Social Enterprise Coalition activity  Liberal Democrats and social enterprises connect over breakfast On 27 October, the Social Enterprise Coalition and the LGA Liberal Democrats co-hosted a breakfast meeting at Local Government House in Westminster. Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable MP, Julia Goldsworthy MP, Deputy Chair of the LGA Richard Kemp, and Liberal Democrat councillors attended alongside social enterprise leaders. The meeting was just one of a series that the Coalition is convening with the three main political parties in order to ensure that social enterprise is a key part of their agendas. To read more about the breakfast visit the Coalition website.
 BAME strategy launched A new strategy to encourage Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities into social enterprise was launched last week at a Coalition event in London for BAME female entrepreneurs. The strategy sets out ways to challenge the social enterprise movement to connect with BAME social enterprises and entrepreneurs, and was researched and written by the Social Enterprise Coalition in consultation with Black Training and Enterprise Group (BTEG) and Voice4Change England. It was funded by the Office of the Third Sector. To find out more about the event, and to download the strategy, visit the Coalition website.
Call for good commissioning practice The Coalition is part of the National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning Partnership. Our role within this is researching good practice and developing detailed guidance on commissioning from social enterprises. We are therefore looking for excellent examples of how commissioners have used innovative ways to get greater value from their commissioning. This could include the creation of new social enterprises, the use of community benefit clauses, building capacity and user involvement. If you have had a positive commissioning experience you would like to share; or are a commissioner with a creative track record, please contact ceri.jones@socialenterprise.org.uk.
 Funding future jobs in your social enterprise The Social Enterprise Coalition is interested to know more about the plans of social enterprises to create jobs over the coming months. What you have to say will help to inform our policy position. The Coalition is especially keen to learn more about your experiences in relation to the Government’s Future Jobs Fund, whether or not you have applied. The survey should take no more than five minutes of your time, and we'd be grateful to hear from you. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=dN_2fy6ZKkTQRJxEnFJC8xjA_3d_3d
 East and West Midland Social Enterprises: Winning with 2012 The Social Enterprise Coalition presents two free events for social enterprises in the Midlands to discuss the opportunities presented by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and how social enterprises in the region can take part in the delivery and legacy of the Games. The first event takes place in the West Midlands on November 3rd, the second in the East Midlands on 25th November. In these consultation meetings, you will: - Learn about opportunities presented by the 2012 Games;
- Share best practice and explore business partnerships for successful engagement.
For further information, and to register to attend, please visit the Coalition website.
 Manifesto workshops Birmingham - November 3rd London - November 17th In the run-up to the next election, the Social Enterprise Coalition will be producing a social enterprise manifesto. We would like to hear your thoughts and ideas on what we should ask from the political parties. As such we will be hosting a series of workshops across the country in order to gauge views as well as tell you more about our plans for the social enterprise manifesto. We also aim to influence the political parties' own manifestos over the coming months. The workshops are open to all Coalition members. For more information on dates and venues please follow the link to the Social Enterprise Coalition website.
 Social enterprise 09: The future of public services Birmingham November 19th Organised by The Guardian, and in association with the Social Enterprise Coalition, this interactive one-day conference is designed for anyone involved in commissioning, delivering or improving public sector services. Held on Social Enterprise Day, there will be keynote speakers, panel debates and a series of workshops designed to provoke discussion and learning on social enterprises in public services. http://www.guardian.co.uk/socialenterprise  Consultations Social Investment Wholesale Bank consultation response The Coaliton response to the Social Investment Wholesale Bank is still available to view at the Coalition website. News  Minister commits to 'spreading the news of social enterprise' Third Sector Minister Angela Smith has said she will work with the UK's Social Enteprise Ambassadors to help commissioners understand social enterprise and to encourage job swaps between mainstream business and social enterprise. At a tour of East London social enterprises with 13 ambassadors yesterday, the minister listened to ambassadors’ requests and spoke to them about their businesses. “It’s one thing to read about the companies, but talking to staff and seeing them in action is different. I am committed to spreading the news of social enterprise and to encouraging more social enterprises to form,” said Smith. Read the full story at the Social Enterprise Ambassadors website
 GLL launches new Sports and Performing Arts Centre One of London’s most successful social enterprises has opened a new sports and performing arts centre in London. The Warehouse Sports and Performing Arts Centre in Plumstead will be the first community arts facility in the area and is set to offer a range of drama, music, dance and sporting activities for children and adults. Centre manager, Ali Steele, says, “This is a fantastic opportunity for everyone in the local community to benefit from a host of different classes including ballet, tap, jazz, street dance, drama, singing and a variety of sports – all on their doorstep. To find out more visit the website www.artswarehouse.co.uk Events  Announcing applications for the First Annual Unreasonable Institute The Unreasonable Institute is preparing to begin its search for the world's 25 most driven, most brilliant, high-impact social entrepreneurs. The Institute is looking for social entrepreneurs, between ages 20-30, who will develop social ventures that history may one day recall defined progress in the 21st century - ventures with the ability to measurably improve the lives of millions of people around the globe. The 25 selected entrepreneurs will gather in Boulder, Colorado in May 2010 for a 10-week Summer Institute where they will receive rigorous entrepreneurial training, daily mentorship from seasoned changemakers, and connections to the seed capital they require to launch their ideas and scale their ventures. All interested applicants can sign up to apply immediately with full details of the application procedure available here. Official applications will open on November 15th. The Social Enterprise Coalition is an official Pipeline Partner of the Unreasonable Institute.
