Exhibitors

Advantage West Midlands
Web: www.advantagewm.co.uk

Advantage West Midlands is the Regional Development Agency (RDA) for the West Midlands. We are one of nine RDAs in England that were established to transform the English regions through sustainable economic development.

Our role is to lead the economic development of the West Midlands, working alongside a wide range of public, private and voluntary sectors partners to help our region to prosper - building upon our many strengths and addressing our unique challenges.

Advantage West Midlands has an annual budget of more than £300 million to invest in the economic development of the West Midlands and, at any one time, is managing around 2,500 projects which are changing the lives of people right across our region.

We drive economic development by identifying where the greatest impact can be made either by targeting need or investing in success.

Our key task is to provide leadership for the development and delivery of the West Midlands Economic Strategy - the framework for our region's growth.

Among the broad spectrum of work includes the development of major land and property projects - such as Fort Dunlop and Ventureast in Birmingham - to regenerating communities - such as Camp Hill in Nuneaton - and investing in projects which improve the performance of our region's businesses - such as Business Link West Midlands.

For more information visit www.advantagewm.co.uk

Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP
134 Edmund Street, Birmingham, B3 2ES
Tel: 0121 200 7420
Fax: 0121 212 7442
Email: david.alcock@anthonycollins.com
Web: www.anthonycollins.com

Not the average law firm …

We believe in new ways of delivering services to the benefit of all, and the power of social enterprise to transform communities through trade.  We are committed to the sector.

We can:

• Advise on governance and legal structures, including Community Interest Companies
• Structure joint ventures
• Help you respond to new commissioning frameworks, e.g. in the NHS
• Work with you to maximise procurement opportunities
• Deliver training for social enterprises and support bodies
• Refine your business plan and develop your ideas
• Assist with new funding streams, ensuring that finance documents are fit for purpose
• Give you practical help with contracts and employment issues

Come and talk to David Alcock, Simon Lee or Mark Cook and find out more.

BWB is recognised as being one of the leading charity and social enterprise law practices.  We advise on commercial, employment, immigration, intellectual property, dispute resolution and property matters.  We have particular expertise in the arts, health, education and the environment.  With 160 staff and partners, we are large enough to provide a complete range of commercial services, but small enough to provide a personal service to every client.

For more information, please visit www.bwbllp.com, or contact us at the details above.

Some people are born with opportunity all around them. They enjoy emotional security, good schools and belief in themselves. Others have never had these things. The Big Life group creates opportunities for people to change their lives for the better.

The Big Life group includes five social businesses and three charities. The Big Life Company is the holding company for Aisha Childcare, Big Life Employment and The Big Issue in the North; Open Door is an affiliated social business, and The Big Issue in the North Trust, Big Life Centres and Self Help Services are Big Life charities.

Big Lottery Fund is responsible for distributing half of the funding that the National Lottery raises for good causes.

November 2008 saw the launch of Big thinking, the consultation on our strategic framework for 2009 – 2015. This is your chance to help us plan for the future and shape our funding policies.

You can get involved and contribute your Big thoughts by going to www.big-thinking.org.uk.

The consultation closes on 27 February 2009. Be sure to have your say.

Visit us at our stand to find out more. 

Be Birmingham
Web: www.bebirmingham.org.uk

Be Birmingham is proud to sponsor Voice 09, which recognises the achievements and progress of the social enterprise sector. The events key messages are inline with Birmingham 2026, the new sustainable community strategy.

Birmingham 2026 will provide each citizen with the opportunity to succeed economically; feel and stay safe in a clean, green city; be healthy; enjoy a high quality of life and make a contribution to the society they live in.

As the city's local strategic partnership, Be Birmingham, brings together partners from the public, private, voluntary, faith and community sectors to deliver a better quality of life in Birmingham. Its partners include Birmingham City Council, Birmingham Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the West Midlands Police and Fire Services, the city's three universities and Primary Healthcare Trusts.

Be Birmingham's priorities are to:

• Provide strong strategic leadership to ensure the city realises its goals and vision
• Develop and implement the local and national priorities and targets as set out in Birmingham 2026 and its delivery mechanism, the Local Area Agreement (LAA)
• Use its networks to promote social and community cohesion
• Promote local neighbourhood delivery through improved community engagement and more effective partnership working

For further information on Be Birmingham, please visit: www.bebirmingham.org.uk

Michelle Carr - Marketing and Communications Officer
Tel: 0121 675 7819; email: michelle.carr@birmingham.gov.uk

Birmingham City Council
Web: www.birmingham.gov.uk

Birmingham City Council is proud to be a founding sponsor of Voice 09 and supporting the conference for the 5th year.

Renowned for its expertise in regeneration the authority is currently in the process of developing the largest ever master-planning exercise in the UK ‘The Big City Plan', which will govern the future development of all aspects of life within the city over the next 25 years and beyond.

With more than £17billion worth of new developments currently on the city's books the council is leading a major regeneration drive which will see a wide range of new facilities built including the £600m New Street Gateway, £193 Library of Birmingham, £1.2 billion Highways PFI and an extension to Birmingham International Airport.

For further information, please visit: www.birmingham.gov.uk

Cabinet Office
Web: www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/thirdsector

As part of the Cabinet Office, the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) leads work across government to support the environment for a thriving third sector (voluntary and community groups, social enterprises, charities, cooperatives and mutuals), enabling the sector to campaign for change, deliver public services, promote social enterprise and strengthen communities.

