The journey so far
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
Let me see.
What are some of the things that jump to mind when I think about the journey of the Commission for Youth Social Enterprise so far, since I stepped on board to help with the interim report…
… To begin, there’s the thrilling undertaking of developing a new logo and website. A new logo which delayed our new website. A new website which crashed our server along with my email account. All very “thrilling”.
So here I am blogging in Oxford at 9 am … but I’ll get to that.
First things first, so in chronological order: we delivered training days in London and Manchester, where we equipped our 20 rock-star-world-changing-whirlwinds of volunteers with research and interviewing skills and sent them off to put their new skills into practice; then there’s Juan the indoor-climbing-Venezuala-meets-Italy-meets-England-paparazzi-with-a-conscience intern out‘n’about filming youngsters in the UK today; and, we commenced a comprehensive literature review on youth and social enterprise, a project our exceptional-shining-breakfast-loving intern Jessica is compiling.
Our fieldwork to this date entails 10 completed interviews, 20 arranged and 30 interviewees in ready-steady-go mode, 80 completed online surveys and 2.5 Focus Groups wrapped.
We also took VOICE09 by storm. Nick the infamous-multitalented-and-charming coordinator and I headed to Birmingham and plunged into THE conference of social enterprise where we shook-up, inspired, campaigned, recruited and challenged (phew!) delegates and panels about the role ‘youf’ play in the sector. For your information only, we also productively popped round the UnLtd Birmingham office, shared a Chinese feast, mulled wine and passionate monks and failed at an attempt for Karaoke.
Today, I’m proud to introduce Oxford to the Commission. Despite the somewhat horrific 6.30am (yes, AM!) alarm, an 8am train, an 8.50am cab and 9.15am (hallelujah!) full English breakfast on Cowley Road in the little big heart of Oxford. This, in prep to meet with (drum rolls!) the Oxford Hub to (more drum rolls!) chat.
Admit it. You’re totally on the edge of your seat to find out what happened next, right? Stay tuned, watch this space, to be continued…
Over and out (for now)
Maor
Youth: Unprofessional, Unpredictable, Unreliable, Unengaged, and Un-experienced?
Monday, February 23rd, 2009
Young people often get called a lot of dirty words (with only a few of them in this title…) but how much of it is true? Many a youth worker will recant their top ten horrendous youth stories, but generalizations about youth and their capabilities should not be quickly accepted.
In the following series of blog posts, I hope to examine the various labels the youth sector uses to describe young people.
The problem with young people is that…
They are unprofessional and unpredictable.
They are unreliable.
They are unengaged.
They are un-experienced.
While these statements are sometimes true, their labels are ultimately problematic because they constrain young people to stereotypes and don’t acknowledge the positive side of having fresh perspectives.
Check back every few days as I post the next blog in this series.
Summer Academy social entrepreneurs plan Youth Commission after meeting new Minister for Third Sector
Monday, February 9th, 2009
Summer Academy social entrepreneurs plan Youth Commission after meeting new Minister for Third Sector
A group of 20 leading young social entrepreneurs plan a Commission for Youth Social Enterprise following the Big Boost Summer Academy. The five day residential event, funded by the Big Boost and led by innovation company ?Whatif! included a meeting with Minister for the Third Sector, Phil Hope MP and inspired the group to press for improved understanding and support. summer_academy2
The week long academy aimed to inspire creativity and learning amongst the young social entrepreneurs, to enable them to share experiences, learn from one another and help broaden the impact they have on society. As well as a visit to the Office of the Third Sector where the group was one of the first to meet with the new minister, the group also met social enterprises Greenworks, Accenture Development Partnerships and Chief Executive of the Big Lottery Fund, Stephen Dunmore.
The young social entrepreneurs are aiming to make a lasting impact by being a central part of the social entrepreneurship ‘revolution’; they hope that Commission for Youth Social Enterprise will play a key role in promoting social entrepreneurship in the UK.
Duane Melius, Big Boost Award Winner, who attended the academy, said:summer_academy1 “Going on the Big Boost summer Academy for me has been literally a Life Changing experience. Being in such a supportive environment with my peers has given me a renewed sense of self-belief and the tools I have been equipped with have brought fresh vigour and creativity to every aspect of my life.”
