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.