Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI), which lends up to £50,000 to businesses — including social enterprises — in Birmingham and Solihull that are unable to secure any or all of the finance they need from the banks.  We were amongst the
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If we can’t support social enterprise development in the poorest communities then what is social enterprise for?

October 10, 2011
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Further to this post in which Pauline Roche’s comment reminded me about the Guardian’s Social Enterprise Network blog, I have just posted the following there in an attempt to prompt wider discussion rergarding what I think is a key issue that currently faces the sector: .
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The bottom line

October 07, 2011
by Alun Severn
1 Comment
I always enjoy Evan Davis’s Radio 4 business programme, The Bottom Line, and last night’s was well worth a listen. While not about social enterprise it was about start-ups, and his guests reflected on what makes people start businesses, whether it’s getting easier or
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