Cooperatives Yorkshire and Humber

Introduction to co-operative enterprise

Wednesday 25 March, 1pm to 3.30 pm, The Enterprise centre, Cottingham Road, Hull HU52 DH.

Come and meet advisors from Humberside co-operatives development agency and business link yorkshire. We can help you access services and support to help make enterprise or self employment into a reality. We will help explain ideas, explain options and advice on the next steps. The event includes study visits to award winning co-operative enterprises based in Arthur Street-including Arthurs organics and Giroscope. Transport provided.To register please contact Jo Bird on jo[at]cooperatives-yh.coop or 07970075704.

Co-operative advice at Business Links Enterprise Shows

Co-operatives Yorkshire and the Humber will also be available at two free Enterprise Shows organised by Business Link Yorkshire:City Hall in Hull on 18th and 19th April and Meadowhall in Sheffield on 2nd and 3rd May. To book a free ticket ring 0800 032 2626 www.TheEnterpriseShows.com

Secretaries Forum

Tuesday 21 April 2009, Chace Hotel, London road, Toll bar end, Coventry, West Midlands, CV3 4EQ

The Secretaries Forum is an opportunity for the secretaries of industrial and provident societies to share ideas and network. Each forum focuses on topics that will inform and assist them in their role as a secretary. Subjects for 2009 include monitoring ethnic diversity of membership, companies act legislation updates and dealing with difficult meetings. www.events.coop

Community Share Issues

Seminar, Wednesday 29 April, Manchester

Co-operatives UK and the Development Trusts Association are running an awareness raising seminar about the Community Shares action research project led by Jim Brown, Baker Brown Associates. Seminars include input by the Financial Services Authority. To register a place contact Petra Morris, Co-operatives UK 0161 246 2960 or petra.morris[at]cooperatives-uk.coop. www.communityshares.org.uk

Making Local Food Work

Governance and Legal Structures training; July 29th Leeds; October 28th Sheffield

Throughout this year the Co-operatives UK team are offering regional one day training days on Governance and Legal Structures so to improve the knowledge of good governance and its critical role in the sustainability of organisations. The training is from 10am-4pm and will cover: Typical legal and organisational structures for community based local food initiatives; Good governance - common problems and good practice; How to facilitate groups in choosing the correct structures - interactive select-a-structure workshop. £50+VAT per person inc lunch. Contact Making Local Food work team on 0161 246 2953 or mlfw[at]cooperatives-uk.coop. www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk/about/gs/Regional_training.cfm

Worker co-operative forum

Friday 16 October, Holyoake House, Manchester M60 OAS

Increasing opportunities for worker co-operatives. The Employee Co-operative Council will hold its quarterly meeting followed by an afternoon of activities for worker co-operatives with content and structure based on feedback from previous events.www.events.coop

Free Mentoring for co-ops

Business Link Yorkshire has been successful in winning funding from the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) to run a pilot project providing a mentoring service to cooperatives and social enterprises in the region. While the pilot runs only until the end of March 09, all co-operatives are encouraged to contact Business Link Yorkshire (email: info@businesslinkyorkshire.co.uk, tel: 0845 604 8048) to register interest in the scheme, as this will serve to support Business Link's case for continued funding of the project. Cooperatives Y&H vice chair Graham Mitchell is a mentor on the scheme, and has been providing assistance to new worker cooperative The Handmade Bakery (www.thehandmadebakery.coop) over the last two months. If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a social enterprise mentor, please contact Antony Radley a.radley@businesslinkyorkshire.co.uk.

Free .coop registration

The .coop registry has made a total of 100 domain name registrations available to new start cooperatives on a first come first served basis. To be eligible, the applicant organisation must meet the current eligibility requirements for the .coop domain name which means they must be either a co-operative organisation or a co-operative development body. In addition, the organisation also needs to be younger than six months old. To apply, send an email to support.uk@domains.coop, with the subject line "new start .coop registration". The email must include the name (where known) and full contact details of the organisation as well as the desired domain name and evidence of eligibility.

UnLtd:Awards up to £5,000

UnLtd helps individuals who have the ideas,the passion,the drive and the commitment to change society for the better. LEVEL 1:[£500-£5,000] Awards are aimed at energetic,driven and committed individuals who have an idea and need help getting it off the ground. The Award money is to help with the running costs of the project. Informal groups can also apply. You need to nominate a lead contact to fill in the level 1 application form and then each group member completes a group application form. www.unltd.org.uk or 0845 850 1122

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs

Co-operativesUK has teamed up with co-operatives and other business organisations across Europe to launch an exciting pilot project which will enable 800 new entrepreneurs to spend up to six months in another EU country to learn about culture and business there. 'Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs' is a groundbreaking project, financed by the European Commission, involving all 27 EU Member States. It will provide new entrepreneurs of any age with the opportunity to work with an experienced entrepreneur in another EU country for one to six months, to acquire relevant skills for managing and growing a small or medium-size enterprise. www.cooperatives-uk.coop/Erasmus