We work in partnership with central and local government and the third sector to enable social enterprise growth and development, combining business and social goals.The Government's commitments to support social enterprise are set out in the Social Enterprise Action Plan, which includes actions to raise awareness of social enterprise, ensure social enterprises have the right support, advice and finance, and enable them to work with government.

The OTS was created at the centre of government in May 2006 in recognition of the increasingly important role the third sector plays in both society and the economy. For more information, visit: www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/thirdsector

CCLA
80 Cheapside, London, EC2V 6DZ
Tel: 0844 561 5024
Contacts: Amy Best/Mark Davies
Email: amy.best@ccla.co.uk, mark.davies@ccla.co.uk
Web: www.ccla.co.uk

CCLA is entirely owned by its clients. We are pioneers of ethical and responsible investment, and are committed to promoting a positive agenda for change. We are also the No.1 fund manager of the assets of third sector organisations, now managing £4.5 billion for more charities than any other fund manager in the UK*.

CCLA Investment Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

*Source: Charity Finance Magazine November 2008.

CEIS
Tel: 0141 425 2900
Web: www.ceis.org.uk

CEiS is the leading social enterprise development agency in the UK, employing a team of specialist business advisers and associate consultants providing an extensive range of business support to social enterprises. We also work with national and international agencies as the Scottish partner for innovative regeneration and development initiatives.

CEiS event management services, constructed and delivered the inaugural Social Enterprise World Forum in Edinburgh in 2008. The team can develop and manage events throughout the UK and has experience in delivering conferences, trade fairs, gala dinners and learning visits to social enterprises in the UK and internationally.

Charity Bank
Web: www.charitybank.org

Charity Bank is the UK’s only regulated bank that is a registered general charity. It pursues a unique philanthropic banking model.

Charity Bank was established in 2002 following the success of Investors in Society, a pilot fund. It has committed £80m to marginalised communities and organisations, supporting almost 700 charities and social enterprises and reaching 3 million people in the UK.

The Bank enables charities to achieve their missions more quickly and effectively by:

• Providing low cost loans and guarantees, typically in the region of £5,000–£1,000,000
• Complementing these loans with early stage and post investment support and advice
• Taking deposits from individuals, companies, banks and other charities, on terms beneficial to charity, offering account holders the opportunity to make a difference to society while at the same time protecting their capital

For more information visit our stand. Alternatively, visit our website www.charitybank.org or call 01732 774040 for a general enquiry or 01732 774050 to speak to the loans team.

Cheshire & Warrington Social Enterprise Partnership
Tel: 01244 603059
Email: socialenterprise@cheshire.gov.uk
Web: www.cwsocialenterprise.org.uk

Cheshire & Warrington Social Enterprise Partnership is a membership organisation made up of social enterprises, statutory agencies and support organisations operating in Cheshire and Warrington. An Executive Board runs the Partnerships activities made up of representatives from the Membership.

Our aim is to develop a successful social enterprise community across the sub region by supporting social enterprises to meet the social, economic and environmental needs of their communities and promote their interests at all levels.

Cleanstream Group Community Interest Company provides local authorities and other organisations with re-use, recycling, composting and secondary material processing expertise and development. Our aim is to promote the growth of social enterprises in areas where none previously existed, and to work in partnership with established social enterprises and charities to help them maximise the recovery of useful materials through re-use, recycling and composting contracts.
Come and talk to us on stand three at Voice 09.

Office of the Regulator of
Community Interest Companies
Tel: 029 2034 6228 (voicemail)
Web: www.cicregulator.gov.uk

Community Interest Companies (CICS) are limited companies, with special additional features, created for the use of people who want to conduct a business or other activity for community benefit, and not purely for private advantage. This is achieved by a "community interest test" and "asset lock", which ensure that the CIC is established for community purposes and the assets and profits are dedicated to these purposes. Registration of a company as a CIC has to be approved by the Regulator who also has a continuing monitoring and enforcement role.

Communities and Local Government

Communities and Local Government has a vision of confident, vibrant, sustainable communities where everyone has a say in shaping their local environment. Working closely with stakeholders from across the public and community sectors, the department's remit includes developing policy on: cities and regions; communities and neighbourhoods; fire and resilience; housing; planning; building and the environment; local government and the Thames Gateway and the Olympics.

The Communities Group is at the heart of this work and in July 2008 Communities and Local Government published ‘Communities in Control - real people, real power'. This White Paper passes real power into the hands of local citizens and communities, giving real control and influence to more people. Since publication we have made good progress in delivering key commitments, including recruiting more Young Advisors, launching the national strategy for participatory budgeting, and setting up the asset transfer unit.

The key to the delivery of the 'Communities in Control - real people, real power' is a robust third sector supporting citizens and communities. That is why we have set up the:

• £7.5million Empowerment Fund which will provide strategic, stable and sector funding to strengthen the national infrastructure and intermediary bodies who can translate key proposals on our empowerment agenda into practical action on the ground with local communities. Themes included social enterprise and social entrepreneurship. Application window is now closed and the successful recipients of the Fund will be announced in March 09.
• £70 million Communitybuilders Programme to support community organisations, including social enterprises, across England to acquire and run community buildings, provide local services and become more financially self-sustainable. A national partner is in the process of being appointed.

At Voice08, Hazel Blears (Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government), made a commitment to embed social enterprises in the ‘DNA' of the Department. The Third Sector and Social Enterprise Team within Communities and Local Government continue to develop approaches to improve our understanding and awareness of the potential of the third sector, including social enterprises, in delivering on our priorities through better strategic partnering.

