Cooperatives Yorkshire and Humber

Social Enterprise Mentoring

The Business Link YH mentoring programme provides support and advice for trading social enterprises looking to develop their business at either strategic or operational level. Through the programme you will work closely with a mentor who has experience of working within the social enterprise sector and starting and running a social business. Benefits of working with a mentor include: Working with a someone who has experience of starting and running a social enterprise; Support delivered one-to-one, plus email and telephone support; and Support for key individuals within a social enterprise to deliver organisational change. www.businesslinkyorkshire.co.uk/socialenterprise. Tel 08456 048 048.

Informal briefing sessions are being held on:

• Friday 10 July, 10am-12pm at The Source, 300 Meadowhall Way, SHEFFIELD, S9 1EA
• Friday 17 July, 2-4pm at Harrogate CVS, 46-50 East Parade, HARROGATE, HG1 5RR
• Tuesday 21 July 12-2pm at The Catch, Redwood Park Estate, STALLINGBOROUGH, DN41 8TH

There is a Mentor Briefing session on Tuesday 21 July, 4-6pm at Village Hotel Leeds South, Capitol Boulevard West, Tingley, LEEDS, LS27 0TS

Social Enterprise Awards are now open for nominations

Now in its 6th year, the Social Enterprise Yorkshire and the Humber awards aim to celebrate and recognise the achievements of social entrepreneurs in the region. Sponsored by Business Link, the SEYH Awards provide a platform for social enterprises to showcase themselves and their achievements, culminating in an awards dinner to be held on 21 October at Doncaster Racecourse. There are five award categories: Start up of the Year; Social Enterprise in Education; Innovation in Enterprise; Social Entrepreneur of the Year; and Social Enterprise of the Year. Judges will be looking for outstanding examples of businesses that are delivering real social impact and competing effectively in a commercial market.

Why Enter? The SEYH Awards is a fantastic way to promote your co-operative whilst also celebrating the achievements of the social enterprise sector within the region. These awards are a great opportunity to raise the profile of co-operative enterprise. Winners will be profiled through many promotion channels. To enter www.businesslinkyorkshire.co.uk/SEYHawards. Closing date July 17. Please also send a copy of your application to jo[at]cooperatives-yh.coop so that CYH can promote your co-operative through our newsletters and website. All shortlisted nominees will receive a copy of a short film made for the awards dinner; case study in the programme booklet and 2 places at the awards ceremony on 21 October. All winners will receive a free exhibition stand at Footsey 2010 and a personalised trophy and framed certificate.

Community Hydro Electricity Workshops

July 28th, Sept 29th, Oct 29th and Nov 24th at Manchester Knowledge Capital, Oxford Rd

Water Power Enterprises are running a series of free workshops for community groups wanting to set up community owned small-scale hydro schemes. The workshops are practical sessions and show the various stages needed including technical aspects, finance, permissions and legal aspects. Attendees will be expected to do some ‘homework’ on their site before the workshop. www.h2ope.org.uk. To attend, contact steve.welsh[at]h2ope.co.uk or 07964 106037.

Water Power Enterprises were responsible for the UK's first community-funded hydro in New Mills. The Co-operative Group has backed Water Power Enterprises (h2oPE) with a £48,000 grant to develop three community-led renewable energy projects, including the Settle Hydro project. This funding will enable cooperatives for the benefit of the community to be set up. Hydro already produces 17% of the world’s electricity and 40% of the UK’s renewable electricity production. h2oPE want to develop and re-use thousands of river weirs which once powered the industrial revolution. For Settle co-op case study see www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/sep/13/energy.householdbills

Making Local Food Work

Governance and Legal Structures training; 10am-4 pm July 29th at Leeds Church Institute; October 28th in Sheffield; November 25th in Lancaster.
Throughout this year the Co-operatives UK team are offering regional one day training days on Governance and Legal Structures to improve the knowledge of good governance and its critical role in the sustainability of organisations. The training includes typical legal and organisational structures for community based local food initiatives; good governance; and interactive select-a-structure workshop. Contact 0161 246 2953 or mlfw[at]cooperatives-uk.coop. www.cooperatives-uk.coop/Home/miniwebs/miniwebsA-z/makingLocalFoodWork/trainingEvents

The Co-operative Young Film-Makers Festival

Thursday 8 and Friday 9 October, National Media Museum, Bradford

The national Co-operative Young Film Makers Festival will be held in Bradford. Through drama or documentary, animation or comedy, music video or silent movie, film-makers tackle issues that concern them, such as climate change, Fairtrade, animal welfare or healthy living. Alternatively they can make a movie about their life, community or experiences. Not only will film-makers get to see their work on the big screen at this major national venue but they can also take part in exciting events and masterclasses hosted by film experts, and receive feedback on their film. www.youngfilm-makers.coop

Footsey

Thursday 22 October, Doncaster racecourse

Join Co-operatives Yorkshire & the Humber at Footsey, the regional social enterprise trade fair. www.seyh.org.uk

Transitional Economies conference

Friday 6th November, Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire

This conference is organised by the Co-operative Group (North Region), Co-operatives YH, Transition Towns Network, Making Local Food Work (Co-operatives UK), Marsden & Slaithwaite Transition Town and other partners. Keynote speakers include Rob Hoskins and Ben Brangwyn the co founders of transition towns More details will follow.

