Starting on 20th March we invite you to take part in our #selfiepledge week.  All week we want you to tell us the kind of role-model you want to be.  Role-models from all backgrounds are hugely important to young people and come in many forms.  They may be teachers, mentors, social workers, parents and people they meet more fleetingly in day-to-day interactions.  Never underestimate the impact your words and actions have.  So use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to tell us your pledge to young people.  We’ll see some of you at the Developing Outstanding Careers and Enterprise Conference on 23rd at the John Innes, where we’ll have our polaroid camera in case you haven’t done your #selfiepledge by then!

Next week we’re training six new Tenancy & Independent Living Skills (TILS) trainers.  They will be able to provide 1-2-1 as well as group courses all over Norfolk.  This means we can reach more young people.  So if you think these skills are needed in schools, youth groups, for young tenants, supported accommodation, prisons, for young people in college and even going to university, then please get in touch.   We know these skills are needed because they’re not currently being taught.

We’re so excited to be entering 2017 with a new model of delivery.  We believe that thinking in this way is what sets us apart as an innovative social enterprise.  Like our young people we are not seeking handouts and want to be upfront about the benefits of getting involved with an organisation such as ours.  Thanks to funding last year we ran two successful Volunteer Tenancy Mentoring projects.  Whilst grateful for the opportunity to test these ideas out, one year of funding to establish and evaluate a project of this complexity is just woefully naive on the funder’s part.

We must move away from short-term funding if we’re serious about systemic social change.  And that’s what gets me out of bed in the morning.  Finding a way to secure the revenue for a longer-term thinking.  We’re currently looking at a three-pronged model to resourcing our Mentoring programme.  All three prongs have track records elsewhere.

One is working with large local employers to buy in Mentoring training for their staff as an HR service. This is hugely appealing to employers who know that volunteering creates more motivated and committed employees.  This model has the potential to run over four or five years.

With this financial kickstart we can then provide mentors to our customers at a vastly reduced cost – but nonetheless that’s our second revenue stream.

And thirdly, we’re increasingly seeing volunteers pay to volunteer in other models across the country.  This is being explored to broaden our volunteer base and invite people to sign up through a bespoke website.

So you see, none of this will happen overnight, but when it does, it has longevity built in.  Our young people deserve services that stick with them and we hope you’ll be excited enough to come on board with some of the most innovative ideas in the sector.

Last week I ventured, along with my PwC mentor, to the PwC Impact Hub on Tooley Street for their Social Enterprise Awards.  Having never been shortlisted for an award in my life, this was very exciting and new.  Brigade is the most amazing social enterprise bar and restaurant and the canapés (small feasts) were to die for.  We were shortlisted for the Innovation award and didn’t win.  Sometimes people don’t win and I think in the world of social media hyperbole, it’s important to share the highs and lows.  Everyone says that they don’t mind, but I really don’t. Not least because Bristol Braille Technology did, with awesome and groundbreaking technology.  In the Social Impact category I was thrilled to see the wonderful Money A + E and my friend Jerry scoop an award for their epic efforts to bring money skills to parts of London.  The very best people won on the night and to spend a couple of hours with 15 shortlisted social enterprises was an absolute joy.

The Missing Kind, Your Own Place CIC, Lola Stafford Consulting and The Feed CIC, all social enterprises based in Norfolk, are holding a social enterprise open day on 15^th October from 1pm to celebrate Social Saturday, a nationwide day of events and activities to celebrate social enterprise, social investment and social savings in the UK.

From 1pm experts will be sharing their passion for social enterprise and how it helps local communities, as well as inspiring future social entrepreneurs. There will be activities to get involved, learn more about ‘buying social’ as well as some scrumptious cup cakes!

It’ll kick-off from 1pm at The Missing Kind, 21 Castle Meadow, Norwich, NR1 3DH. At 4pm we’ll be heading to City Hall to share our messages of a kinder social economy.

All these social enterprises are business-like in their approach to bringing about social change – whether it’s to make a more compassionate world, prevent youth homelessness, benefit local communities and business or providing catering whilst supporting vulnerable adults to develop employment skills.

Social enterprises are businesses that trade to meet a social or environmental mission. There are around 70,000 social enterprises in the UK, employing nearly a million people and contributing £24 billion to the economy.

Collectively, we’re taking part because we believe that ‘buying social’ should become part of everyday life for shoppers. Why shouldn’t people try to do a bit of good whilst spending their money?

Social Saturday is a national campaign led by Social Enterprise UK and the Cabinet Office.