What is Social Enterprise

“A business is born when someone sees an opening, a market in which to make money; a charity or voluntary organisation is born from a desire to solve a particular social problem. Put these two together and you have a ‘social enterprise’ – a business-based approach to achieving social and environmental aims.” Taken from ‘A beginner’s guide to social enterprise’, written by Susan Heath, Decoda 2006.

This is for YOU if you are a….

• manager, trustee, director of, or responsible
  for raising income for, a voluntary organisations or community group interested in finding out about the opportunities of social enterprise for your organisation.

Overview …

Over the last few years social enterprises have sprung up throughout the country and take many different forms, from food co-operatives, child care services, to village shops.

With serious backing from central government for the development of more social enterprises and the predicted decline of traditional grant funding, Voluntary and Community Action has got together with its partners in Bedfordshire to introduce social enterprise to local groups. The benefits are less reliance on grants and traditional funding, opportunities to form partnerships, ability to compete for local authority and other public sector contracts and a chance to develop and sell your organisation’s products and services.

If you are involved with a voluntary organisation, community group or a charity considering social enterprise activities, this event endeavours to clear confusions around the term and get you thinking about how your voluntary organisation, community group or charity activities fit with the social enterprise agenda.

The event will enable participants to:

• understand what social enterprise is
• understand the social enterprise model and how it relates to voluntary and community sector organisations
• understand social enterprise values and practices
• identify when social enterprise might be appropriate for VCS organisations
• address practical issues involved in adopting social enterprise methods
• consider the potential for future funding streams, contracts, trading and market opportunities
• consider the potential for building on existing strengths to develop a competitive advantage
• identify where to start and what their next steps will be
• provide opportunities for participants to discuss issues with our Development Officer and Funding Adviser.

Facilitator

The workshop will be facilitated by Rizwana Zaman, Funding Adviser and Jenny Allthorpe, Development Officer at Voluntary and Community Action South Bedfordshire.

Venue

The workshop will be held at Bossard House, West Street, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 1DA. This venue is fully accessible. Parking is available in a pay and display car park nearby.

Access and Individual Requirements

If you have any specific individual requirements to enable you to attend this event please let us know. Every effort is made to meet individual requirements, which might include; a loop system, sign language interpreter, wheelchair access, handouts in large print or special dietary requirements.