ISSUE 12 | FEBRUARY 2015
ATURES INSPIRATION EVENTS FE NEWS MATION INFOR IN THIS ISSUE... News round-up [2] Events [3] Special feature: Solihull Enterprise Centre [4] Resources: Leadership & Lollipops [6] Inspiration: Wesley Thomas [8] Case study: Solihull Indoor Bowls Club [10] Contacts [12] Official opening celebrates ‘community of enterprise’ The official opening of Solihull Enterprise Centre in Chelmund’s Cross took place on 29 January with a ceremony attended by special guests, local businesses, enterprise support and community members. Speeches from Melody Hossaini, Caroline Spelman MP, Deputy Leader of Solihull Council Ian Courts and Reverend Neil Roberts paid tribute to partners involved in the £2M development Special guests and local VIPs help and wider regeneration of the area launch Solihull Enterprise Centre cultivating a ‘community of enterprise’. Sarah Gill of Gro-Organic CIC and Elaine Walker of EW Accountancy have both benefited from Solihull Council’s business support programmes and spoke passionately about their enterprise journeys and the difference they are making in North Solihull. The ceremony culminated in the unveiling of specially commissioned stone carvings depicting the heritage of Chelmund’s Cross from Saxon times to present day courtesy Tenant, Gro-Organic CIC, praises building as a genuine ‘enterprise centre’ of Chelmsley Wood Stone Carvers.
Turn to page 4 for more highlights!
Community Enterprise for Success is a programme to help voluntary organisations and community groups in Solihull who are looking to grow and develop. Part funded by ERDF and Solihull Council | http://communityenterprise-solihull.org NEWS ROUND-UP
Getting the measure of community enterprise
The launch of Power to Change in businesses have assets of more January, a community business- than £1 million and/or income focused grant funder, coincides with the of more than £0.5 million. publication of a new report from Social The report further states that 11% Finance, which finds that there are around of community business are based in 4,400 community businesses in England the West Midlands, with the South and Wales, with a combined income East coming top at 28%, closely of £800m a year and assets of £1bn. followed by the South East, 27%. It also finds that these community The report assesses the nature, scale, businesses - from libraries, shops and scope, impact, and financing and support pubs, to piers, wind farms and broadband needs of the community business sector. networks - employ around 24,000 staff i Download the report ‘What If We Ran It and engage nearly 120,000 volunteers. Ourselves?’ at www.socialfinance.org.uk Strikingly, only 15% of community Power to Change | www.thepowertochange.org.uk Dig for Victory Gro-Organic CIC has been commissioned by Public Health to deliver a ground breaking project that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of local people and improve skill development and employment opportunities through the provision of a WW2 Victory Garden. Local residents, businesses and schools have been working hard over the last year to shape up a project that meets their needs, using local waste land to bring about positive change in the community. people to make land improvements. Sarah Gill, CEO of Gro-Organic says Dig For Victory – Chelmsley Wood “We were approached by local residents will offer free courses, sessions about plots of land in the Chelmund’s and experiences in food growing, Cross area that were underused and gardening and wellbeing activities, a bit of an eye sore. We walked the all in a vintage garden complete area with them, identified what they with air raid shelters, square foot wanted to do and managed to secure allotments and wartime themes. funding from Public Health who were i For more information contact Sarah Gill on keen to assist us in helping local 07718 883417 or email [email protected]
2 FEBRUARY 2015 | ISSUE 12 EVENTS
Events
CEFS Networking Effective Project Management Informal event for social enterprises How to manage complex projects and supporters. Give your with a range of management networking an added boost with tips, tools and techniques our Elevator Pitch session! 18.03.2015 | 1.30pm-4.30pm 18.02.2015 | 12.30pm-2.30pm Book your place... Marketing Communications Take away the key ingredients i All our events take place at Solihull Enterprise Centre and are free to Solihull of effective communications VCOs and social enterprises. Book online 18.03.2015 | 10am-12pm at: http://disecic.eventbrite.co.uk
Co-working for Success Solihull Enterprise Centre
Flexible terms for start-ups, freelancers & small businesses
Furnished touchdown space available from £95 per month all inclusive (first 2 months half price) Superfast£2k broadband business Kitchenstart & Lounge up area grants Frequent networking Bookable meeting rooms Free business support & seminars Cycle storage & shower facilities Free refreshments
For more information and to view the facilities 1 Hedingham Grove Chelmund’s Cross contact Sabrina or Vanita on 0121 704 8755 or Chelmsley Wood email [email protected] B37 7TP
