Edition No. 78 - Thursday 20 November
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Dear ,
SENScot has been involved in the delivery of Scottish Community Alliance’s Pockets & Prospects Programme since its inception in 2018 - see the 2021 Summary Report. Planning is now well underway for our 2022 Programme – now to be known as the Community Wellbeing Exchange. Earlier this month, we invited ‘notes of interest’ from Sport SEN members and have now been able to select six organisations. There was an encouragingly high level of interest which obviously made selection that much harder. In making our selection, we have tried to focus on geographical spread – and on different sports, offering differing approaches. The participating organisations are: Eat Sleep Ride CIC, Outfit Moray, Projekt42, Kanzen Karate, Coach My Sport and Newmilns Snow & Sports Complex. The remaining participating organisations will be selected by our partners, CHEX and Scottish Communities for Health & Wellbeing. Participants will have access to an allocation of £1000 to spend on a wide range of activities and services that aim to improve mental health and wellbeing. We are now putting out a Supplier Call Out - for organisations who may be interested in providing services and activities. These activities and services listed will aim to address mental health & wellbeing needs, whether in relation to the needs of a community organisation’s workforce, the people who access its services or to the wider community. Last year, over 50 organisations provided a range of services and activities to the 15 participating community organisations. If you would like to be added to the list of suppliers – please, email mary@senscot.net . NB: All activity will have to take place by the end of May 2022.
The first Sport SEN session of 2022 takes place on Thursday, 3rd Feb 2022 at 1pm. We will be joined by Pauline Hinchion from Scottish Community Finance who will talk about how using Community Bonds can help organisations as they move towards NetZero. We will also be joined by Kieran Daly from Social Investment Scotland (SIS) – who will provide an overview of SIS’ new Social Enterprise Net Zero Fund. Members will also be able to share their own updates - including plans for the year ahead and a discussion on topics for future SEN meetings and community learning exchanges. See link above to register.
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The name Freer Spreckley may not be familiar to many people – but he has been one of the leading lights in the social enterprise movement globally for over 50 years, and was a key figure in defining the ‘triple bottom line’ in his 1981 book, ‘Social Audit’. He has recently published a new book - Essential Social Enterprise – a just transition to system change. The book traces the origin and development of social enterprise and shows how, over time, both the term and values have been altered and sometimes misinterpreted – but argues that the original ideas of social enterprise are now more urgently needed than ever. Pioneers Post is currently serialising his book – with the first instalment being on Common Ownership.
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The Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee met this week and heard evidence from community organisation representatives on the challenges being faced by local community organisations in working towards net zero at a local level. Contributors – including Scottish Communities Climate Action Network, Community Land Scotland and Development Trusts Association Scotland – told politicians that there appears to be little or no support available from local authorities to help community organisations build the necessary capacity to allow them to work towards net zero targets.
Caledonia Cremations was launched in 2018 – as Scotland’s only social enterprise funeral directors. Today, and with a staff team of six, it remains committed to helping give people the best send-off possible and, at the same time, prevent funeral poverty. In keeping with this ethos and in response to the Covid and cost-of-living crisis, Caledonia Cremations is offering pay-what-you can funerals for the remainder of January.
Two of the country’s better known social enterprises opened new outlets in Edinburgh over the last week or so. Locavore opened its fifth Zero Waste Supermarket – and first in Edinburgh – on Dalry Road, near Haymarket Station. And earlier this week, Edinburgh Remakery moved into new premises in Ocean Terminal, next to Leith Docks. Best of luck to both with their new ventures. Also, on 27th January, Thurso Community Development Trust will be opening the town’s first Net Zero Store. Good luck to TCDT too:
The International Social Enterprise Observatory (ISEO) is currently undertaking research designed to inform its future support offer. To do so, they are keen to hear from social enterprises that currently engage internationally – as well as those may be interested in doing so. If you’d like to get involved or find out more, please email Naomi Johnson:
Into Work is also currently conducting research - into mentoring support for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions. If you have a disability or long-term condition, Into Work would really appreciate folk sharing their thoughts on mentoring. To do so, could you complete this short survey - https://forms.office.com/r/YjJNr98Fkn before Wednesday 2nd February. Your views are important to them:
Round 19 of the Scottish Edge Awards is open until 2pm on Tuesday, 15th February 2022. In advance of the closing date, Scottish Edge is running an Online Workshop on Tuesday 25th January (10am) - providing key information for folk planning on applying for the current round. If you’re interested, see link to register. Scottish Edge has also produced this launch video – giving more details on the range and categories of awards available:
Reminder: Edinburgh SE is holding its Annual General Meeting at its newly refurbished premises at the Charteris Centre on the Pleasance. The event takes place next Thursday, 27th January 2022 at 4.30pm. It is hoped that it can be an ‘in person’ event – but, if that is not possible, folk will be given 24 hours’ notice of any change of plans. Also being given, naturally, will be a recap on events and activities during 2021 – as well as an update on plans for the year ahead. To sign up and for more details, see link above:
January edition of the SE and Employability Newsletter is now available – and includes an update on the SEN response to Scottish Govt’s Fair Work Nation Consultation; members’ news; as well as wider employability-related information for members:
Braveheart Industries (BHI), set up in 2014, supports individuals with convictions into employment. BHI is currently looking to recruit a Chief Operating Officer. Like so many other organisations, the pandemic has had a significant impact on its operations, though plans are in place to chart a vibrant recovery. The new COO will lead this recovery - providing strategic direction for BHI and its staff in the delivery of its current businesses and in the development of new enterprises:
With various SEN meetings scheduled over the coming weeks, we’ll be listing core details – dates, times, guest speakers etc – to keep people up to date with what’s on and when
Wednesday, 26th January 2022 (10am) – Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action will be hosting its Social Enterprise Forum - where they will be launching the new Aberdeenshire SEN. Contributions, on the day, will also come from SENScot, Firstport, the Social Enterprise Academy and the BIG Lottery. NB – Attendees are asked to register by 5pm on Monday, 17th January 2022:
Wednesday 26th January (2pm) – SENScot will be hosting an online SEN Session for Social Enterprise Counselling Service Providers. With SEN members reporting an ongoing increase in demand for counselling services, we are keen to enable social enterprise to come together regularly to share their thoughts on what opportunities and challenges this is currently posing and how they are responding to this. If you would like to participate in this session, please contact mary@senscot.net:
Wednesday 23rd February (10.30am) - Fair Work in Practice. This session, jointly hosted by SENScot and SCVO, is designed to learn about and share Fair Work practices that social enterprises and the wider third sector have implemented within their organisation. Speakers will talk through the Fair Work practices they have embraced. Scottish Govt will also provide an update on the Fair Work Nation consultation, and the upcoming refresh of the Fair Work Action Plan. See link for more details and to book your place:
