The Plunkett Weekly News is a weekly roundup of the latest news from the Plunkett Foundation and news relating to co-operatives, social enterprise, farming and food rural development.
Below is the Plunkett Weekly News for the week ending 25 September 2009.
Plunkett Foundation News
PLUNKETT PERSPECTIVE
This week’s perspective looks into the place of ‘Green Care’ within the wider role of social enterprise following Peter Couchman’s presentation at a European wide Green Care conference in Turkey. http://plunkettfoundation.blogspot.com/
To follow the Plunkett Foundation on Facebook visit http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=79687818921&ref=nf
To follow the Plunkett Foundation on Twitter visit http://twitter.com/PeterCouchman
MAKING LOCAL FOOD WORK CONFERENCE IS A GREAT SUCCESS
The Making Local Food Work Conference took place on Wednesday 30th September and was a huge success. 250 delegates attended to listen to presentations from Professor Kevin Morgan, Cardiff University; Tim Crabtree, Local Food Links and Barney Haughton from Bristol based Local Food restaurant, Bordeaux Quay. The day proved to be informative and engaging and gave people the opportunity to develop ideas within a variety of smaller workshops. There will be a more detailed news release on the conference in next week’s Plunkett Weekly News and on the Plunkett Foundation and Making Local Food Work websites. In the meantime we would like to thank everybody involved in Making Local Food Work’s largest conference yet.
http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk/
COMMUNITY ASSET OWNERSHIP PROGRAMME LEVERS £20M INTO EAST OF ENGLAND
The Building Community Assets programme levered almost £20m into the East of England following support from the East of England Development Agency an independent evaluation has found. Building Community Assets was a two year capital grant programme totalling an investment of £4.9m which helped social enterprises and other third sector organisations to take ownership of land and buildings in the East of England. Eight flagship projects in total were supported with capital grants of up to £750,000 to fund the purchase and development costs of assets in order to facilitate a greater level of economic and social outcomes. Building Community Assets was managed by a consortium of specialists in social enterprise: Co-operative and Community Finance, the Plunkett Foundation and Social Enterprise East of England.
Download full press release - http://www.plunkett.co.uk/templates/asset-relay.cfm?frmAssetFileID=767
PRACTICAL GUIDE TO COMMUNITY ASSET OWNERSHIP LAUNCHED
The Building Community Assets consortium has produced a practical guide for communities considering purchasing land and buildings. The guide is intended to provide an insight into the range of organisation supported through the programme including their core objectives, their proposals and achievements through Building Community Assets and beyond. A separate section at the end of the guide provides signposts for further information and advice on acquiring community assets including potential sources of funding. Copies of the guide are available online via the consortium partner’s websites. Hard copies are available from the Plunkett Foundation and Social Enterprise East of England.
Download Guide - http://www.plunkett.co.uk/templates/asset-relay.cfm?frmAssetFileID=734
MAKING LOCAL FOOD WORK JOB OPPORTUNITY
Are you excited by the idea of helping sustainable community enterprises to reconnect people with, and increase access to, local food?
As the administrator for Plunkett Foundation, the national charity that is the UK's leading exponent of rural social enterprise, you’ll be doing just that, by supporting farmers’ markets, community-owned village shops, community transport schemes, food co-operatives and local food distribution hubs throughout England. You’ll also be a first point of contact for the Making Local Food Work programme, run by Plunkett Foundation. This groundbreaking initiative is supported by £10 million funding by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund.
You’re a good organiser and team player, preferably with a background in community projects and an understanding of the local food sector. In addition to running events and meetings with staff and clients, monitoring financial and technical progress and maintaining accurate records, you’re self-motivated, reliably efficient and unfazed by working to tight deadlines. In return, you enjoy the rewards of engaging with a dynamic, progressive team that’s passionately committed to changing people’s lives for the better by helping communities overcome their challenges and putting the heart back into the rural economy.
To apply for this role, please send your CV and covering letter to kathryn.morrison@plunkett.co.uk or to Kathryn Morrison at Plunkett Foundation, The Quadrangle, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1LH.
Closing date: 16th October 2009
http://www.plunkett.co.uk/aboutus/opportunities.cfm
Co-operatives and Social Enterprise News
SOCIAL ENTERPRISE COALITION ANNOUNCE NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE
The Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC) has announced that Peter Holbrook will become its new chief executive officer following the departure of Jonathan Bland in the New Year. Peter is currently the CEO of Sunlight Development Trust in Gillingham, Kent, as well as one of England’s Social Enterprise Ambassadors.
Sunlight is one of the UK’s most dynamic and successful social enterprises and works to tackle long-standing health and social inequalities in the community
There are approximately 62,000 social enterprises in the UK with a combined turnover of £27billion. They operate in almost every sector including health, employment, education, retail, technology, renewable energy and the arts.