ISSUE 12 | FEBRUARY 2015 3 SPECIAL FEATURE
Official Launch Highlights Tweet diary
4 FEBRUARY 2015 | ISSUE 12 SPECIAL FEATURE
Talking business with Melody Hossaini
Melody Hossaini CEO of InspirEngage International shared her advice and experiences of business at a special seminar organised to inspire enterprises attending the launch of Solihull Enterprise Centre. Melody began by saying there’s never been a better time to start a business because of the great support structures available particularly social makes it possible to compete with large enterprises given the consumer appetite organisations.” To social media sceptics, for values and ethics in business. She Melody explained that “social media allows went on to a range of topics from you to cost effectively reach numbers that partnership working to social media. no other medium can, but it’s important to “Take pleasure in connecting with have a social media strategy and separate people and find partners that plug gaps business from personal accounts.” This in your business and enable you to struck a chord with many business offer your clients a better product,” said owners sharing their own social media Melody. “Businesses become successful successes but also advising on a balanced by finding what they are good at. Running approach to marketing that complements a business is not easy, sometimes you and integrates with offline activities. have to take a step back to go further.” When asked about her time on the She also encouraged businesses BBC show The Apprentice, Melody said to benefit from young talent and the gruelling schedule of very early the innovation they bring. mornings and working late into the night The focus turned to the untapped had demonstrated just how much can be potential of social media for business: achieved in a single day and that good “Social media should be number one in old fashioned picking up the phone and your marketing plan, every business can talking to people can generate business. utilise social media. We’re living in a world The Apprentice enabled Melody to fly of hashtag, share, follow. Social media the flag for social enterprise, but it’s not an experience she wants to repeat! View event photos i Melody Hossaini is founder and CEO of Go to http://sevenstarphotography. InspirEngage International, a social enterprise operating in more than 100 countries offering zenfolio.com/p372079116 young people and women essential life skills to Download images using the feel more confident, work-ready and socially enterprising. www.inspirengage.com password CCEC (case sensitive)
ISSUE 12 | FEBRUARY 2015 5 RESOURCES
Leadership & Lollipops: ... with Siobhan Harper-Nunes, the best bits CEO, Shakti Women
Leadership and Lollipops was the aptly named session led by Siobhan at our recent networking event. She introduced us to ‘everyday leadership’ and how we can view leadership in terms of lollipop moments!
So many people talk about leadership these days. I suppose it comes and goes like the flavour of the month so much so that the term a common cause - a common vision? feels a bit old and a bit worn. Yes that’s right we believe in a world I don’t know about you, but when I where business recognises not just profit think of great leaders my first tier are but people and planet. We believe in people like Ghandi, Mandela, Churchill a world that is just and good, a world and Thatcher. Maybe in the second tier where people are treated with dignity I see the Oprahs and the Obamas. and a world where business plays fair. What kind of leader are you? When I was recently asked to deliver a session on leadership by the CEFS Ŕ A democratic leader - I talk to my team programme, I wanted to get out of the and we make decisions together ? hum drum and looked, as I often do, to Ŕ An autocratic leader - I just tell TED Talks for inspiration. Just 10 minutes people what to do and they do it? to influence and inspire and in today’s Ŕ A laissez-faire leader - people just “give it to me now” society, I think the know what they need to do because immediacy of that platform really works I’m so cool and they just do it? but I digress. There in the wee small My first thoughts are always of the hours, coco in hand (fairtrade of course) great and the good, dynamic charismatic in front of my recycled wooden desk, human beings who “HAD A DREAM” Labrador snoring contentedly behind me, and who changed the world. I found Drew Dudley and I was inspired. But what about you? Don’t you have Check him out - it only takes 10 something you believe in? Do you minutes but you’ll see where the lollipops have values you wanna share, are you fit in. But basically Drew talks about honest? And aren’t you part of this “Everyday leadership”, the times in each movement we call “social enterprise”? of our lives, days, customer interactions… Come to think of it, don’t we all share the times as parents, friends, passerby,
6 FEBRUARY 2015 | ISSUE 12 RESOURCES
“Just like a lollipops our transaction can be small but let’s make them sweet, colourful, memorable. Let’s practice our lollipop leadership with every transaction.”
