With approximately 10,000 social enterprises in the South East, including The Phone Co-op and Sunlight Social Enterprises CIC, winners of the Best Social Enterprise and Best New Social Enterprise awards respectively at the 2008 Enterprising Solutions Awards, the opportunities for collaboration and shared learning are plentiful.
Karen Byrne, Regional Development Manager of Development Trusts Association - South East and Co-Chair of SE2 Partnership SAYS:
“The inspiration for SE2 Partnership started several years ago when members of regional social enterprise support organisations, local social enterprise networks and the regional development agency, SEEDA, came together to discuss how to create a thriving social enterprise environment for the region
“We’ve been delivering social enterprise support and associated networking informally for more than five years and know that by working in partnership to share knowledge and resources we can help social enterprises be more successful and sustainable”.
Thea Allison, Director of The Business Community Partnership and Co-Chair of SE2 Partnership, adds:
“We’re excited to launch SE2 Partnership today. Our focus on communications, market development, collaborative networks and advocacy means that we can add real value to social enterprises in the South East”.
Celebrating social enterprise
To celebrate the launch of SE2 Partnership and social enterprises in the region, there are a number of activities planned for today, Social Enterprise Day. Karen Byrne says:
“The organisations being highlighted on Social Enterprise Day are particularly strong and these events will help to demonstrate their social, environmental and economic impact”.
- Local social enterprise networks in Surrey, Brighton & Hove and Hampshire will provide a programme of open visits to social enterprises in their respective areas. SE2 Partnership delivers this programme in partnership with Business Link South East for Office of the Third Sector.
- The launch of “What’s the Big Idea?”, a project for young people to create social business plans and bid for funding to turn their ideas into reality, will take place at Acorn House in Milton Keynes.
- SE2 Partnership took part in a nationwide photography competition to look for the best photograph that shows what social enterprise can do. The regional winner, The Waste Oil Recycling Project in Prisons at HMP Ford, won for its visual and story elements and is now entered to compete for first prize nationally. The overall winner will be chosen from across the UK by England’s Social Enterprise Ambassadors on Social Enterprise Day.