Co-operating for social enterprise day November 19th Ipswich This one day event from The East of England Co-operative Sociey will be a celebration of social enterprise in the region. As well as a marketplace of local social enterprise businesses and advice organisations, students from a local school in Ipswich will be at the evnt to talk about their work running a co-operative Christmas enterprise. Experts will also be on hand to offer advice and guidance to those interested in setting up their own social enterprise business. The event will run from 10:30 – 15:30 and for more information contact Pam Walker on p.walker@eastofengland.coop
Next Steps to Sustainability workshops November/December Yorkshire The University of Huddersfield is hosting a series of Next Steps workshops on behalf of Charity Bank in the North. Three different workshops are designed to help third sector organisations to consider some of the key issues around delivering social benefits to the people they serve. Each half-day workshop is free of charge, and will be delivered in venues across Yorkshire until December 2009. Participants can come to one workshop, or all three. For information on workshops in and around your area visit the website. Resources  Divine Chocolate: a case study of social enterprise Divine Chocolate is proud of its history as a pioneering social enterprise which is now 45% owned by cocoa farmers in Ghana. As a contribution to Global Enterprise Week (16-22 November, 2009) Divine has produced a free Powerpoint presentation aimed at teachers focusing on business studies, enterprise or social enterprise. It showcases Divine Chocolate as an example of a successful social enterprise. The presentation has comprehensive speaking notes and takes between 30 and 40 minutes to deliver in full. There is one version aimed at Key Stage 3 (11-14 year olds) and one aimed at Key Stage 4 (14-16 year olds). The case study can be downloaded from http://www.tradingvisions.org/content/social-enterprise. Member Profile  Fairerplanet Fairerplanet is an on-line eco friendly superstore for fair trade goods, organic and handmade gifts. All the products sold on the site, which include clothing, toys, homeware,cards and stationary have all been chosen for their ethically traded, fair trade, green or carbon neutral credentials, helping consumers to help the planet. http://www.fairerplanet.co.uk/index.php Website of the fortnight  Breakthrough The social investment programme Breakthrough provides funding and management support to help established social enterprises scale up and maximise their social impact. This new dedicated micro-site includes case studies on the seven investments made so far as well as reports and news from the fund. Breakthrough was launched in 2005 as a joint venture between the social enterprise CAN and the private equity firm Permira. www.breakthroughfund.org.uk Jobs Wastebusters CIC Business and Operations Director
Salary: £45,000
Location: South east Wastebuster (CIC) Ltd is looking for a Business and Operations Director to drive forward a young company who successfully deliver a diverse waste education programme to primary schools. Wastebuster is looking for a highly experienced director to help develop this small, dynamic social business and successfully expand and improve its delivery capacity, on a national level. Key tasks would include development, fundraising, cross sector partnership negotiations, managing all client delivery activities and resources. The candidate will also design, improve and enforce processes to streamline activity. The candidate must have a strong drive, passion and commitment with a deep empathy for our mission. Experience of the education or environment sectors is essential. For more information: kate.hartley@wastebuster.co.uk Closing date: 31st January 201o
Bromley by Bow Centre Business director
Salary: Circa £40k plus benefits
Location: East London An exciting opportunity for a dynamic business development professional to manage and grow the £1 million social enterprise activities of the Bromley by Bow Centre - a pioneering charity situated on the edge of the Olympic Park. You will have proven commercial skills and extensive experience in business development, excellent people management skills and an understanding of social enterprise. This is a unique opportunity to work for a forward-thinking charity built on an entrepreneurial model and embracing business culture. As a member of the Senior Management Team you will play a key role in shaping the Centre's future. This represents a fantastic opportunity for someone seeking a new challenge to effect real social change in one of the most deprived communities in Europe. For details of how to apply contact our recruitment advisers PrimeTimers at enquire@primetimers.org.uk. Closing date: 30th October 2009 Back to the top | 
Social sector leaders are using Web 2.0 tools, but these tools are only the beginning of the story. The deeper news is how social media tools are engendering a new, networked mindset characterized by openness, transparency, decentralized decision-making, and distributed action. Nonprofit organizations that are adapting the networked mindset are finding exciting opportunities to expand their leverage and impact. In this talk from the recent Nonprofit Management Institute, Heather McLeod Grant uses new research from the Monitor Institute, in partnership with the Packard Foundation, to offer a strategic framework that helps nonprofit leaders assess the effectiveness of their networks. She also shares illuminating case studies of nonprofits' experiences operating with the new networked mindset. 
Neither those who knew the debonair young Fazle Abed nor Abed himself would have imagined how the course of his life would change forever with the deadly cyclone that hit Bangladesh in 1970. Killing as many as 500,000, the event was profound in its impact, devastating the lives of more than 3 million people, leading ultimately to the bloody liberation of Bangladesh, and launching one Shell Oil executive on an entirely new career path. In Freedom from Want, Ian Smillie chronicles the life and times of the newly formed nation of Bangladesh, its largely impoverished people, and an organization that would come to master both the art and science of development. Told as a laudatory case history, the book proceeds predictably. Smillie begins by ... 
PopTech, the vaunted thoughtfest that annually gathers some of the world's leading social innovators in the coastal hamlet of Camden, Maine, just wrapped up its 2009 conference after mulling an uncharacteristically unglobal theme: America and the challenges it faces domestically in the early years of this new century. Called America Reimagined, the conference featured more than 50 artists, writers, musicians, technologists, and social entrepreneurs—all of whom are creating or leading bold new civic, economic, technological and cultural initiatives in the United States. The sessions were designed to explore how major forces are reshaping the idea of America, its government's contract with its citizens, its brand, and its role in the world. "The thing about the kinds of moments we are living in right now is that they are often filled with conflicting and confusing signals," conference curator Andrew Zolli said in opening remarks. "Is it possible for us as a country, economically and technologically, politically and culturally, to reinvent ourselves?" 
