Dear Colleagues,
As you will see below, members, Board and staff have been working hard on your behalf across a very wide cross section of issues. Do please contact myself or the Coalition's new policy adviser Amy Rodger () should you have any ideas or issues you would like to raise.
We rarely recommend books in theseupdates, however withthe environment and community landissues promising to feature prominentlyin the forthcoming elections, for new perspectives do check out John Lanchester’s People Quake, which fascinatingly shows how the paranoia in pre 1970s America that a growing world population could drive land reform, created a right wing environmental lobby in cahoots with the early eugenics - birth control movement. And Scots land reform campaigner Andy Wightman's latest book The Poor Had No Lawyers.
Best wishes
Antonia Swinson, Chief Executive
Future Coalition Diary Dates
Wed. 20th October, Intermediary Members’ meeting in Glasgow 4 – 6pm
This event will feature a facilitated discussion on how we can work together innovatively in the face of Government funding cuts to social enterpriseinfrastructure. How can we share costs and resources? Please join us for this important meeting. Contact
Tuesday 16th November 2010, 6pm to 8pm, MSP Reception, Scottish Parliament
The Coalition will be hosting its annual MSP Reception to celebrate Social Enterprise Day. Please put the date in your diary. Invitations shall be circulated in due course.
A Date for your Diary – S2S 2011
S2S 2011 will be held at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange on Wednesday 20 April 2011. Bookings open on 16th November 2010 at If you have any ideas for workshops you would like to see, or if you would like to host a workshop, please contact Fiona at There will also be opportunities for demonstrations in the Zone.
Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition News
Coalition Tendering Opportunity
We currently have a tendering opportunity for external evaluation of our three year Big Lottery Fund project and Annual Membership Survey. If you are interested please contact Donna
Coalition Logo
Celebrate your membership of the Coalition by uploading our revamped Members and Associates Logos from the members’ area.
Working With The Private Sector
Ongoing engagement includes a joint study trip for 18 business guests with the Scottish Council for the Development of Industry to two of our members, Forth Sector and the Engine Shed on 1 September. Also, on 22 September, our joint Influencers’ Dinner will have Cabinet Secretary John Swinney as the keynote speaker.
Meeting The Independent Public Service Pensions Commission
The Coalition will be meeting Lord Hutton and members of the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission in early September. Initial research among members suggests that public sector pension deficits have the potential to be a real challenge for many social enterprises; with a clear need for further research into the scale of the problem. If you have any views or experiences (attributable or not) which you would like us to raise, please email Antonia.
Tax incentives for investors into social enterprise
Thank you to all the members who have written to their MPs on the need for tax incentives for investors in social enterprise. With public sector cuts inevitable, new investment must be brought in to our sector. Any help would be much appreciated. Contact Antonia or Amy for a sample letter. The Coalition recently met with Ian Davidson MP, Chair of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee in the House of Commons, to discuss this and will be meeting Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore in October.
Single Interface Meeting
This week, the Coalition called a meeting of all the main organisations involved in the formation of the 32 third sector single interfaces. Members have reported big differences in local engagement with social enterprise which we were able to discuss. Everyone wants a good effective system in place and social enterprise must clearly be a key ingredient, not an add-on.
Coalition Photography Bursary Winner
The Coalition has appointed an inspiring photographer to visually capture social enterprises in Scotland, telling their stories through imaginative pictures. Sponsored by Unity Trust Bank, Aly Wight will visit social enterprises across Scotland and pictorially depict how social enterprises change the lives of communities and individuals around them.
Parliamentarian Visits
Arranging visits for Parliamentarians is an important part of our work – the very best way to communicate just what social enterprise can achieve. Please let our new Policy Advisor Amy Rodger, know if you would like to host or organise a visit – contact her at . In August Sheila Gilmore MP, Murdo Fraser MSP and Stuart McMillan MSP all visited social enterprises across the country.