Co-operatives West Midlands

The objectives of Co-operatives West Midlands are:

• to raise the profile of the co-operative and mutual sector
• represent the interests of co-operatives and mutuals; promote the case for co-operation and mutual enterprise and represent the co-operative and mutual sector on regional bodies
• to encourage mutual support, inter trading, sharing of best practice and training and development opportunities between co-operatives and mutuals in the region and maintain contact with national bodies as appropriate
• to grow the co-operative movement in the region

Members of Co-operatives West Midlands include the consumer co-operatives of Midlands Co-operative Society,The Co-operative Group Central Midlands, Midcounties Co-operative, Heart of England Co-operative, Tamworth Co-operative Society with Black Country Reinvestment Society, The Society for Co-operative Studies, Citysave Credit Union, Supporters Direct, Birmingham City Credit Union, Coventry & Warwickshire CDA, the Confederation of Co-operative Housing, and Birmingham Co-operative Housing.

Co-operatives WM is a member of Social Enterprise West Midlands.

CTA UK
Highbank, Halton Street, Hyde
Cheshire, SK14 2NY
Tel: 0161 351 1475
Email: info@ctauk.org
Web: www.ctauk.org

HCT Group
Ash Grove Bus Depot, Mare Street
London, E8 4RH
Tel: 020 7275 2400
Email: info@hctgroup.org
Web: www.hctgroup.org

The CTA is a national charity providing voice, leadership, learning and enterprise support to member organisations and individuals across the third sector who deliver innovative and flexible transport solutions to achieve social change. It promotes excellence through providing training, publications, advice, events and project support on voluntary, community and accessible transport. In addition to its member support role, the CTA is a social enterprise delivering commercial research and consultancy services to clients in the voluntary, statutory and commercial sectors throughout the UK, reinvesting the proceeds to bring about its vision of an society free of social exclusion and injustice.

CTA are partnered this year at Voice09 by the HCT Group, a leading social enterprise and one of the most successful third sector transport operations in the UK. HCT is an award winning and rapidly growing provider of public transport and related training services in the UK, originally founded in 1982 with a vision is social justice and equality for all. HCT aim to contribute towards this goal through the conduct of their activities, by re-investing generated surpluses within their businesses, increasing employability, by promoting community transport concepts and by applying the social enterprise business model.

Cylch Wales Community Recycling Network
Tel: 02920 649 750
Web: www.cylch.org.uk

Cylch (Wales Community Recycling Network) is an umbrella support organisation representing the interests of community sector organisations involved in recycling or reuse. Cylch members work in twenty local authority areas across Wales and are engaged in activities ranging from kerbside recycling to community composting and furniture re-use. Their combined annual turnover is in excess of £16 and they provide employment or training for more than 2,000 each year.

Cylch is spear-heading the development of the social economy. Of the Welsh Assembly Government’s 26 projects in their current Social Enterprise Development Strategy, half are Cylch members.

Deaf Cultural Centre
Ladywood Road, Birmingham, B16 8SZ
Tel: 0121 450 5121
Textphone: 0121 246 6101
Email: info@deafculturalcentre.com
Web: www.deafculturalcentre.com

The Deaf Cultural Centre offers modern conference and event facilities that your organisation can enjoy at a competitive price – whilst also supporting a rich and diverse community. Our centre offers training and employment opportunities for the deaf community in a professional and customer friendly environment. The Deaf Cultural Centre is a UK first – a purpose built space that meets the needs of the Deaf community and the modern business world.

Decoda
Theaklen House, Theaklen Drive
St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, TN38 9AZ
Tel: 0845 2938354
Email: enquiries@decoda.org 
Web: www.decoda.org

Decoda is a well established social enterprise, dedicated to enabling people with disabilities to express themselves. We have developed a methodology for using modern technology as a tool to engage difficult-to-reach individuals and are using this approach in two major projects. First is the Music Gym, now in its fourth year, which converts a large sports hall into an interactive space where nothing happens unless you move. The second is a stand-alone version of the Gym, the Decodamaze, an inflatable ever-changing environment of sound and images, accessible by wheelchair-users. Backed by Futurebuilders, the Decodamaze will be available in 2009.

Development Trusts Association
33 Corsham Street, London N1 6DR
Tel: 0845 458 8336
Web: www.dta.org.uk

The Development Trusts Association (DTA) helps people set up development trusts and helps existing trusts to learn from each other and to work effectively. Development trusts are community organisations using self-help, enterprise, and asset ownership, to find local solutions and transform their community for good. The DTA also influences government and others at national and local level, to build support and investment for the movement.

The DTA is the leading network of community enterprise practitioners, and is aiming for a successful development trust in every community. There are now over 440 development trusts in DTA membership, in both urban and rural areas. While many are still small, others are operating at scale: the combined turnover is £260m and development trusts have £490m of assets in community ownership.

Digital Umbrella / High Peak CVS
1a Bingswood Trading Estate
Whaley Bridge, High Peak, SK23 7LY
Tel: 01663 735 350
Email: hello@digitalumbrella.co.uk
Web: www.digitalumbrella.co.uk
Web: www.highpeakcvs.org.uk

Digital Umbrella creates clear and attractive website designs and uses innovative web solutions to help you present information about your organisation in the best possible way.

Using our Intuitive Content Management System you can easily edit your web pages directly in place on your browser.

A range of database modules simplify the handling of contacts, services, news, events, documents, images, links and other information.

Our design team can create a logo, branding and video to enhance your profile.

Digital Umbrella is the social enterprise of High Peak CVS.