The Social Enterprise Coalition is the UK’s national body for social enterprise and represents a wide range of social enterprises, regional and national support networks and other related organisations. http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/press-releases.php/66/social-enterprise-coalition-names-new-ceo
© SEC
NEW HEAD OF THE SOCIAL EXCLUSION TASK FORCE
Naomi Eisenstadt, the director for the Social Exclusion Task Force, will be retiring at the end of September.
Campbell Robb, who currently manages the Office of the Third Sector, will also become responsible for the Social Exclusion Task Force following Naomi Eisenstadt’s retirement, as Director-General of the Office of the Third Sector and Social Exclusion. Naomi has been director of SETF for nearly three years, having led early years and childcare work at DCSF the previous eight years.
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/newsroom/statements/090916-eisenstadt
© Cabinet Office
GROWING WELL IN READY STEADY COOK!
Social Enterprise ‘Growing Well’, supported by Plunkett led Strengthening Rural Communities across the North West is scheduled to star in a Christmas Special of Ready Steady Cook! Pauline, from ‘Growing Well’ took a bag of freshly picked produce on the train to BBC Television Centre where Ainsley Harriot and his team transformed the produce into a seasonal lamb dish. During the show Pauline was interviewed about the work the Social Enterprise did to promote healthy local food and provide support to a range of people within the local community.
http://www.growingwell.co.uk/index.html
© Growing Well
NEWS FROM RISE: NORTHERN IRELAND CHAMPIONS OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISE SUCCESS
Employers for Childcare, is the very first organisation in Northern Ireland to pass strict criteria to achieve the prestigious Social Enterprise Mark. Inspirational and leading Social Entrepreneur Liam Black lent his support and endorsement of two of Northern Irelands most successful and thriving social enterprises in an event in Belfast to commemorate the achievements of Employers For Childcare and NOW. The Social Enterprise Mark is an instantly recognisable label to identify social enterprises; it reminds customers that by supporting a social enterprise they are helping to create benefits for people and the planet, rather than generating profits for owners or shareholders.
The event was a double celebration with NOW launching their new social enterprise consultancy business called Gauge which enables organisations to understand measure and communicate their value using the model of Social Return on Investment (SROI).
http://www.rise-sw.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=943
© RISE
STEERING GROUP SCRAPS MIDDLE TIER OF NEW IDENTIFIER
One of the three proposed tiers of the new social enterprise brand has been scrapped at discussion stage in a bid to give the initiative more strength and focus. The 'journey' level identifier - which sat midway between the other tiers - could have been awarded to businesses without three years of accounts, such as start-ups, to back up their social intentions, or to those that hadn't yet reached the top level Social Enterprise Mark criteria, which demand, for example, that 50 per cent of the enterprise's income must come from trading. But the 'journey' level idea had been criticised for being confusing and diluting the strength of the main Social Enterprise Mark. Because of this the steering group have decided to focus on a single business identifier and an awareness campaign, instead of the three-tiered system that was initially proposed.
http://www.socialenterpriselive.com/section/news/steering-group-scraps-middle-tier-new-identifier?utm_source=LIVEWIRE&utm_medium=EMAIL&utm_content=STORY3&utm_campaign=SELIVE_LIVEWIRE_SEP23_2009
© Social Enterprise
DEUTSCHE BOSS COMMITS TO SOCIAL INVESTMENT
Speaking at a social investment seminar held in the heart of the City, Mansion House, Deutsche Bank UK CEO Colin Grassie, said: 'Social finance sits at the heart of what we do as a profession and human beings and that is my commitment today.’ At the same time the CEO, who took up his position only a week before the conference, admitted that what he knew about social investment would 'fit on the back of a postage stamp'. But he pointed to Deutsche Bank Americas strong track record in the field, which included over £1bn of investment into areas including microfinance and regeneration.
Also last week, on a separate occasion, Deutsche Bank announced investment in a new venture philanthropy fund worth £1.3m run by Impetus. Called the London Fund it has been set up to tackle poverty in greater London and one of the first three awardees is Blue Sky Development and Regeneration, a social enterprise that offers employment to ex-offenders.The fund has been structured to generate purely social returns.
http://www.socialenterpriselive.com/section/news/deutsche-boss-commits-social-investment?utm_source=LIVEWIRE&utm_medium=EMAIL&utm_content=STORY4&utm_campaign=SELIVE_LIVEWIRE_SEP23_2009
© Social Enterprise
LOAN FUND APPOINTS NEW FUND MANAGERS
A £10 million investment fund to help South West businesses has announced the appointment of new Fund Managers. The South West Loans Fund, which was set up by the South West RDA (Regional Development Agency) in April, has named SWIG (South West Investment Group) Services and Finance Cornwall Fund Managers Ltd as its permanent Fund Managers. The appointments follow an interim six-month arrangement which saw the Fund managed by YFM Group. The new contracts will last until December 2015. SWIG Services will manage small loans of up to £50,000, and Finance Cornwall Fund Managers will manage loans from £50,000 up to £250,000, under the brand name Ascendant Ventures. Since it was launched the South West Loans Fund has received more than 270 enquires and over 80 applications have or are being progressed.
