community development and enterprise creation

Category: social business

Small charities and cyber crime – what to do?

The Government Communication Headquarters, GCHQ, in the guise of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), has just published a useful and thorough guide for small charities.

Download your copy here…pdf

‘…charities are increasingly reliant on IT and technology and are falling victim to a range of malicious cyber activity. Losing access to this technology, having funds stolen or suffering a data breach through a cyber attack can be devastating, both financially and reputationally’.

Source: Ciaran Martin, CEO of NCSC.

 

The booklet contains detailed reflection and advice on five key areas of data, ICT and operational practice – all of which can leave you exposed to hackers or the malevolent site visitor.

Calm and clear in its concise advice, the detail of the publication covers…

  • Backing up your data
  • Protecting your charity from malware
  • Keeping smartphones and tablets safe
  • Using passwords wisely
  • Avoiding ‘phishing’ attacks

‘…good practice will only be effective if everyone plays their part, seeking out and applying relevant advice to help improve their charity’s resilience to the growing threat of cyber crime. Taking even a few of the simple steps recommended in this guide will be a good start to better protecting your charity from harm.’

Source: Helen Stephenson, Chief Executive, The Charity Commission.

We think all charities and social businesses will find this a useful publication, regardless of size.

Calm advice in a frenzied technological landscape is always welcome.

Discover more here…

 

 

Seasonal greetings – the very best for your enterprising community in 2020 and beyond

Supporting communities wherever we can, developing ethical and sustainable settings, projects and programmes. See  more

In 2020 why not look at our literacy and author visits – see more

In 2020, if you’re in the East Midlands, ask about our support at SocEntEastMids.

In 2020, if you are looking for a new community web presence, ask for our technical assistance at Thirdsectorweb.co.uk.

If you’re busy in 2020, let us provide a solution – taking the strain to promote community gain, on any day in the calendar.


SmithMartin image and support services

Helping community enterprise flourish

The Community Business Trade Up Programme

The School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) have, this 2019 New Year, published details of new, free learning and development courses for the leaders of the community business sector in the UK.

Free learning at SSE...image and web link
Free learning at SSE…see more

“Applications are open for the Community Business Trade Up Programme, run by the School for Social Entrepreneurs, in partnership with Power to Change.

This programme helps the leaders of community businesses in England. It focuses on growing income from trading, to improve impact and sustainability. It offers:

  • A learning programme: 12 days spread over nine months
  • A Match Trading grant of up to £10,000
  • A community of people running organisations like yours

There is no cost to you at any point”.

If this learning and funding opportunity is of interest to you and your community business, you can see the guidance and application notes here.

SSE are offering taster sessions across the regions, so that you can explore the opportunity, and you can find a taster session booking form here.

This learning programme runs from June 2019 to March 2020. 

The deadline to apply is 1pm on 14th February 2019. Explore all the details at SSE here.


Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland Social Entrepreneurs Programme - image and web link
Read more here…

Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland Social Entrepreneurs Programme

This SSE Programme may also be of interest to our readers. You can discover the details of the learning and support on offer from the programme partners here.

  • A learning programme (14 days spread over a year)
  • A grant
  • Mentoring
  • A supportive community

You can register your interest, and be notified when this year’s applications (2019/2020) are open on this web page at SSE…

https://www.the-sse.org/lbsep/


This post first appeared on the pages of www.miningtheseem.org.uk – our SocEntEastMids, our ‘supporting community’ business in the East Midlands.

SmithMartin image and support services

Helping community enterprise flourish

Social Saturday for 2017

A date for the diary – Saturday 14th October 2017 – Social Saturday.

See more from Social Enterprise UK here…

Social Saturday is an annual campaign which inspires consumers to buy from social enterprises, businesses that put people and planet first. It is led by the national body for social enterprises, Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) and is supported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.’

In 2016 over sixty events took pace across the UK, and this year there are lots of ways in which to get involved at home and work.

You might be a consumer looking for a social enterprise gift; work in a local authority and keen to support social enterprises in your borough; or a business looking to buy from social enterprises to improve your supply chain.

Source: https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/social-saturday-2017

Buy Social Corporate Challenge

Led by Social Enterprise UK in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Business in the Community, a number of forward-thinking corporate businesses are opening up their supply chains to the UK’s 70,000 social enterprises. The ambition is to collectively spend £1 billion with social enterprises by 2020. Why not join them.