Equity Plus
Web: www.equityplus.org.uk

Equity Plus runs the Social Enterprise Angel Network (SEAN) which includes investors interested in backing realistic but ambitious early stage social enterprises across all sectors. Equity Plus also provides investment readiness consultancy for values-led businesses with a focus on strategic support, corporate finance expertise and financial modelling.

Four consultancies with a long track record of joint working, we are specialists in social enterprise policy and practice.  We develop innovative social enterprise solutions; provide business support through Business Link and others; undertake research, evaluation and feasibility studies, in particular around procurement, commissioning and franchising and provide interim management services.  We work throughout the UK with social enterprises, regional networks, public authorities, RDAs, Business Links, national third sector agencies and government departments.  We build specialist bespoke teams to suit individual contract requirements.

Hempsons
Hempsons House, 40 Villiers Street
London, WC2N 6NJ
Tel: 020 7839 0278
Email: thirdsector@hempsons.co.uk
Web: www.hempsons.co.uk

Leading lawyers to the third sector

Hempsons is a leading UK law firm in the health and third sectors. Our clients are ublic, private and third sector organisations, including social enterprises, who plan, ommission or provide public services or operate within the supply chain.

A national firm with offices in London, Manchester and Harrogate, Hempsons provides strategic and operational services to clients embracing the opportunities and challenges of public service reform outlined in the Government White Papers Our Health, Our Care, Our Say and Strong and Prosperous Communities and Lord Darzi’s NHS Next Stage Review. Advice includes corporate, company and charity law; employment law; governance and regulation; procurement and contracting.

In Kind Direct
11-15 Monument Street, London, EC3R 8JU
Tel: 020 7714 3930
Fax: 020 7714 3920
Email: info@inkinddirect.org
Web: www.inkinddirect.org

In Kind Direct redistributes new surplus goods donated by some of Britain's best-known manufacturers and retailers to thousands of UK charities and not-for-profit organisations working at home and abroad. Since 1996, In Kind Direct has assisted over 5,000 charities, working with more than 750 donor businesses and funders, and helping over 1 million people in need each year. It is free to join our network. All they pay is a handling charge for each pack for In Kind Direct’s service of sorting and packing. The packs are delivered direct to the organisation, saving them time and money.

LSC - Train to Gain
Web: www.traintogain.gov.uk

The LSC is a publicly-funded organisation charged with building a dynamic and successful Further Education (FE) system for England, to give young people, adults and employers the high quality learning and skills they need for economic and social success.

One LSC source of support is the Train to Gain service. Already available to third sector organisations for their paid workforce, it has recently been extended to volunteers, providing opportunities for third sector employers to access support, advice and possible funding to boost the development of their workforce.

For more information phone 0800 015 5545 or traintogain@lsc.gov.uk or www.traintogain.gov.uk

The Ministry of Justice
Web: noms.justice.gov.uk

The Ministry of Justice and NOMS Agency are responsible for protecting the public and reducing re-offending in England and Wales. NOMS delivers the sentences and orders of the courts by commissioning adult offender services in custody and the community from public, private and third sector organisations. “Working with the Third Sector to Reduce Re-offending 2008-2011”, sets out principles for the Ministry of Justice and NOMS in working with the third sector and contains commitments and actions to make us a better partner. NOMS has appointed a Social Enterprise Champion to promote understanding and engagement with the SE sector.

Mustart
Web: www.mustart.org

FREE ART GIVEAWAY by Mustart.org

Take one free book, read/write/draw on it, give the book away as a free art piece to a stranger. Its a great ice breaker and you will make someone else's day.

Please record your artwork and share it at Mustart.org for everyone to enjoy.

Mustart puts on art events that enable everyone to collaborate while improving the local community.

We put on interactive events that include everyone. Why not come to the next event or join us and make your own. Mustart.org is created by UGCunion.org

NatWest
Web: www.natwest.com

NatWest is proud to be a founding sponsor of Voice and supporting the conference for the 5th Year. For further details on how NatWest can support your Business, click here.

Partners for Social Enterprise

Partners for Social Enterprise (PSE) in Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Worcestershire is an independent partnership of local authorities, business support agencies, social enterprises, education institutions and other interested parties, committed to working together to support the social enterprise sector in the three counties. It also created a cluster group for social enterprises in waste and recycling, working in partnership to prevent waste and improve communities’ quality of life.

Our website: www.partnersforsocialenterprise.org.uk  is currently under redevelopment.
For further details on the partnership please contact Pat Buchanan on pbuchanan@herefordshire.gov.uk

Phoenix Business Academy
54 Blue unit Broadway Plaza, 19 Francis Rd
Birmingham, B16 8SU
Tel: +441214542301
Web: www.phoenixbusinessacademy.org

Phoenix Business Management Academy( PBMA):  is a Social Enterprise registered as a company limited by guarantee. PBMA aims to combat poverty by providing quality training and Personel Development within hard to reach communites in Britain  through Social enterprising Projects: 

Our  expertise in the NVQ, Diplomas within  Health & Social care, Business Administraion  Diploma, Ilex, Housing and Support services, Training within the  Policy planning to those at most risk at  their local community. We also seek to play a lead role in community regeneration by developing partnerships to enable access to training and long-term employment and retention. We have been successful on securing a contract from Train to Gain Learning Skills Council.

PBMA manages a range of training and Consultancy services and Interim management projects. We also deliver these by recruiting, training and accrediting people from disadvantaged communities to take up local employment opportunities

We are delivering Training To Gain  LSC (TtG) Employer responsive funded training to local employees. Jobcentre plus, NEET some of our projects and we also work very closely with our local Authority tackling on drug and gun crimes. We have been working with local social enterprises such as San Michael College hagley road, BRAP, Ise., SE , pathway college and C3 community of networkers.

