BSSEC » 2013 » April

Flossie, Stoosh and Kathryn — bringing animal assisted therapy to the Midlands

April 30, 2013

We don’t often get news of social enterprises in Wolverhampton so I thought I would post this interesting story. What do Flossie, Stoosh and Kathryn Kimbley all have in common? Well, Flossie is a gorgeous Cocker Spaniel, Stoosh is a skunk, and Kathryn is the director of Wolverha

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Birmingham City Council adopts ‘social value’ policy

April 29, 2013

At a meeting of its Cabinet Committee on the 22nd April 2013, Birmingham City Council made giant strides towards its implementation of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 when it approved three inter-linked policies aimed at maximising the social and local economic value it de

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George’s marvellous video

April 26, 2013

Check out “George’s Marvellous Video” – made by iSE’s star work experience intern George Smith, aged only 15 – yes you heard correctly – who has made a really creative and innovative video about iSE, to share with you online. Read more about George on iSE’s website.

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Tackling Anger Live on BBC Breakfast

April 25, 2013

Local Social Entrepreneur, Martin Hogg from Citizen Coaching CIC, showed the UK how a local Social Enterprise is leading the way in dealing with anger issues that affects individuals, couples, communities, employers and society as a whole. Appearing on BBC Breakfast (23rd April 2013)

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Nice Site

April 25, 2013

by Charles Rapson

Well done Alun and your web designers for developing a very clear site. It makes me appreciate just how much information and resources you have produced over the past year or so. Very useful. WordPress is such a cool content management system to You might find the following widget us

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From Burning Man to the V&A — the story of Textiles by St Annes

April 25, 2013

Textiles by St Annes is a busy social enterprise supplying soft furnishings to the trade and private customers. It is a social firm and operates as part of BITA Pathways, the largest mental health charity in Birmingham, supporting people who have experienced mental ill-health back int

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Heritage Lottery Fund launches ‘Heritage Enterprise’ grants scheme

April 24, 2013

HLF has just announced the launch of the Heritage Enterprise fund, aimed at enabling local communities and organisations to work in partnership with the private sector to bring historic buildings back into productive, commercial use. The fund — £125m over the next five years

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Do you want to get your social enterprise in the spotlight?

April 23, 2013

Have you got a great news story that helps showcase your business or the wider social enterprise movement? Have you got something to tell the world that will help even more people understand what makes social enterprises tick? Then get your social enterprise in the spotlight. Contact

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‘Helping transform buildings and spaces for good’

April 19, 2013

We’re always interested in showcasing new and unusual developments in the social enterprise sector and ADP Projects CIC is certainly unusual — a young, successful community interest company that has ‘spun-out’ of the private sector. Sister company ADP Projects

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Free help and support in Solihull for social enterprises and voluntary groups

April 18, 2013

Free (fully funded) enterprise support is available in Solihull for existing social enterprises and voluntary and community groups in Solihull that want to be less reliant on grants and more enterprising through trading activities. Contact Solihull Council’s Community Enterprise

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A million smiles better!

April 17, 2013

Adults with learning disabilities who previously went to Waterloo Woodwork’s industrial unit in Chelmsley Wood to gain work experience and training now have paid jobs doing something very different. In the past six months alone they have assembled a million parts for Automotive Insul

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New Barrow Cadbury Trust publication on communications for smaller grassroots organisations

April 12, 2013

The Barrow Cadbury Trust has just published a new guide to communications. While written primarily for its own grant recipients, the guide is aimed particularly at smaller grassroots organisations and may therefore be of wider usefulness. Download Introduction to communications.

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Second round of lottery social incubator fund opens in May

April 12, 2013

The second round of The BIG Lottery Social Incubator Fund has just been announced and will open to applications in May. The registration deadline for an obligatory briefing event that interested applicants must attend has already closed — it ended on the 9th April, just five day

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Social enterprise and public service reform — new briefing paper available

April 09, 2013

Anyone looking for a quick, easy-to-read overview of the government’s “mutuals agenda” will find our latest briefing paper useful. Social enterprise and public service reform has been produced for us by Simon Lee at Anthony Collins Solicitors. It looks at the pros an

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Free business mentors in the West Midlands

April 09, 2013

This, just in from the Institute of Enterprise & Entrepreneurs: For more information or to apply for support send mail to Christine Dryden.

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We hope you like the new website

April 08, 2013

Yes, we’re almost finished on the new website — it’s been a lot of work, and long overdue, but we hope you like the results. Thanks to the folks at Citizen Click who undertook this work for us, we are now able to manage every aspect of the new website. This will make

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Birmingham City Council scrutiny committee reports on third sector

April 05, 2013

Did you know that Birmingham City Council’s Partnership, Contract Performance & Third Sector Overview and Scrutiny Committee met today to consider ‘the health of Birmingham’s third sector’? Me neither. So thanks to Judy Tullett and Ray Goodwin at Castle Val

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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