£10.5m for cultural organisations in Liverpool

A new funding programme is available for organisations involved in theatre, dance or performing arts from Liverpool City Council.

Under the 2012-2015 Arts and Culture Investment Programme (ACIP), £3.5m a year will be provided under the cultural budget to groups and companies.

The current ACIP funding round, which began in 2009 and finishes in March, has so far awarded £12.1m to 120 organisations in the city including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Tate Liverpool.

Councillor Wendy Simon, Liverpool’s council member for culture and tourism, said: ‘Liverpool’s cultural offer is internationally renowned, and despite the pressure of government funding cuts, we want to make sure the council’s commitment to investing in culture continues.’

Organisations should register their interest by 10th February, with the final decisions set to be made by the end of April 2012.

Click here for further information.

Social Enterprise Network Drop-In Session

Social Enterprise Network will be holding a Drop-In Session at our offices at Blackburne House from 10am-12pm on Thursday 26th January 2012.

If you require any further information, assistance or would just like the opportunity to network and find out more about the work of Social Enterprise Network please call in.

If you wish to attend please email matthew.donnelly@sen.org.uk and include the topics that you wish to discuss.

For further information please call 0151 709 9967.

Business Support for Social Enterprises

Do you run a social enterprise and require business support? If you are an established, Merseyside-based social enterprise in need of some intermediate business support, then contact Social Enterprise Network to gain access to 12 hours of fully-funded support from a SFEDI qualified business advisor.

This support can be used to help you with a variety of activities including: help with completing funding application forms, a business plan review, assistance with financial worksheets, financial diversification and much more besides.

For further information please email admin@sen.org.uk or call 0151 709 9967

This support is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

www.sen.org.uk

Freelance Project Co-ordinator and Horticultural Worker Posts for Village Farm Orchard Project

One of the Northwest’s leading arts and health initiatives, Squash Nutrition, is looking to employ an experienced and skilled freelance Project Coordinator and a Horticultural Worker for the Village Farm Orchard project in Stockbridge Village, Knowsley.

Through the project, Stockbridge residents will work to develop exciting local food producing spaces at the heart of the community.

Nature of work:

The Project Coordinator will be responsible for running the project on the ground, liasing with strategic and delivery partners, engaging and ongoing support of volunteers, marketing and promoting the project and developing activity including school and community events.

The Horticultural Worker will be responsible for planning, developing, maintaining and managing the growing spaces of the Village Farm Orchard project. The Horticultural Worker will have specialist knowledge in the area of fruit tree and bush growing. They will develop a sapling/perrenial plant nursery and develop the forest garden sites.

To request an application pack please email admin@squashnutrition.org

Deadline for applications is Thursday 9th February 2012.

Candidates selected for interview will be informed by Friday 10th February and interviews will take place on Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th February in Liverpool.

Ten pairs of free tickets to the Social Enterprise Exchange up for grabs

Ten pairs of delegate tickets to attend the world’s largest social enterprise event will be raffled off to ten lucky winners next month.

Hosting over 1000 delegates and 150 business exhibitors, the Social Enterprise Exchange will provide a platform for ‘exchange’ of knowledge and best practice and offer a unique opportunity to trade and do good business.

The competition which opened this week will be open to entries until Wednesday 1st February. Ten lucky winners will then be selected at random from amongst all the entries received and given two free tickets to attend the Social Enterprise Exchange on 27th March 2012.

To enter simply e-mail events@socialenterprise.org.uk and provide the following details:

• Your name
• Your organisation
• The type of organisation (Social enterprise, public sector, private sector etc)
• Contact e-mail address
• Why you want to attend the Social Enterprise Exchange

Full terms and conditions can be found on the Social Enterprise UK website.

Deloitte Social Innovation Pioneers

Deloitte is looking for up to 50 innovative businesses that have a clear and sustainable business model, the ambition to scale and can demonstrate sustained social and environmental impact to be part of a new programme- Deloitte Social Innovation Pioneers.

The programme will launch in April 2012 and will provide socially innovative businesses with a 12-month package of free support to help them go mainstream, go to scale and become investment-ready. Deloitte believes in the potential of this sector to become an important economic player and we want to be part of achieving that goal by sharing our experience with emerging social business leaders.

Applications are open now until January 29th 2012.

Find out more and apply online: www.deloitte.co.uk/pioneers

The Merseyside Social Enterprise Awards

Social Enterprise Network is currently preparing Merseyside’s first, dedicated, social enterprise award ceremony. The awards are set to celebrate and recognise the achievements of the social enterprise sector. Be a part of this exciting first for Merseyside!

We are currently seeking sponsors for each individual award category. If you would like to take this opportunity to promote your business to a wide-array of Merseyside social entrepreneurs and their customers we are happy to discuss a range of options that will promote and enhance your organisation’s presence in the emerging social economy sector.

Contact admin@sen.org.uk / 0151 709 9967 for further information.

Help to shape ERDF funding for the North West

The investment framework for the European Regional Development Fund is changing and new calls for projects are due. Social Enterprise North West is arranging three seminars where delegates will be briefed on the latest developments, timescales and funding available.

Business Support for Social Enterprises

If you are an established, Merseyside-based social enterprise in need of some intermediate business support, then contact Social Enterprise Network to gain access to 12 hours of fully-funded support from a SFEDI qualified business advisor.

This support can be used to help your further develop trading activities; diversify your social and environmental activities and much more besides.

For further information pleas email admin@sen.org.uk or call 0151 709 9967.

This support is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

SENW Hosts Big Society Capital Seminar In Liverpool

A major event to realise the opportunities available to social enterprises from Big Society Capital was staged in Liverpool on Tuesday 6th December and hosted by Social Enterprise North West (SENW).

The occasion also gave the Government’s Minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd MP, the chance to hear about the state of the social investment market in the region, including some of the obstacles which the social sector in the region has come up against in accessing appropriate finance, and potential solutions.

Speaking at the event, he said: ‘I’m in Liverpool today to make social enterprises here, and across the North West, fully aware of the funding opportunities available.’

‘Big Society Capital is breaking new ground and it is one way for social enterprises to access funds when other lenders turn them down.’

Big Society Capital, which is run independently from government, will play a critical role in speeding up the growth of social investment by utilising an estimated £400million in unclaimed assets that have been left dormant in bank accounts for over 15 years, and £200million from the UK’s largest high street banks.

Around 60 guests met at The Women’s International Centre for Economic Development (WICED) in St James Street, Liverpool, with Big Society Capital’s chief executive, Nick O’Donohue and discussed wider issues around social investment with Nick Hurd MP.

Val Jones, chief executive at Social Enterprise North West, who chaired the seminar, said: ‘This region has a vibrant and diverse social enterprise sector and the role of SENW is to encourage growth and help shape future government policy so I am delighted that the minister and Big Society Capital were able to come to Liverpool to share their vision.’

‘With less public money around, loan funding is an attractive option for many social enterprises to help finance their growth. Funders were able to hear first-hand how they can best meet the needs of the social enterprise sector.’

‘The social enterprise sector in the North West generates about £3billion annually, employs more than 50,000 people and harnesses the capacity of 30,000 volunteers.’