PMBA delivers health benefits as well as creating social and economic opportunities provides training and paid work placement opportunities to people who are disadvantaged in the employment market. Since it was established in 2006 from a successful outreach project, it has helped hundreds of people across Birmingham find work. 

Furthermore we also support young people into education, training and employment in health and social care retail and Leadership area. The enterprise established in 2006, is one of the fastest growing social enterprises in the Ladywood constituency covering Aston, Nechells & Soho.

Our key target clients are black and ethnic minority communities, Easter EU, provides a broad range of services including sign posting services such as care accommodation for mental health sufferers, supported homes for ex-offenders and accommodation for asylum seekers. It believes in putting Social Profits and health to work in local communities in order to address inequalities and deliver employment opportunities.

The Phone Co-op
5 The Millhouse, Elmsfield Business Centre
Worcester Road, Chipping Norton, Oxon OX7 5XL
Web: www.thephone.coop

Winner of the Enterprising Solutions Awards 2008, The Phone Co-op is the fastest growing consumer co-operative in the UK and has over 15,000 customers.

The Phone Co-op proves that it is possible to run a successful business that behaves ethically and with a sense of social responsibility, while at the same time offering state-of-the-art telephony, internet and systems services at truly competitive prices.

We supply calls, broadband, line rental and mobile to home users, and a full range of business services to customers such as CAN Mezzanine, Triodos Bank, Salford City Council, Ethical Property Company and Amnesty International.

All customers have the opportunity to join as members and to have a say in the way the co-operative is run. Profits are shared between members in the form of a dividend and are also used to support the growth and development of other co-ops and social enterprises. A Social Enterprise Start-Up & Expansion Fund provides new enterprises with a £250 grant to help with their telecoms costs.

Find out more at www.thephone.coop

PriceWaterhouseCoopers

PricewaterhouseCoopers has been working with social enterprises for many years, most notably in the public services industry. We provide assurance, tax and audit services to over 450 charities, as well as financial advice and consulting services to both small and large social enterprises. We are also helping develop approaches to social investment and finance, and commissioning for social outcomes.

Growing the social enterprise sector in a sustainable way is seen as critical to meeting the Government's objective of creating a mixed economy of public service delivery. PwC is actively supporting that growth. We are currently involved in providing new insight into market developments through a programme of research on capacity, capability, and funding in the sector, and are actively promoting partnerships between social enterprises and private organisations.

REalliance

REalliance CIC is a new partnership of four networks:

• Community Recycling Network UK
• Furniture Reuse Network
• Community Composting Network
• London Community Recycling Network

REalliance CIC represents and provides development support, guidance and information to Third Sector waste management organisations. We are working to increase the amount and quality of sustainable resource management enterprise and community activity - from reuse of furniture and appliances to composting and material reprocessing.

REalliance CIC is the delivery partner for WRAP's Third Sector Capacity Building Programme, focusing on the development of stronger enterprises, increased markets and more effective networks.

RISE
Unit B
Pynes Hill
Exeter EX2 5AZ
Tel: 01392 435775
Email: info@rise-sw.co.uk
Web: www.rise-sw.co.uk

RISE is the voice for social enterprise in South West England. RISE is a membership organisation that delivers training, events and a range of other services to ensure that social enterprises receive high quality business advice, in an environment where they can thrive and grow.

RISE delivers Professional Development training for social enterprise advisors, to give them all the skills needed to attain the SFEDI social enterprise standards. See www.rise-sw.co.uk/training.

RISE manages the Social Enterprise Mark in South West England. The Social Enterprise Mark is a label which tells customers that a product or service comes from a social enterprise and is creating a social or environmental benefit. A wide variety of social enterprises have signed up to use the Mark and RISE is currently working with the English regions and Scotland for the Mark to be available nationwide. See www.socialenterprisemark.co.uk to sign the petition to make this happen.

Robert Owen Society
Robert Owen House, 18 Burgess Street,
Leominster, Herefordshire
United Kingdom, HR6 8DE
Tel: 0 (44) 1568 615510
Fax: 0 (44) 1568 620386
Web: www.robertowen.org

The Robert Owen Society is a Family of Co-operative and Social Enterprise organisations. As an organisation we work within the areas of education, training and regeneration. Our central area of business activity is initial teacher education, but we also run other training courses, regeneration projects and initiatives. The Society offers an innovative co-operative model for developing education, training and new business development in the rural Welsh border area and beyond, meeting community needs in a very real sense through a member owned organisation.

The Royal Bank of Scotland
Web: www.rbs.co.uk

The Royal Bank of Scotland is proud to be a founding sponsor of Voice and supporting the conference for the 5th year. For further details on how the Royal Bank of Scotland can support your Business, click here.

Founded in 1983 as a centre of education for women, The Blackburne House Group has grown into one of the UK’s leading social enterprises. They have established a number of highly acclaimed and flourishing social enterprises, which continue to support thier education aims and provide tangible examples of how new markets can be used to serve local communities.

Blackburne House is home to the first North West based School for Social Entrepreneurs, a people powered learning programme that enables individuals to develop social businesses which benefit local communities and socially excluded groups. The Group also houses, Brava Design an award winning graphic and website design agency who are renowned for their work in providing innovative and accessible design solutions.

