BSSEC_logo
Members Login 
Donate Now
  • Home
  • About
    • Who we are
    • What we do
    • Our Members
    • BSSEC Annual Reports
    • Joining BSSEC
  • About Social Enterprise
    • What is social enterprise?
    • How can social enterprise help you & your neighbourhood?
    • Social enterprise in Birmingham **new data July 2019**
    • Social enterprise in Greater Birmingham
    • Social enterprise retailing
    • Social enterprises in the spotlight
      • Colebridge Enterprises — Assembly Operation
      • Textiles by St Annes
      • St Barnabas Church Centre, Erdington
    • The Digbeth Social Enterprise Quarter — Launch
      • The Digbeth Social Enterprise Quarter
  • Policy Issues
    • Introduction
    • Public services & social value
      • Birmingham City Council and social value
      • Useful resources on social value
      • Social Value — one year on
      • Evidencing Social Value — The Elephant in the Room
      • Resources for measuring social value and social impact
      • Social value — key findings from the first two years of our work
      • New Ideas on Social Value — Event Report
      • Social Value — findings of the first government review (Feb 2015)
      • Social Value & Health
      • Public Contracts Regulations 2015: A Guide to the Implications and Opportunities for Social Enterprises
      • Social value — looking forward
    • Social enterprise & public service reform
    • Social enterprise & the ‘right to challenge’
    • Social enterprise & the Localism Act
  • Enterprise Support
    • Introduction
    • Business support organisations
    • Access to finance
  • Links & Downloads
  • Blog
  • Contact

Co-operatives WM announces study visit to Robert Owen museum, Powys

July 24, 2019
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Co-operatives WM has just announced that its Member Education Group is organising a study visit to the Robert Owen museum, Powys. There will be an introductory talk at the museum about Robert Owen and his links to Newtown, a detailed view of the museum, followed by a guided walk aroun
Continue Reading →

Community Energy Birmingham launches new ethical share offer

December 19, 2018
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Community Energy Birmingham (CEB) has some exciting news. It is looking to grow its existing portfolio of renewable energy generation on community energy buildings in Birmingham, and has recently launched a new share offer. CEB — which is a community renewables co-operative regi
Continue Reading →

Robert Owen, social and co-operative entrepreneur

October 08, 2018
by Alun Severn
1 Comment
We promised more about co-operatives — and today’s informative guest blog comes from Phil Beardmore, the secretary of Co-operatives West Midlands, a sustainability consultant and social entrepreneur. Today he writes about the great co-operative and socialist pioneer, Rober
Continue Reading →

Co-operative enterprise in Birmingham

October 04, 2018
by Alun Severn
1 Comment
Co-operatives — which are owned and controlled by their members — represent a particular sub-set within the broader social economy. Co-operatives operate in all  sectors of the economy but the co-op model is especially suited to any kind of mutual, membership-bas
Continue Reading →

‘The freedom of freelancing, the muscle of mutuality’

April 25, 2016
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
The number of self-employed people in the UK has risen to nearly five million, the highest level since records began, their ranks being swelled by people trying to avoid unemployment, those who have been made redundant, and especially public sector workers — such as music teache
Continue Reading →

New law recognises co-ops and community benefit societies, does away with IPS

July 04, 2014
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
For many this will be a rather arcane debate; others will revel in it. Co-operative law seems to get people that way. Third Sector Online carries a story today about the passage into law of the  Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. The new law recognises co-operative
Continue Reading →

Community Energy Birmingham seeks experienced treasurer

May 28, 2014
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Community Energy Birmingham is looking for someone to take over the role of volunteer Treasurer/Finance manager in the team of this renewable energy co-operative. CEB cannot pay for this role at present, but your reward will be helping to establish a very worthwhile venture. The time
Continue Reading →

Government challenged on its ‘mutuals’ claims

August 21, 2013
by Alun Severn
1 Comment
Co-operativesUK and the TUC have just published new best practice guidance on the formation (or ‘spinning-out’) of public service mutuals. In doing so they  challenge the government’s record on mutuals. The new report says that in some cases public sector staff have
Continue Reading →

Birmingham & Solihull Together gives locals the chance to ‘Win Win’ on their Gas and Electricity Bills!