Fast Forward & CYH AGM

Wednesday 19 November, Sheffield Co-op Development Group

Fast Forward is the must-attend event of the regional co-operative calendar. The conference style event features up to the minute key note speakers, interactive workshops, plenty of networking and Annual General Meeting of Co-operatives Yorkshire & the Humber. Suggestions and offers of contributions are welcome.

Promoting the Co-operative Sector

Co-operatives Yorkshire & the Humber have been busy promoting the co-operative sector. CYH had a stall promoting the co-operative option at a two-day Business Link Enterprise Show in Hull in April, reaching over 100 enterprise advisors and people considering enterprise.

CYH have held useful meetings with key players in the business advice and social enterprise sectors, including Antony Radley, head of social enterprise at Business Link Yorkshire; and Alex Sobel, General Manager at Social Enterprise Yorkshire & the Humber. CYH are now featured on SEY's website and listed on SEY's on-line directory.

CYH views were submitted to two policy consultations - one conducted by the Regional Forum (voluntary and community sector); and the other by the national Social Enterprise Coalition. Co-operatives are welcome to send us your views about what is important to you, so CYH can more effectively lobby on your behalf.

Co-operative Study Visits

Social Enterprise Yorkshire and the Humber are looking for co-operative enterprises to host study visits of around 20 people. Hosts would need to give a presentation/talk about their activity, provide refreshments and a guided tour around their co-operative enterprise - costs would be reimbursed. The co-op would also benefit from free publicity, especially within the co-operative and social enterprise sectors and with commissioners of public services. Please contact jo[at]cooperatives-yh.coop or 0797 007 5704.

Community Shares Award goes to Slaithwaite Co-operative

Congratulations to Slaithwaite Co-operative Ltd, near Huddersfield www.slaithwaite.coop for being selected to participate in an Office of the Third Sector funded action learning research project into community shares and bonds. The research programme is being delivered by the Development Trusts Association and Co-operatives UK, in conjunction with the UK Social Return on Investment network (SROI). The five selected ventures demonstrated that they intend to raise finance through community investment ie the sale of more than £10,000 of shares or bonds to communities of at least twenty people, to finance ventures serving a community purpose. The remaining 5 out of 10 awards will be made available in September 2009. www.communityshares.org.uk

Social Enterprise Support from Business Link

Business Link has a dedicated support and advice package tailored to meeting the needs of pre-start and start up social enterprises (up to 3 years old). Business Link are funded to help you start and grow your social enterprise into a sustainable business by generating income through trading or contracting and delivering social impact. Intensive support will be provided to social enterprises with growth potential. www.businesslinkyorkshire.co.uk/Top-Level-Nav/Social-Enterprise.aspx

UK co-operative sector nudges £29 billion

Co-operative businesses have pushed up their turnover to almost £29 billion it was revealed last week. In another good year for the sector, which comes at a time of declining trust in PLCs and other models of business since the credit crunch. The UK’s 4,820 jointly owned, democratically controlled co-operative businesses reported a combined performance of £28.9 billion, over 5% up on the previous year. Profit before tax improved marginally at £540 million and the number of co-operative members (ie owners) surged by 4.5% to 11.3 million people (one in five of the population). Co-operatives now sustain over 200,000 jobs.

These numbers include not only the consumer owned high street “Co-operative” shops but also employee owned co-operatives, co-operative consortia, agricultural co-operatives, housing co-operatives, fishing co-operatives, credit unions and community owned co‑operatives and mutuals. www.cooperatives-uk.coop/performancereview

Food Co-ops Toolkit launched

This toolkit aims to provide an overview of the important things you need to think about when setting up and running a food co-op. A printed version will also be available soon for groups without access to a computer. Produced by Sustain in partnership with Co-operatives UK, Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency and others. www.sustainweb.org/foodcoopstoolkit

Wooldale co-op's £10k tonic

Wooldale Co-operative presented a cheque for £10,000 to the West Yorkshire Forget Me Not Trust, which is aiming to build and run a children's respite centre and hospice in the area. The money which was collected by staff and members was handed over to the Trust's Gina Fielding at a ceremony in Holmfirth last month.

Co-operative Schools

The Co-operative College is actively promoting co-operative schools and are expecting at least 100 schools in co-operative trusts to be formed in two years, School governors are encouraged to draw the co-operative option to the attention of any schools considering their future. A comprehensive DCSF booklet on co-operative schools, is available from www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications, reference DCSF-00416-2009. The Co-operative College has specialist teams in place to provide technical and membership support for schools. Contact trusts@co-op.ac.uk or www.co-op.ac.uk

Free Services available from the Co-operative College

The Co-operative College offers several services to co-operatives in the region. Train to Gain, offers free workplace training, for employees of co-operatives without formal qualifications, such as university degrees. Training can be delivered both at the workplace or off-site. Contact Mick Sheldon mick@cooperative.ac.uk. A new Fair Trade pack for Primary schools is available . Contact enquiries@youngco-operatives.coop. Is it better to buy local food or Fair Trade food? The Co-operative College can provide free, knowledgeable associate speakers and workshop leaders to add spice to your events.