Businesses interested in funding out more about the loan fund should contact Business Link on 0845 600 9966 or visit http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/southwest
http://www.southwestrda.org.uk
© SWRDA
ANGELA SMITH WILL USE LABOUR CONFERENCE TO PROMOTE LABOUR’S NEW LINE
Third sector minister Angela Smith says she will use next week's Labour conference - the last before the general election - to "flag up the differences between the political parties" on the voluntary sector.
She said she was alarmed at reports of comments made by Oliver Letwin, chair of the Conservative policy review team, that charities could run services more cheaply than the Government or the private sector.
Smith will speak at the conference at events organised by the NCVO, the Charities Aid Foundation, the Social Enterprise Coalition and Volunteering England. She will also have face-to-face meetings with a number of charities. The conference would be part of a process of developing ideas for the manifesto.
http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/channels/Policy/Article/939570/Angela-Smith-will-use-Labour-conference-promote-Labours-new-line/
© Third Sector
CHARITIES HESITATE TO TAKE UP MODERNISATION FUND BUSINESS ADVICE
One of the key funds in the Government's £40.5m recession action plan has not yet been fully taken up by sector organisations. The fund is offering charities vouchers for two days of business advice, worth £1,000, about collaboration and merger. The non-departmental public body Capacitybuilders, which is managing it on behalf of the Office of the Third Sector, budgeted for take-up by 1,000 organisations at a cost of £1m.
A total of 1,068 organisations applied for vouchers to pay for the advice and all were offered them in early July. But only 820 charities - about 80 per cent - had taken them up by last week.Charities have until 9 November to redeem the vouchers. The funding for the scheme comes from the £16.5m Modernisation Fund, which the Office of the Third Sector established to help charities become more resilient in the downturn. As well as the £1m in bursaries, Capacitybuilders is offering £6m of grants worth up to £10,000 each to organisations that have received bursaries and want to proceed with merger or collaboration. Applications for the second phase of funding opened last week.The spokeswoman said any unallocated funds from the bursaries would go into the second phase of funding, which opened for bids last week.
http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/Channels/Policy/Article/939684/Charities-hesitate-Modernisation-Fund-business-advice/
© Third Sector
Farming and Food News
10 STEPS TO CREATING A LOCAL FOOD GROUP
Tamzin Pinkerton & Rob Hopkins's new book, Local Food, is an indispensable guide for anyone interested in creating a local food group. The book explores all elements of setting up a local food group from project scoping and identifying an initial group, to networking and promoting your project. To find out more, including the authors’ top ten tips, visit the link below.
http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/food_and_drink/325769/10_steps_to_creating_a_local_food_group.html
© The Ecologist
SAFEGUARDING OUR SOILS FOR THE FUTURE
Measures to protect and improve our soil to meet rising demand for food and to combat climate change have been unveiled by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn. England’s soil has suffered over the last 200 years from the impacts of intensive farming and industrial pollution, and today is under threat from erosion by wind and rain, a loss of organic matter and nutrients, and pressure for development.
Safeguarding our Soils, published today, sets out how the government plans to halt and reverse the degradation of England’s soil over the next 20 years, working with farmers and other land managers, developers, planners and construction companies to manage soil sustainably. By 2050 the world will need to double current food production to feed a growing population, possible only with healthy soils. Future sustainability of the UK’s food supply will depend on maintaining the natural resources, including soil, on which production depends.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/latest/2009/defra-0924.htm
© DEFRA
FIRST MILK MAKES £7M LOSS, BUT FARMERS PAY MORE
Dairy co-op First Milk made a post-tax loss of £7.1m during 2008/09 as it tried to shelter farmer members from the effects of weaker and more volatile commodity markets. Group turnover fell by 3% from £602m in 2007/08 - when it made a £2.8m profit - to £581m in 2008/09, mainly due to a decrease in powder, cheese and whey returns in the second half of the year. But over the same period, First Milk increased the average milk price paid to its 2400 members to 25.35p/litre, an increase of 3.67p/litre on the previous year.
The £7m loss included a non-recurring charge of £3.6m, which was mainly related to restructure and redundancies at the cheese division's Claygate office and the Maelor creamery near Wrexham last year.
Mr Humphreys, First Milk’s Chief Executive, expected dairy markets to remain extremely competitive, but said continued growth of the co-op's cheese brands; restructured banking facilities and a new Creamery in Campbeltown would help improve future performance.