Blackburne House, Brava Design and the Liverpool School for Social Entrepreneurs welcome you to their inspirational igloo and look forward to meeting you at Voice 09.

SE² Partnership
Web: www.se2partnership.co.uk

SE² Partnership (Social Enterprise South East) is the partnership of organisations and networks supporting the development of social enterprise in the South East of England.
Our aim is to provide a flexible, dynamic and sustainable infrastructure to help deliver our vision for a social enterprise sector focused on markets and needs within the region’s communities.

Our values include mutuality, entrepreneurship and local delivery. We combine expertise and enhance the programmes of all our partners, providing partnership services such as information, informing strategy, campaigning and awareness raising alone with income generating services such as training, consultancy, events and specialist support programmes.

SE² will be working to improve communication, advice and increasing investor/contractor understanding of social enterprise with investment from Capacity Builders.

SE² is managed by a proactive team of Directors drawn from the partner organisations and a full time co-ordinator.

Social Enterprise Academy
Thorn House, 5 Rose St., Edinburgh, EH2 2PR
Tel: 0131 243 2670
Email: learn@theacademy-ssea.org
Web: www.theacademy-ssea.org

The Social Enterprise Academy is a key provider of learning and development to the social enterprise sector in the UK.  As an Institute of Leadership & Management Centre, the Academy delivers accredited awards and qualifications in leadership; business planning; social impact tools; contracting and tendering; and are specialists in facilitating peer learning and coaching. 

As a social enterprise in our own right, we deliver courses to the public, private, as well as the social economy sector.  We can also tailor our learning and development programmes to create an in-house learning solution tailored to the needs of your organisation.

Our approach is to encourage innovation and creativity by focusing on individual participants and their personal development as entrepreneurial leaders. We are committed to action learning which connects learners together to bring about change and development.  Our learning and development programmes complement and strengthen participants’ day to day responsibilities. 

We can:

• Support individuals running or working in social enterprises
• Engage more people in social entrepreneurship
• Build the success of the sector by increasing the understanding of our private, public and voluntary sector partners

Social Enterprise East of England (SEEE)
Bedford i-LAB, Priory Business Park,
Stannard Way, Bedford MK44 3RZ
Tel: 0845 606 6296
Email: admin@seee.co.uk
Web: www.seee.co.uk

SEEE is a membership and networking organisation supporting and promoting social enterprise across the East of England. As a voice for social enterprise in the region, we work to have a strategic influence on national, regional and local policy relating to social enterprise.

We support our members in their efforts to ‘make a profit to make a difference’ by organising training courses tailored to their needs, signposting appropriate and affordable sources of finance and business advice, providing networking opportunities including an annual conference, and publicising their businesses on the SEEE website and in our quarterly In Touch magazine.

Social Enterprise East Midlands
Suite 28 Minerva House, Spaniel Row, Nottingham NG1 6EP
Tel: 0115 871 4760
Email: info@seem.uk.net
Web: www.seem.uk.net

SEEM is the voice of social enterprise in the East Midlands. We bring together key stakeholders in the sector with a collective mission: to create an environment in the East Midlands where social enterprise is encouraged to develop and enabled to grow.

We do this by:

• Supporting social enterprises which bring social economic and environmental advantage to communities
• Driving social enterprise development in the East Midlands
• Signposting social enterprises to available support, funding opportunities and representation
• Promoting best practice examples
• Representing the sector at regional and sub-regional level
• Promoting issues raised by our membership

For more details click here.

Social Enterprise North West

In Business for Good...

Social Enterprise North West is the recently established regional network. Its Directors include nominated representatives of sub-regional social enterprise networks, the DTA and Cooperatives North West, and through these direct links to accountable Social Enterprise networks, SENW achieves accountability to the Sector.

It also includes representation from Social Enterprise operating across more than one sub-region including the Big Life Company and The Social Enterprise Loan Fund SENW has the following objectives:

• To raise the profile of social enterprise in the North West of England
• To represent the interests of the North West of England’s social enterprise sector
• To encourage mutual support, inter-trading, sharing of best practice, training and development opportunities between social enterprises
• To work with local, regional, national transnational bodies to strengthen the social enterprise sector.

SENW provides a conduit for the delivery of provision by partners operating at both the regional and sub regional level. This approach has been designed to provide an efficient and effective means of both commissioning and delivering activity, whilst demonstrating a unity of purpose among regional and sub regional infrastructure organisations.

The Social Enterprise Unit (SEU)
at the Department of Health
Email: social.enterprise@dh.gsi.gov.uk
Web: www.dh.gov.uk

The Social Enterprise Unit (SEU) at the Department of Health was established in 2006 to encourage the development of social enterprise in health and social care.

As a key part of the healthcare reforms outlined in the 2006 White Paper ‘Our health, our care, our say', social enterprises give patients more choice and provide wider benefits such as regeneration and social inclusion.

To help innovative social enterprises get off the ground, the SEU has invested £14m in more than 50 social enterprises through the Pathfinder programme and the £100m Social Enterprise Investment Fund. These social enterprises provide services including drop in advice, primary and social care, and health and well being services, such as access to sports for disadvantaged people.

The 2008 NHS Next Stage Review included a commitment to give health professionals the ‘right to request' to set up social enterprises and the opportunity to design, organise and manage the services they deliver. To provide PCT staff with information on social enterprises and the issues they need to consider before making a request, a ‘how to' guide to social enterprise, jointly produced by the Department of Health and the Social Enterprise Coalition, was launched in November 2008.