ships in the night, where WE get a brief power, like that lollipop, to transform lives. opportunity to influence. And yes, surely Now that’s the kind of leadership that’s the whole point of leadership? In that will change the world. Rest easy, his story Drew tells us how he realised, you don’t have to be a Ghandi, an years after the fact, how much he’d Oprah, an Obama, you don’t have influenced a young woman’s decision to be a Roderick or an Oliver… and changed the course of her life All you need is your own continued with a few words accompanied only belief in a just society, in your values. by – yes you got it…A LOLLIPOP!!! In fact all you have to do is to Well it got me thinking of the title for believe in what you believe and my workshop: leadership and lollipops. keep handing out those lollipops. Just like a lollipops our transaction can be small but let’s make them sweet, i Siobhan Harper-Nunes is Founder and Director colourful, memorable. Let’s practice of Shakti Women Ltd, an organisation dedicated to supporting business and professional our lollipop leadership with every women to realise their dreams. She is a “can do” interaction through our smiles, our motivator with vast experience in supporting others to be their very best and to live life words of inspiration, our commitment with passion. She is a lollipop leader. to a shared vision, our integrity, our marriage to our values of love, the NEW for 2015! Shakti Women Solihull - a local sorority of support for forward thinking common good, a fairer world. women who take their dreams seriously. Like Drew I believe we are all potential Contact Jodee Peevor, 07979 648742 leaders, we can all hone our leadership www.shaktiwomen.com skills, our styles, our qualities but by @shaktiwomen simply believing in a society that can be Inspired by Everyday Leadership with Drew Dudley: transformed through the social enterprise http://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_ movement we are indeed all everyday everyday_leadership?language=en leaders and with each simple transaction which affirms our values, we have the
ISSUE 12 | FEBRUARY 2015 7 INSPIRATION
A moment with... Wesley Thomas Aspired Education CIC
DJ and social entrepreneur Wesley Thomas gives us an insight to the events and people who have shaped his life and inspired him to help others.
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Kingshurst close to Chelmsley “You truly can become whatever Wood. I spent most of my childhood you want to be in life by having the and parts of my adult life in the area. right vision, attitude and gratitude.” Once I’d completed the scholarship, I What was your first job? was offered a Trainee Surveyors role. Wow, my first ever job was helping the milkman collect money for the milk he What drives you to make delivered at the age of 14. I was paid £12 a difference? for two evenings a week, I felt rich! Even though I loved my childhood, the My first job in the social sector people and my surroundings, I still grew was when I was 17, winning up with lots of disadvantages. I came a Housing Scholarship with a from a single parent household but was company called Midland Area, lucky in the fact that I had a rough idea of where I wanted to go, the drive to get now merged as Midland Heart. there, and a touch of being in the right I originally went to train with them place at the right time. Not everyone is to complete my Business Admin NVQ as lucky. I believe I was blessed with a lot Level 2 and ended up spending eight to give and a drive and passion to show golden years with them. I learnt a lot young people that you truly can become about how business operates in a social whatever you want to be in life by having environment, how to communicate the right vision, attitude and gratitude. with people on all levels and the social barriers around certain communities. What is the most valuable This really helped me to find myself in lesson you have learnt so far? the professional world and it gave me a I think I’d have to go with ‘Not to chance to understand what I enjoyed. follow the crowd’. There is a lot of
8 FEBRUARY 2015 | ISSUE 12 INSPIRATION
peer pressure in today’s world, but it’s forces with a few smaller organisations important to be you, believe in yourself working towards the same goals as us. I and don’t let anyone hold you back want to create employment opportunities even if you have to do it by yourself. in the Solihull area and look at ways in which I can keep the business sustainable What’s been your biggest by exploring new revenue streams. achievement? Tricky question as I feel I’ve done a lot Who do you admire most? in my short life, but I guess helping I really look up to my grandad, he came to create a National DJ Competition over from Jamaica at the age of 21, alongside Access To Music has to be set up shop in a struggle so his next right up there. The competition ran all generation didn’t have to. He’s been over the UK and I project managed the around in the hard times and always Birmingham heats. The final was held showed me how to be a gent so I in London at the Ministry Of Sound. respect him massively. While growing Starting the Aspired brand in 2010 from a up I had a influence outside of my family university grant comes pretty close too. circle too in the shape of Managing Director Olu who hired me for my What are your goals for Housing Scholarship. He was a good the year ahead? role model and always made me think This year I really want to be as innovative about my decisions and my future. as I can, the biggest aim is to create unique projects but still trying to make a What is your motto in life? real social impact. We’ve recently joined Not to live life in my comfort zone. I’m always trying to put myself in Aspired Education CIC environments I’ve never been before so I can learn and grow from them. Aspired Education CIC specialise With work and everything else I in creative arts as an engagement can become a workaholic so I try tool to build confidence, to do different things when I get enhance creative skills and employability for young people. the opportunity. Last year I flew a plane for the first time! Nothing Services include: ever grows in the comfort zone. Djing / Dance (all styles) / Stencil Art / School works / How would you describe 1 on 1 sessions / Summer yourself in 5 words? camps / Youth club sessions I’d probably go with laid back, witty, ambitious, headstrong, and occasionally i www.aspirededucation.co.uk Mr-Know-it-All as my girlfriend would say. Twitter: @Djaygravity Instagram: Aspirededucation