First Milk has dismissed rumours that it could merge with Milk Link.
http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2009/09/25/117971/first-milk-makes-7m-loss-but-pays-farmers-more.html
© Farmers Guardian
Rural Development News
NEW SKILLS TRAINING FOR DEVELOPMENT WORKERS
ACRE is pleased to announce a new training course, developed under the umbrella of the National Collaboration Benefits Programme. The two-day course in Developing Parish Partnerships is aimed at community workers, rural practitioners and all those involved in developing collaborative partnerships within communities. It will be held over two days in October and November 2009, repeated at five different locations around the country.
Each course will be led by one of the ACRE-appointed Programme Associates [each an experienced trainer/development worker from one of the network of Rural Community Councils].
The courses are offered FREE OF CHARGE, but places must be pre-booked.
http://www.acre.org.uk/resources_publications_headlines18sep09.html
© ACRE
SHARING STAFF ‘SAVES RURAL SCHOOLS’
Formal collaboration can help save rural primary schools from closure, suggests a study. Sharing staff, a headteacher or governors can improve the viability of schools and improve their services. The investigation was commissioned by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). They found many rural primary schools already engaged in a rich and complex web of informal collaborations. But they were unfamiliar with the range of formal collaborative models which might enable them to strengthen or extend current links.
The study found that existing informal collaborations provided strong foundations for structural, more lasting models. Benefits from a formal collaborative arrangement included strengthening links by putting them on a statutory footing; creating time for leadership and management; increasing the quality of specialist support; enhancing opportunities for professional development; widening the range of curricular opportunities for pupils and improving the provision of more extended services. In particular, models which involved sharing a headteacher had the potential both to alleviate difficulties of recruitment and to improve the quality of school leadership.
http://www.rsnonline.org.uk/services/sharing-staff-can-save-rural-schools.html
© Rural Services Network
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES EXCELLENCE NETWORK
The Sustainable Communities Excellence Network is an alliance of publicly funded organisations in the United Kingdom working to build sustainable places through skills, knowledge and networking. SCEN provides learning opportunities for professionals directly involved in regeneration and place making to increase their understanding, grow their skills and reach their potential. Each year, the Sustainable Communities Excellence Network (SCEN) continues to build – as individual, publicly funded bodies and as a network – a growing community of people directly involved in delivering regeneration and sustainable communities who inspire, challenge and support one another.
The Network Annual Review, here: www.newstartmag.co.uk/files/NARreport.pdf will tell you more about our member centres’ plans in addressing future issues and challenges for 2009-10, and our work in:
• Creating Sustainable Places
• Improving Economic Performance
• Strengthening Local Communities
To find out more, please visit our website: http://www.scen.org.uk
© Sustainable Communities Excellence Network
International News
EUROPE - ACT! – ADDRESSING THE CLIMATE THREAT
Co-operatives Europe is pleased to announce the launch of a new website http://www.actonclimate.coop and on-line petition, which launched on Monday 21st September 2009.
The website and petition are part of ACT! - co-operatives addressing the climate threat – to enable co-operatives and co-operators to unite in calling for a Fair, Ambitious and Binding Agreement to be signed at the Copenhagen Climate conference in December.
Some co-operatives are already doing many things to address the climate threat, but usually on their own. ACT! is being launched to encourage more co-operatives and co-operators to do more to address the climate threat, and to do it together. This way, co-operatives will have more impact, which is very important. They will also achieve more recognition for their contribution.
http://www.coopseurope.coop/
© Co-operatives Europe
CANADA - ERIC BOWES AND WILLIAM ANDREW WEST WIN MCEWEN SCHOLARSHIPS
Eric Bowes of Miramichi, New Brunswick and William Andrew West of Clifton Nova Scotia are the winners of this year's McEwan Scholarships, awarded by the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada (CDF) in partnership with Co-op Atlantic.
Since W.H. McEwen's initial gift to CDF in 1973, the scholarship fund has been able to grow each year to provide two scholarships annually to Co-op Atlantic staff and members to improve understanding and knowledge about co-operative issues and co-operative organizations. The value of each scholarship is $4,000.
This year Co-op Atlantic received a total of 31 applications: 11 in the staff category and 20 in the member category. Mr. Bowes was this year's recipient in the staff category, while Mr. West was awarded the scholarship in the member category.
© CCA
CANADA - PREVIEW CO-OPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION’S CO-OP WEEK ONLINE AUCTION
The Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada (CDF) will be holding an online auction in honour of Co-op Week, but you don't have to wait that long to find out what's up for grabs.
A sneak preview of the 40 auction items -- ranging from a Sri Lankan tiger eye pendant to a basket of Cocoa Camino chocolate -- is available at http://realauction.ca/cdfc/en/ . Bidding will open on October 8 and will remain open until October 20.
© Co-operative Canada