Local Authorities

Within local authority settings social enterprises can play a number of key roles in your supply chain. As ethical social businesses they can provide services to the public, from health support to transport, or deliver environmental projects to protect green spaces and foster good community interaction and engagement.

Things you might do in the LA area…

  • Organising visits to local social enterprises for MPs and Councillors
  • Put on event bringing together social enterprises in your area. This could be a social enterprise marketplace or a networking event bringing together social enterprises with other key stakeholders in the area
  • Raising awareness of the Social Saturday through your Council’s communications channels

Lets make Social Saturday 2017 another fantastic day for social enterprises in your enterprising community?

SmithMartin image and support services

Helping community enterprise flourish

Get ready for Social Saturday 2016

Social Saturday Badge image large

See more here…

15th October 2016, a key date for your diary and community action list.

‘Social Saturday is a platform on which you can promote your social enterprise. So why not get involved in this national campaign, raise awareness about the work you do and encourage people to buy social.

Social Saturday is dedicated to the UK’s growing social enterprise movement. So wherever you are, join in and let’s put social enterprises on the map’.

Source: The Social Saturday web pages   Accessed: 05.08.2016

You can download pre-formatted letters and templates for letters of invitation, press releases and much more. All available from the pages of the Social Saturday web site.

You can tweet and message about your enterprise using the Social Saturday new media guide, and have the opportunity share your social business with the Social Saturday team as well.

This is how it went in 2015…

Find it all on-line here…get involved for 2016.

SmithMartin image and support services

Helping community enterprise flourish

Have an enterprising 2016

partnershipxmasbanner2015

Enjoy 500 free things on the internet for Christmas.

 A great collection of links and resources, whether you are a reader, writer, social entrpreneur, thoughtful learner or just interested in change and growth for 2016. See the list here

With thanks to Kevin de Asis for a great collection!

Happy Christmas.

SmithMartin image and support services

Helping community enterprise flourish

 

Our Urban Shop,
The Plunkett Foundation

 

Our Urban Shop is a unique pilot project that aims to help urban communities in the UK overcome the issues of buying good food locally.

We’ve partnered with Locality and received funding from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to help urban communities access the support and resources available for rural communities to set up community-owned shops…’  (Source: The Plunkett Foundation, Nov. 2015)

The programme application process is now open for this new Foundation initiative. See more here.

The Plunkett Foundation have already helped ten urban groups to explore the potential of their urban community owned shop idea. Is the time right for your community?

The Foundation will make grants of between 20,000 and thirty thousand pounds, and it is open  to applications from across the UK.

interneticon    You can download the grant guidelines and application forms here on the Foundation web site. The short film below gives you some headline advice and information about the project plans.

Our Urban Shop from Plunkett Foundation on Vimeo.

You can find more detailed scoping advice to download from the Foundation below…if you do apply, good luck!

SmithMartin image and support services

Helping community enterprise flourish

Funding Social Enterprise

The Santander Social Enterprise Development Award for Enterprising Charities will re-open again on 9th April, 2014.

Santander offer support to registered charitable organisations, or community groups in possession of a constitution who are already trading.

The Fund offers three thematic awards, improving social inclusiion, skills and training and creating a greener environment.

Levels of funding available will include £20,000 for the Fast Growth category, £10,000 for the enterprising charity looking to increase trading activity and £5,000 Catalyst Growth for organisations nearer the beginning of their journey.

To get ready for the Fund re-opening you can interneticon access the existing on-line application here.

If you do apply, the very best of luck.

SmithMartin image and support services

Helping community enterprise flourish

A community resource on-line

Reaching out and sharing experience

This is a new community resource covering a variety of topics that will, we hope, be useful for community organisations undergoing change, community business development or creating new forms of governance.

Our news feeds will keep you up to date on funding, Charity Commission updates and the news from the Church of England, in concert with the Near Neighbours Programme.

What others do in the world to effect change can often create passionate communities for change at home.

We will add feature articles to this page, constantly updated and refreshed, that we hope will help you and your community persevere with your enterprise ambitions.

Do book mark our pages above, or visit our site, as we cycle and refresh our content regularly. We hope to become a reliable and regular resource for your project.

(We’re happy to feature your success as well as ask the enterprising community for reflection on things that aren’t going so well too!)

rssIcon4  Subscribe to our news feed.

emailIcon4  Inspiring story?        editor@enterprisingcommunities.today

emailIcon4  Use our ‘contact us’ box, bottom left, to ask our partners a question. (A no fee service always).

SmithMartin image and support services

Helping community enterprise flourish

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén