iSE CIC: Getting Social at Flagship Conference on Social Enterprise Day 2024
13th November 2024
Social Economy Drive starts next week, and it’s looking like a fabulous week for the West Midlands region as the social economy sector comes together to achieve more!
There’s always a lot going on for the sector in November so why should you take time out of a busy day/week and get involved in #SED2024?
“The truth is that many of the 7,500 Social Economy organisations in the region don’t know the other 7,499 are there. Bringing them together through the Social Economy FORUMS, SE Clusters investment, SE Business Support and the Social Economy Drive is like a bunch of lost and lonely souls finding their tribe. It creates a greater sense of purpose, more optimism, more partnership working and trading and more peer support. I’ve seen it so many times in my various roles over the past 20 years and it never ceases to amaze me how something so simple can have a dramatic effect.”
Charles Rapson | Strategic Lead (Social Economy Growth Programme), West Midlands Combine Authority
Looking at the calendar of events, it’s a packed week you don’t want to miss.
Social Enterprise Day, Thursday 21st November 2024, is the traditional day to host a flagship event – and #SED2024 is absolutely no exception.
The Social Economy Showcase Conference & Expo is a day filled with inspiring talks, networking opportunities, and innovative exhibits, industry experts, and like-minded individuals and entrepreneurs, all of whom are passionate about growing the regional social economy.
This invigorating conference has a diverse agenda including The Future of the Social Economy with Charles Rapson, discussion on Corporate Engagement in the Social Economy, Building Sustainable Supply Chains with Social Enterprises, Measuring Social Impact with Guy Rippon of Aston Villa Foundation, an Access to Funding session with both Melanie Mills (Better Society Capital) and Tom Bostock (Key Fund Investment), and a Learning from Social Enterprise Leaders session with Asha Patel of Innovating Minds CIC. Phew!!
So, where does this all root from, and where’s it all going?
Here’s a valued reflection from the Chair of SEUK Social Enterprise Places, Sarah Beaumont…
Social Enterprise Day is such an important feature on our calendars. It gives us the opportunity to reflect on our journey in Birmingham and the broader West Midlands over the past ten years. As a sector we have never been good at shouting about the work we do, the changes attributed to us and it’s taken us some time to get used to telling our stories.
The launch of the Digbeth Social Enterprise Quarter all those years ago with a street market enabling local social enterprises to sell their ways was the beginning of this journey in the West Midlands. The achievement of SEUK Place status gave us national recognition resulting in huge interest with research studies, TV appearances, local and national Government visits and international visitors from across the globe seeking to replicate the Digbeth network of social businesses.
Fast forward, Birmingham and the West Midlands are now known as a hot spot for social enterprise activity, recently helped enormously by the West Midlands Combined Authority and their Framework for Social Economy Growth. There are 9 place-based clusters all taking advantage of the developing social economy ecosystem to encourage growth within the SE’s they are supporting.
West Midlands Social Economy Drive and Social Enterprise Day this year will see the region now hosting many events promoting the sector to audiences who can buy, support, partner, access employment opportunities and invest, thus continuing and growing the ability of the sector to continue its important work!
The key message seems to be ‘TOGETHER WE ACHIEVE MORE’ and the first step is getting in the room. That means booking on to the Social Economy Conference & Expo as the place to listen, learn, link. By adding your passion and drive to our regions legacy of social economy growth, together we can catalyse and embed social capital across our localities, and create a fairer society for all.
BOOK YOUR PLACE – don’t miss out!