ISSUE 12 | FEBRUARY 2015 9 CASE STUDY
Solihull Indoor Bowls Club All year round bowling and social facilities
Solihull Indoor Bowls Club opened in how we can better promote our services. 1996 with funding from Sport England In the past six months we have refreshed and offers all year round bowls courtesy our website, doing our best to get found of eight indoor rinks and five outdoor on the search engines, produced a new greens for the warmer months. leaflet and introduced a club newsletter. At its peak the club had around 850 “We’re not marketing experts so members but in recent years it has when the offer of some professional struggled to recruit members and advice was made available from the encourage people to take up the sport. Community Enterprise for Success “We’re the only indoor bowls club in Programme we were very grateful.” Solihull but many people don’t know Building on the work already done about us,” says Tom Pepper, Chair of by the club, CEFS helped Tom and SIBC. “Bowls is suitable for all ages and his colleagues to better understand abilities and the club environment is marketing opportunities by looking friendly and welcoming, offering our at the appetite for bowls in their members and non members the chance catchment area, alongside a detailed to socialise as well as keep active.” analysis of competitors offering similar The fall in membership has placed venue hire facilities in the locality. pressure on the club’s finances and CEFS produced a marketing report raising awareness of the facilities, which which was presented to the committee: include a large function room catering for “The report was exceptional - up to 120 guests, has been a priority for tailored to bowls and our specific the committee for some time says Tom. challenges - very detailed and helpful. “We set up a marketing group to look at It contained a great number of statistics
10 FEBRUARY 2015 | ISSUE 12 CASE STUDY
about our local area and fresh ideas for our sub-group to explore. “The input has been practical and enlightening and we have already agreed to follow many of the suggestions put forward such as using social media which we had previously been dubious about. “The report will be used as a solid basis for our future marketing efforts and we are very grateful to both CEFS and to Solihull Council for their support.” The CEFS programme is also looking Spacious function room for at how the club can encourage social and business events people to take up bowls and sources of funding to upgrade the facilities. voluntary organisations will consider “Many people regard bowls as our facilities for their next event an older person’s pastime but it is or away day - we can offer a great a sport the whole family can enjoy package of room hire, ample free car including those with disabilities. parking, onsite catering from our chef, “We hope more local businesses and and of course, a game of bowls!”
Key facts
Mission: To provide excellent bowling and club facilities for the benefit of all members and our guests Services: Ŕ Indoor and Outdoor Bowls Ŕ Function room hire with licensed bar - weddings, parties, and business events Ŕ Social events and activities - slimming clubs, dinner and dance, competitions Ŕ Bowls and Buffet events - business events, social clubs Ŕ Commercial kitchen hire Ŕ Coaching and trial membership for beginners Established: 1996 Legal structure: Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee Business challenge: To increase income generation for financial sustainability i Solihull Indoor Bowls Club, Brick Kiln Lane, Hillfield, Solihull, B91 3LE Tel: 0121 709 2233
www.solihullindoorbowlsclub.co.uk
ISSUE 12 | FEBRUARY 2015 11 CONTACTS
About Community Enterprise for Success
Community Enterprise for Success is a programme of free support for voluntary & community organisations in Solihull who wish to grow their business for the benefit of the local community. The programme is commissioned and supported by Solihull Council with funding from the European Regional Development Fund. One to one and group support from accredited advisers is available in areas such as: Ŕ Feasibility and assessment Ŕ Market analysis Ŕ Business planning community and voluntary organisations based in Bickenhill, Castle Bromwich, Ŕ Social impact measurement Chelmsley Wood, Elmdon, Kingshurst, Ŕ Business modelling Lyndon, Olton, Shirley East, Shirley South, Ŕ Leadership Shirley West, Silhill and Smith’s Wood. Business Start up grants of Ŕ Sales and marketing upto £2,000 are also available for Ŕ Contract readiness organisations trading less than two Ŕ Consortia development years that have accessed support from Ŕ Entering supply chains the programme and are based in the North Solihull regeneration area. The programme is delivered by a partnership of the BEST Network, If you would like to discuss ways Development in Social Enterprise of growing your business or find out more, please get in touch. and DYNAMIC Marketing in Community Enterprise for Success is funded by association with Solihull SUSTAiN. Community Enterprise for Success is provided free of charge to existing GET IN TOUCH 0121 704 8097 | [email protected] http://communityenterprise-solihull.org | @Solihull_ComEnt
12 FEBRUARY 2015 | ISSUE 12