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Mapping diversity within social enterprise movement

EEDA’s grants for research and development

Freshstart scheme for enterprising women in Suffolk

BME Businesses: Get involved in local networks

Social Enterprise

Useful links

Mapping and highlighting diversity within the social enterprise movement in England

The Social Enterprise Coalition (www.socialenterprise.org.uk) is currently undertaking research to map and highlight diversity within the social enterprise movement in England.

"A social enterprise is a business with primarily social or environmental objectives whose profits are reinvested back into the business or into the community for that purpose.”

Through our research, we hope to identify how many Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) social enterprises there are in existence in each English region, and also to bring already established and emerging BME organisations into the wider social enterprise movement.

We need your help to do this.

If you have set up, are running, or work for a BME Social Enterprise, then please send your name, organisation’s name and nature of your business to: tamina.mir@socialenterprise.org.uk with ‘BME Research’ in the subject line, or telephone the BME Enterprise Network Development Manager, Tamina Mir on 0207 793 2284.  If you are not sure if your organisation is a social enterprise, please contact us anyway as we would love to hear from you and can give you information to help you decide.

For more links and information about social enterprises, click here.

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BME Businesses: Get involved

MENTER is exploring a Regional BME business network. Please e-mail your details to office@menter.org.uk with BME business network in the subject line, if you are interested. Below is information about two existing local networks.

Minority Business Sector (Peterborough)

The Minority Business Sector is run by the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce. It was launched in March 2005 and is sponsored by Business Link. The sector aims to work with BME businesses in the Cambridgeshire area and provide a forum to deal with business issues, lobby on behalf of members and organise events specific to the sector. It will become a conduit of information for all BME businesses and will offer help and support to ensure they succeed in the mainstream.

The Steering Committee, chaired by Ravi Pathak of PowerWeb, meets regularly to discuss and take forward issues relevant to BME Businesses in the Cambridgeshire area and plan events.

For information on how to join please visit www.cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk or contact Alistair Turner or Helen Bosett on 01733 393333.

Queens Park, Bedford Business Networking

The Queens Park Business Networking Club, which is mainly aimed at BME businesses, held its inaugural meeting on 13th December 2005 at the community centre. The meeting was attended by over 30 people. Local BME businessmen and others, such as the chair of Queens Park Mosque, Asif Nadim, were excited about the potential of the network and have taken it upon themselves to spread the word.

Most importantly business was done at the meeting. A human resource consultant was offered work, a Shefford business specialising in the care of dark skins was offered shelf space by the local Chemist and several found a source of help with the English language.

For more information please visit www.businessclubs.biz/queenspark.asp or contact Pam Woods on pam@businessclubs.biz

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EEDA Grants for Research and Development

Last year EEDA spent £5.9 million helping some of the region’s innovative and dynamic businesses with high growth potential - through its administration of the DTI’s grant for research and development.

This year £5.5 million funding is available for businesses undertaking innovative projects that may be too high risk for other forms of investment, but that have the potential to lead to high returns. Businesses may be eligible to apply for one of three different types of grant – worth up to a maximum of £200k.  

Full details and the criteria for selection can be found on www.eeda.org.uk/192_43.asp

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A ‘Fresh Start’ for enterprising females

The NWES Freshstart scheme is aimed at woman in Suffolk, particularly from ethnic minority groups, who want to start their own business. Freshstart will nurture your entrepreneurial spirit and help your business to flourish.

Freshstart services are free:

• Business ideas days
• Start-up courses
• Confidence building
• Support from mentors
• Childcare expenses
• Travelling costs
• Courses will be available in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Lowestoft, Lakenheath and Brandon.

Training materials will be available in some different languages and translators may be on hand for courses.  The Shaw Trust will provide advice and help with disability issues and ensure all venues and processes are disability friendly.

Jessica Moore is the Business Advisor for this initiative and she will be on hand to assist prospective entrepreneurs to get their business started. 

For information or to sign up, contact Jess on:
0845 337 9422  or email jessica.moore@nwes.org.uk

Freshstart is available free because it is funded by the European Social Fund Objective 3. The programme is supported by the Learning and Skills Council, Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality and the Shaw Trust.

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Useful links

www.refugeesintobusiness.org.uk
Refugees are up to six times more likely to be unemployed than non-refugees. Like many disadvantaged groups, refugees starting up in business face a number of barriers. Refugee community organisations do not have the necessary skills to provide basic business advice and mainstream advisers are not sufficiently aware of the barriers and how to offer appropriate support. Refugees into business was set up to address some of these problems by the Refugee Council, in partnership with other agencies.

www.sedi.org.uk
SEDI (Social Enterprise Development Initiative). We are a not-for-profit social enterprise located in Cheetham, North Manchester.
SEDI is a specialist BME social enterprise organisation that helps to lobby and support the creation of other social enterprises and carries out community-based research in diverse communities throughout the UK.

www.prowess.org.uk or www.eeda.org.uk
EEDA’s Directory of Business Support for Women

www.businesslink.gov.uk

Business Link provide help and advice to both existing companies and start up’s

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