Social Enterprise West Midlands
Doe Bank Building, Doe Bank Lane
Coventry, CV1 3AR
Tel: 024 7663 3911
Email: s.crowder@socialenterprisewm.org.uk
Web: www.socialenterprisewm.org.uk

Social Enterprise West Midlands was launched in 2007 as the regional network and voice for social enterprise. The Network is a community of social enterprises, social entrepreneurs, business support providers, public sector organisations, strategic bodies and individuals committed to developing a strong social enterprise sector in the West Midlands. Now with over 200 members, we share a vision of using the social enterprise business model to create meaningful, lasting economic, social and environmental change. For more information contact Sandra Crowder at s.crowder@socialenterprisewm.org.uk or visit our website www.socialenterprisewm.org.uk

Social Firms UK
Web: www.socialfirms.co.uk

This is a TRADE STAND for some of the Social Firms in the UK that have nationally relevant products and services to sell! Social Firms UK is proud to host this tradestand for its member businesses - all of which re-invest their profits in order to create more paid employment opportunities for people otherwise excluded from the labour market. So come and see how you could use Social Firms within your own supply chain at stands 35 and 38! Social Firms UK hosts an online trade directory at www.trade.socialfirms.co.uk and is the first organisation to launch a quality standard into the social enterprise sector (www.starsocialfirms.co.uk).

Stop Loan Sharks (Illegal Money Lending)
Tel: 0121-693 1122
Email: stoploansharks@birmingham.gov.uk
Web: www.birmingham.gov.uk

The Stop Loan Sharks project is funded by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and was set up as a pilot in the West Midlands in 2004 to tackle illegal money lenders.

The project proved so successful that illegal money lending teams, using trading standards investigators, are now operating across the country. It is having a huge impact economically, socially and in reducing crime. So far we have helped more than 7,000 victims, written off over £8 million of illegal debt, secured over 30 years’ prison sentences and log books containing more than £4.6 million in loans.

Our financial inclusion partnership officers work with communities and social inclusion groups, such as CAB and housing associations, improving financial literacy and helping vulnerable people access legitimate financial services.

Supporters Direct
3rd Floor, Victoria House,
Bloomsbury Square, London. WC1B 4SE
Web: www.supporters-direct.org

What is Supporters Direct?

SD provides advice to trusts on how to organise and acquire a collective shareholding in their clubs on a not-for-profit basis for re-investment. Our role is to secure greater level of accountability and deliver democratic representation within football clubs and within the game's governing structures.

We deliver advice and guidance on governance and financial accountability to our members and to ensure they play a valued and responsible role in the running of their clubs, improving communication and building a better relationship with the local community.

The Tool Factory
2a Oakhill Road, London, SW15 2QU
Tel: 0845 273 3834
Email: info@thetoolfactory.com
Web: www.thetoolfactory.com

The Tool Factory is a social enterprise that develops software specifically for other social enterprises. If you want to keep all of your data on your clients in one place, do one-step funders reports and measure the social impact of the work that you are doing use our Social Impact Tracker. If you need to write a business plan use our Business Plan Writer; send email newsletters to your clients then use E-News Writer. You can also win £50 of Amazon vouchers at our stand so do come by and say hello.

Triodos Bank
Brunel House, 11 The Promenade
Bristol, BS8 3NN
Tel: 0500 008720
Fax: 0117 9739303
Email: businessbanking@triodos.co.uk
Web: www.triodos.co.uk

Triodos Bank has financed Charities and Social Enterprises and supported the development of the UK Social Economy for over ten years. Triodos is the only social bank to offer integrated business and investment banking services to Charities and Social Enterprises. These include competitive current, deposit accounts and loans as well as capital raising services and investing venture capital.

Come and visit our stand to find out how Triodos Bank can meet your banking needs.

TPP Law Limited
53 Great Suffolk Street, London, SE1 0DB
Tel: +44 (0)20 7620 0888
Email: info@tpplaw.co.uk
Web: www.tpplaw.co.uk

TPP Law is a specialist law firm with a unique focus on supporting public service partnerships and projects.

We have advised many organisations in the establishment and operation of social enterprises, working in the fields of health and disability, education, social care, regeneration, leisure and culture and offender management.

Clients benefit from our wealth of experience in critical contractual arrangements and our resourceful approach to protecting and improving their client’s legal position.

Our innovative approach and a “can do” attitude provide the assurance of a practical and workable legal solution that underpins the success of each project or partnership.

Third Sector Research Centre
Park House, University of Birmingham
Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT
Tel: (0)121 414 3086
Email: tsrc@contacts.bham.ac.uk

The UK National Centre for Academic Research on Third Sector Organisation, Policy and Practice.

TSRC is a new collaboration between the University of Birmingham and University of Southampton (working in partnership with a range of national organisations) and offers a wide variety of services and support to those working in and supporting the voluntary sector.

Its primary focus is the development and review of new and existing research – providing an invaluable tool to both practitioners and academics involved in the sector. Research findings will be fully accessible online and together with the recruitment of knowledge brokers will ensure our knowledge is both exchanged and transferred with policymakers and practitioners alike.

To learn more about the TSRC, come and speak to us at our exhibition stand at Voice 09, alternatively contact: Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC), University of Birmingham Tel: 0121 414 3086 or email: l.court@bham.ac.uk

Unity Trust Bank
Web: www.unity.co.uk

Unity Trust Bank is delighted to be the official sponsor of the Voice09 Conference reception to be held on Tuesday 10th February 2009.

As a specialist bank the social economy, social enterprises and Trades unions, Unity Trust is uniquely placed to provide innovative banking solutions for these sectors.