SNP Party conference
The Coalition in conjunction with DTAS will be a hosting fringe meeting at the SNP conference on community ownership of assets. If you wish to feed in your views, please contact
Parliamentary Update
News, Motions and Questions
Parliament News
Scottish Parliamentary Motions
Please contact your local Parliamentarians and encourage them to sign the following:
- S3M-6817 Stuart McMillan: Welcoming the Transforming Effects of RSLs on Scotland’s Communities
- Jim Hume asked the Scottish Executive whether all its procurement contracts include a community benefit clause. To read the response click here
- Jeremy Purvis asked the Scottish Executive how many community trusts are in operation, broken down by local authority area. To read the response click here
New Members
A warm welcome to the Coalition’s newest members:
- Send-it (Members) -
You Can Cook have launched their new website for further details please visit
Have you got the right support to meet the deadline for ‘interface’ development?
The SocialEnterpriseAcademy, with input from ACOSVO and EVOC are to facilitating 4 programmes on strategic single interface planning. Up to 6 representatives from a Single Interface can attend. For more information click here.
Forth Sector at the Shanghai Expo
FSD recently visited Shanghai at the invitation of the British Embassy to take part in its Shanghai Expo Civil Society Week. They were asked to contribute to the event to generate discussion and share expertise on the relationship between government, business and civil society on corporate social responsibility and social enterprises in 2010 in the UK and China.
Unit to Rent
LINK have a 3rd floor office to let in West Bridge Mill, Kirkcaldy. It is 690sq ft and the rent of £9342.80pa includes utilities but not rates. There is car parking and a lift. For more information contact on 01592 644048 or by email .
CEMVO Report
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) has published a report praising the work of CEMVO Scotland and highlighting CEMVO Scotland as an excellent organisation, particularly with regards to its quality of work that has “an impact on the community” and for its approach to “inclusion, equality & fairness.
Wednesday 8th September 2010, Social Firms Scotland's 10th Birthday Party, Glasgow
Social Firms Scotland is 10 this year and they want to bring members, supporters and stakeholders together to recognise and celebrate the Social Firms in Scotland. To mark the occasion, they are holding an 'Inspiration and Celebration' event at Oran Mor in Glasgow on 8th September. The event is free, everyone is welcome.Click here to register.
Understanding Social Enterprise (SocialEnterpriseAcademy), 9 September 2010, Edinburgh
Understanding Social Enterprise (USE) programme will allow you to develop a broad view of the concept of social enterprise, the challenges established enterprises currently face, and what the future holds for this emerging movement.Click here for more information.
Collecting Information to Report on Outcomes, 9 September 2010, Glasgow
If you are fairly clear about the outcomes of your project but need some ideas about how to collect information to measure them, this Evaluation Support Scotland workshop may be of interest. More information here.
Community Energy in Edinburgh conference, 11 September
A conference organised by the Edinburgh Community Energy Cooperative. Come along to hear about updates on projects and plans, exchange of information, network and news on national initiatives. For more information, please email .
Leadership for Senior Managers, begins 14 and 15 September 2010, Edinburgh
The Social Enterprise Academy Leading Edge programme offers participants time to improve their leadership skills, over the course of a year, with peers operating in similar positions to help them to learn and apply new approaches to leadership in their day to day roles.For further details, contact Danny Scott on 0131 243 2674 or email
Social Firms Scotland seminars – Getting Ready to Buy
Social Firms Scotland are running these seminars for existing and emerging social businesses and community enterprises. It will introduce the process of acquisition of an existing business as a method of growth and achieving community benefit/social impact.
Glasgow – 22 September – in partnership with Brechin Tindal Oates – more information here
Aberdeen – 29 September – in partnership with Ledingham Chalmers – more info here
Edinburgh – 20 October – in partnership with MacRoberts – more information here
Working with Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Migrants and EU Nationals, 29 September
Positive Action in Housing are running this one day course examining the rights of migrants under UK and European Law. You will be briefed on all the fundamental issues such as barriers faced by different groups and their respective entitlement to services. As a participant, you will be given up-to-date knowledge on the housing, employment and welfare entitlements of refugees, asylum seekers, migrants and EU nationals. For info click here.
