BSSEC » 2015 » June

GBSLEP chooses new social enterprise champion

June 29, 2015

Back in April we announced that Greater Birmingham & Solihull LEP was seeking nominations for a new post of social enterprise champion. The selection process has now been completed and we’re delighted that Melanie Mills, previously chief exec of Social Enterprise West Midlan

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NAO says PbR schemes are ill-co-ordinated, lack an evidence-base and have unrecognised risks

June 29, 2015

I am indebted to my old friend Tony Clabby for spotting this… The National Audit Office has just published Outcome-based payment schemes: government’s use of payment by results (June 2015). → Press release NAO website → Summary → Full report The report considers six

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Office for Civil Society announces £20m local sustainability fund

June 25, 2015

NCVO chief exec Stuart Etherington has just circulated an email stating: I’ve just been chairing the Minister for Civil Society’s first keynote speech since the election. The major announcement was the launch of a £20m local sustainability fund… The fund will provide

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The People’s Orchestra — an evening with John Altman and friends

June 25, 2015

The People’s Orchestra presents… Internationally renowned composer and saxophonist John Altman will be performing at The Ruddock Performing Arts Centre on Saturday 1st August. Mr Altman, who is famed for working with international artists such as Amy Winehouse and Mark Ron

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Birmingham Changing Futures Together launches with call for more partners

June 25, 2015

by Sally Edwards

Big Lottery Fund, Birmingham Changing Futures Together, BVSC, Colonel Duck, Ian Cuthbert

The official launch of the £10m Birmingham Changing Futures Together project on Friday 19th June was an inspiring event. The eight year project, led by BVSC, has just reached the end of its first year and is aiming to find new and better ways to support people with multiple and compl

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Phoenix Singers present summer charity concert

June 25, 2015

The Phoenix Singers, Birmingham, present a summer charity concert in aid of The Alzheimer’s Society. Performances of Faure’s Requiem and songs from the shows.

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Paul Hamlyn Foundation announces new £2m fund to tackle social issues

June 23, 2015

Third Sector Online has just announced that the Paul Hamlyn Foundation is to launch a new £2m fund aimed at enabling people with “big ideas” to develop activities and ideas that can help tackle major social issues. The Ideas and Pioneers Fund will support “people who

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John Taylor Hospice breathlessness programme shortlisted for award

June 23, 2015

Birmingham’s John Taylor Hospice, the only UK hospice operating as a social enterprise, has just been shortlisted for a prestigious Nursing Times Award for its specialist breathing clinic, which has already helped more than 200 local people. The team behind the pioneering Fatigu

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Birmingham City Council — consultation on commissioning of prevention services

June 19, 2015

An important consultation is underway that will be relevant to many social enterprises and third sector organisations in the city. Birmingham City Council is seeking views on the Integrated Commissioning of Prevention services, to be commissioned from 2016. This includes: Supporting P

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Did you know that Birmingham has a new range of services to help women start businesses?

June 18, 2015

In the current climate of austerity and public spending cuts it is something of an achievement to offer a new — and expanding — range of services aimed at helping women start their own businesses. The Women & Enterprise programme offers free business support to Birming

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NewStarts Bromsgrove secure future — with help from Charity Bank and Big Issue Invest

June 12, 2015

“People often turn to NewStarts at the point when they have exhausted all other avenues. For us, the reasons they find themselves in a difficult situation isn’t relevant; we will help them if we can.” — CEO Marion Kenyon, NewStarts Bromsgrove charity NewStarts, which pro

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Changes to Urgent & Emergency Care — consultation workshop

June 10, 2015

Sandwell and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group is planning changes to urgent and emergency care services for its patients. It is important that VCOs and social enterprises have an opportunity to contribute to the new vision for urgent and emergency care, given that many of

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Looking for key facts and figures about the wider third sector?

June 08, 2015

NCVO has just announced publication of its Civil Society Almanac 2015, now in its 14th edition. The Almanac is the industry-standard source of data regarding virtually every aspect of the voluntary sector and there will be few who haven’t made use of some information from it at

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Birmingham Changing Futures Together — launch event

June 08, 2015

On 12 February 2014 the Big Lottery confirmed that it was investing almost £10m in Birmingham Changing Futures Together, a new project to support adults with multiple and complex needs. The project focuses on homelessness, addiction and substance misuse, risk of reoffending, and menta

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Considering equality in Birmingham…

June 04, 2015

Equality and human rights charity brap has recently published an interesting report reviewing equalities practice — and progress — in Birmingham over the past thirty years. The culmination of a Barrow Cadbury Trust-funded project, From Benign Neglect to Citizen Khan will b

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Social enterprise — state of the sector 2015

June 03, 2015

SEUK has just announced that there will be a ‘state of the sector’ report this year and initial headline data is now available. Data available so far reveals a sector that is exceeding expectations given the harsh economic climate and indicates that: It is a relatively yo

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