February 20, 2013
by Alun Severn
Electricity, Energy, Gas, Green Deal
0 Comment
Birmingham and Solihull Together is about buying together to get a better deal. With Birmingham and Solihull Together we’re aiming to make people aware there are alternative ways to buy energy – and that by getting together, they can save money on household bills. By joini
Continue Reading →

Co-operativesUK is commissioning major research to reassess the business advice needs of co-ops

July 16, 2012
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
In 2010 Co-operativesUK published a ‘call to action’ for co-operative supporters. The report puts a particular emphasis on making the case for the co-operative option in the context of coalition government policy. It has also published a briefing note on co-operatives for
Continue Reading →

Civil service pensions admin company becomes “joint venture mutual”

February 03, 2012
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
An announcement by the Cabinet office — dating back to last April — has just been brought to my attention (thanks to Chris Newis at BDRC). Apparently, My Civil Service Pension (MyCSP) is the first central government department to be spun-out as a mutual joint venture. The
Continue Reading →

PM announces new Co-operatives Act

January 19, 2012
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
In this, the UN International Year of Co-operatives, it is fitting — but frankly unexpected — that David Cameron should take the occasion of his speech today on “moral capitalism” to announce a new Co-operatives Act which will streamline the existing seventeen
Continue Reading →

2012 is the UN International Year of Co-operatives

January 12, 2012
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
    The UN has declared 2012 the international year of co-operatives and throughout the year there will be events, promotions and publicity to spread the message of co-operation and raise the profile of co-ops right around the world. Events kick off today with a live webcast
Continue Reading →

“Cutting the apron-strings”

December 07, 2011
by Alun Severn
3 Comments
Yesterday, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude announced a £10m “mutuals programme” designed to enable public sector workers to access expertise and funding that will help them convert the public services they work in into employee-owned and led mutual businesses. A new
Continue Reading →

Dragons’ Den…in a post-capitalism world

November 02, 2011
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
      Educator and writer Dr Rory Ridley-Duff, course leader for the MSc Co-operative & Social Enterprise Management course at Sheffield Business School, has an interesting item on his blog, written as part of the launch of the UN International Year of  Co-operative
Continue Reading →

Government calls on EU to agree ‘protectionism’ for employee-ownerships and mutuals

September 21, 2011
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Third Sector Online has an interesting and potentially important story amongst its coverage today. Apparently (I won’t pretend I already knew this!) there has been an EU Green Paper on modernising EU procurement rules. The government has responded to this and interestingly is ca
Continue Reading →

Mutuality? No, listen to what the voices of neo-Conservatism are saying in their unguarded moments…

May 17, 2011
by Alun Severn
3 Comments
There can’t be many who haven’t heard something about Conservative-controlled Wandsworth council’s plans to charge children to play in Battersea Park adventure playground. What struck me as the most genuinely scandalous aspect of this story were the remarks attribute
Continue Reading →

Work Together – Share Together: How Co-operative Working Can Help Deliver The Big Society

March 04, 2011
by Alun Severn
2 Comments
There are many benefits to working in partnership, whatever the format it takes: collaborations, partnerships, hubs, networking, consortia…even the Big Society, but perhaps in difficult economic times the most important benefit is that of increased income. It is sometimes hard t
Continue Reading →

Visit the People’s History Museum Manchester with Midlands Co-operative Society

January 31, 2011
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
Thursday 10th February Depart Birmingham 8.30am, arriving back by 6pm Tickets £10 All Welcome! The Midlands Co-operative Society Member Relations Department is organising a visit to the Pumphouse People’s History Museum in Manchester on Thursday 10th February. Transport from Bir
Continue Reading →

Co-operative Enterprise Hub publishes first annual report

January 19, 2011
by Alun Severn
0 Comment
The new national source of specialist development and support for those starting or running co-operatives, the Co-operative Enterprise Hub, funded by the Co-operative Group, has just published its first annual report. You can download it here.
Continue Reading →
12

BSSEC Twitter

My Tweets

Latest news on the blog

iSE is seeking a new chief executive
Feb 24, 2021
WMCA launches Community Recovery Innovation Challenge -- three top prizes of £15,000
Feb 11, 2021
University of Birmingham's fully-funded Impact Internships
Feb 08, 2021
WMCA launches new creative & cultural social enterprise support pilot
Feb 08, 2021

Subscribe to the BSSEC Newsletter

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