Attracting Social Investment – Cornerstone – Perth, 27 October 2010
Delegates will hear about leadership, entrepreneurship, business planning and risk from leaders in their field, as well as receiving a social investment clinic with a social investor of their choice. More information can be found here.
Ignite: Scaling up your Social Enterprise – West Lothian,29 October to 1 November
Are you running a social enterprise full of potential? How can this potential be unlocked? Ignite is not for start-ups. The weekend is for established social enterprises who want to take their operations to the next level. More info here.
Good Deals 2010: The UK Social Investment Conference, London, 15 and 16 November
Social Enterprise Magazine in partnership with NESTA, the Royal Bank of Scotland, CCLA, Triodos Bank, UKSIF and Investing For Good. Good Deals 2010 is the third annual UK social investment conference held in association with both National Ethical Investment Week and Global Entrepreneurship Week. More information available here.
Tender Writing Training (CEIS)
CEiS, The Supplier Development Programme & Partners are running a series of free tender writing workshops across Scotland. This programme has been designed specifically for managers and staff of Third Sector organisations, who have responsibility for business development and tender writing. The workshops promise to be key training events for any organisation wishing to compete for public sector contracts. Click here for more information.
Sector News, Events & Resources
OCS slashes strategic partners
Social enterprise support organisations are in danger of losing the government’s ear after news that the Office for Civil Society is to slash its strategic partners programme. Civil society minister Nick Hurd wrote to the Office for Civil Society’s (OCS’s) strategic partners last week announcing that the programme was to be slimmed down from £12.1m to a maximum of £7.5m and from 40 partners to a maximum of 15.
Closure of SISE project
Following funding cuts from the Scottish Government Students in Social Enterprise project has closed down.In a short period of time SISE launched a website and as of June 2010, they hadcreated 41 placement opportunitieswith over 108 students applying for these placements.
Green Insurance Company offers grants to environmental projects
Up to £2,000 available to community gardens, eco-fairs and education initiatives from part of Kwik Fit Insurance Services Group. The Green Insurance Company has launched a fund offering grants of up to £2,000 to local environmental projects.
Funding Opportunities
There are a number if funding streams open that could be of interties to members- please click on link to find out more.
Sus it Out Plus (Scotland)
The Co-operative Group – Community Fund (UK)
New Fund for Rural Communities (UK)
People's Postcode Trust (England & Scotland)
Funding to Promote Financial Inclusion (UK)
Interreg IVB North Sea Region Programme (UK)
Global Community Links Grant Programme (UK)
Links Foundation Announces Review of its Funding Criteria (England, Scotland and Wales)
Garfield Weston Foundation
BIG Scotland Third Sector Tweetup, Edinburgh, 27 October
This Edinburgh Tweetup is free to all third sector attendees, to learn and share best practice on the use of social media such as Twitter and Facebook in our work. For more info follow BIGScotland on Twitter!
Sustainable Scotland Network Conference 2010, Edinburgh, 4 November
“A Step change: Local Government Leadership for a Low Carbon Economy” takes place on 4 November at Our Dynamic Earth and will provide delegates with the latest information on the national plan for addressing climate change and the opportunities that climate change action presents for Scotland’s economy, businesses and communities. Click here for info.
EVOLVE workshops, Crieff, 23 November
Evolve planning days are organised by Firstport and Scottish Business in the Community. This is an all-day event taking place at Crieff Hydro, Perthshire. The purpose of this event is to bring together social enterprises to work with a dedicated group from global accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers to assist in the planning and development of the social enterprises. More information here.
‘Tomorrow’s Menu’ – Scotland’s National Food and Drink Conference 2010 – 24 November
The Scottish Government's flagship food and drink event will provide a unique opportunity to network, share future ambitions and debate with those who are passionate about the future of food and drink for Scotland. For more information and to register, click here.