Unity has a long and proud history of working in partnership with social enterprises throughout the UK and has gained an unrivalled expertise and understanding of these organisations.

This understanding is epitomised by Unity's partnership with the Birmingham based Aston Reinvestment Trust (ART), one of the UK's most successful Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs). Unity provided ART with loan finance to help them with their onward lending programme to assist with the regeneration of communities. ART takes a more flexible approach to lending to small businesses and social enterprises. Steve Walker the Chief Executive of Art said: "At a local level, Unity Trust is the only bank to really understand how a social enterprise works. A lot of banks may have people in head office who are knowledgeable, but the local branch staff have a very limited understanding of the sector."

As a bank that is committed to enabling social development and supporting community involvement, we are passionate about adding value to help our customers achieve their goals in the development of communities and people.

UnLtd
123 Whitecross Street
Islington, London, EC1Y 8JJ
Tel: 020 7566 1118
Fax: 0207 566 1101
www.UnLtd.org.uk
www.UnLtdWorld.com

UnLtd is a charity which supports social entrepreneurs - people with vision, drive, commitment and passion who want to change the world for the better. We do this by providing a complete package of funding and support, to help these individuals make their ideas a reality. UnLtd's mission is to reach out and unleash the energies of people who can transform the way in which they live. We call these people social entrepreneurs.

Venturesome, CAF
St Andrew's House, 18/20 St Andrew St.
London, EC4A 3AY
Web: www.venturesome.org

Venturesome, an initiative of the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), is a social investment fund with funds to invest. We help charities and other social purpose organisations to think through their funding needs, providing tailored capital investment where appropriate and/or signposting to others. The capital we provide helps organisations manage the timing of income and expenditure, enables them to act quickly where there is uncertainty over future income, and helps develop and grow their products and services.

Voice Social Marketing
Web: www.voicemarketing.org.uk

Voice Social Marketing is a national independent not-for-profit, pioneering marketing and training agency that works to inspire, innovate and advance social marketing and communications particularly throughout the health, public, charitable and voluntary sectors.

Based in Lancashire and established by Catherine Titherington, Voice Social Marketing has always strived to be an social enterprise that ‘makes a difference’. The agency services many accounts including public sector organisations, social enterprises and independent providers by offering training and consultancy services that include marketing and management training, creative design and one-to-one consultancy. Voice has also recently set up a Providers Marketing Network that brings together organisations up and down the country on a regular basis who value marketing and communications as an integral part of their business.

Wales Co-operative Centre
Llandaff Court, Fairwater Road
Cardiff, CF5 2XP
Tel: 029 2055 4955
Web: www.walescoop.com

Established in 1982, the Wales Co-operative Centre delivers a range of projects to promote social, financial and digital inclusion through co-operation. The Centre manages several major initiatives in Wales:

• The Social Enterprise Support and Training projects target co-operatives and social enterprises, providing them with advice, skills and knowledge to become successful trading enterprises.
• Communities @One is a Welsh Assembly Government initiative that enables people in the most disadvantaged communities to increase their access to new technologies and develop their computer skills.
• The Centre works in partnership with Credit Unions in Wales to manage various financial inclusion initiatives. Through this work, the Centre is at the forefront of the drive to eliminate financial exclusion in Wales.

Walsall Endeavours CIC manages a key social economy and third sector development facility in the Black Country. The Social Economy Centre provides expertise in social enterprise development, business development, commissioning strategy and procurement and supply, the Creative Industries sector and graduate recruitment and retention.

Walsall Endeavours CIC and its partners in the Social Economy Centre operate to ethical trading and “Greater than Profit” values.

The Welsh Assembly Government

 

The Welsh Assembly Government's Communities Directorate is responsible for delivering and funding programmes for locally based regeneration and social inclusion; co-ordinating policy on social justice, child poverty and the third sector. The Directorate is part of the Social Justice and Local Government Department and we work directly to Leighton Andrews, Assembly Member and Deputy Minister for Regeneration, one of the speakers at Voice 09.

In June 2005 the Welsh Assembly Government launched its Social Enterprise Strategy for Wales. Through partnership working, considerable progress has been made to create an environment in which social enterprises can develop and flourish. In January 2008 we published ‘The Third Dimension, A Strategic Action Plan for the Voluntary Sector Scheme' which gave a clear direction to the Welsh Assembly Government's engagement with the third sector. A key priority now is to accelerate the number, scale and impact of social enterprises in Wales and we are planning to launch a refreshed Social Enterprise Action Plan early in 2009.

Our new Action Plan will build on past successes and set new challenges. Already, Welsh Assembly Government departments and the wider public sector have been challenged to identify opportunities for social enterprises to compete to deliver public services - and as a result deliver other benefits such as local wealth creation, reduced economic inactivity and increased community regeneration in inclusive and sustainable ways.

We are delighted to be sponsoring the premier event for social enterprises across the UK.

The Women's Enterprise Centre of Expertise (WECOE)
The Custard Factory, 321 The Greenhouse,
Digbeth, Birmingham, B9 4AA
Tel: +(44)121 224 7830

Supporting Women’s Enterprise Development in the West Midlands

WECOE supports the growth of women's business ownership, through the development of effective women-friendly business support policies, infrastructure and enterprise culture across the West Midlands Region. 

We achieve this by raising awareness, providing capacity building support to organisations which provide enterprise support services and by fulfilling a ‘critical-friend’ role to all those involved with mainstream economic and business development policy and practice – ensuring business support services are ‘women-friendly’ and fit for purpose.