Josie Gosbee, Big Boost Operations Manager, said: “The academy helped highlight that we have started something great with the Big Boost: there is a culture of young people who really want to make a difference to the world - this needs to be nurtured and built upon.”
Social Enterprise Day: New generation of social entrepreneurs gear up to inspire the nation
Monday, February 2nd, 2009
Originally published: 15 November 2007
Ministers across Government are joining forces with social entrepreneurs up and down the country in a day of events to inspire a new generation to work for or set up businesses with social or environmental goals.
Hundreds of pupils and young people across England are taking part in events celebrating the achievements of social entrepreneurs, and in keeping with the youth theme of this year’s Social Enterprise Day the Government is announcing that GCSE business studies students will study social enterprise as a core part of the syllabus from September 2008.
In addition, thousands of aspiring and existing social enterprises will benefit from a new guide offering specialist business information and advice, being launched today on Businesslink.gov.uk.
As part of other activities happening on Social Enterprise Day, thousands of votes are expected to be cast online today as young people choose their favourite idea to change the world, expressed in just one minute, in Make Your Mark in 60 Seconds – a competition led by the Government-backed Make Your Mark campaign to promote enterprise to young people and hosted by the social networking site Bebo. The winner, to be announced at 18.00 today by Cabinet Office Minister Phil Hope and Enterprise Minister Stephen Timms, will receive a £5,000 Award from UnLtd to make their idea happen. The second phase of the competition will then start – challenging young people all over the country to come up with their own 60-second pitch to change lives.
Another exciting initiative – a Commission for Youth Social Entrepreneurship, the first ever youth-led organisation to represent social enterprise – is also due to be launched today at a Treasury-hosted event attended by Cabinet Office Ministers Ed Miliband and Phil Hope and Treasury Minister Jane Kennedy.
Cabinet Office Minister Ed Miliband said:
“The enthusiasm with which social enterprise is being embraced around the country reflects the desire among many – especially young people – to be more ethical in their choices and actions. I want to see a new generation of social entrepreneurs inspired to dedicate themselves to a way of doing business that combines making money with having a significant positive impact on our communities and environment.
“Just one year on from the launch of the Government’s Social Enterprise Action Plan, I am delighted with the progress we’ve made – from getting social enterprise onto the GCSE business studies syllabus, to appointing ambassadors like The Apprentice’s Tim Campbell to champion social enterprise in classrooms and boardrooms alike.
“We are in the foothills of what the social enterprise movement can achieve, and I welcome the progress being made by departments across Government to embrace social enterprises and their capacity to profoundly change society for the better.”
Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, including social enterprise, said:
“As Minister responsible for social enterprise it is my mission to see today’s social enterprises turn into a wave of businesses which are changing lives and society while turning a profit. The Government is working to achieve that by raising awareness of what social enterprises can achieve, inspiring young people to seek a career in social enterprise and equipping them with relevant knowledge and skills, while providing better access to finance and information for the current and would-be social entrepreneurs already out there.”
Exactly one year on from the launch of the Government’s social enterprise action plan, the Cabinet Office also published today a series of ‘think pieces’ written by five leading social and business thinkers including Charles Leadbeater. The authors assess the long-term role of social enterprise in the context of ethical markets, social value innovation and employment with the aim of generating debate and ideas for future government policy.
Commission established for young entrepreneurs
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
Originally published: By Helen Warrell, Third Sector, 14 November 2007
A group of 21 young social entrepreneurs will launch a new organisation tomorrow to promote youth enterprise across the UK.
The Commission for Youth Social Enterprise will present its manifesto to Cabinet Office minister Ed Miliband in an event hosted by the Treasury. The commission’s primary aim is to harness the potential of young social entrepreneurs who are struggling to get their enterprises off the ground. The group will also explore ways to inform university students with ethical ambitions about careers in existing social enterprises. They hope to raise funds for the project by selling their consultancy services and seeking sponsorship.
The initiative is backed by the Office of the Third Sector, social enterprise support organisation UnLtd, innovation company ?What If! and the Big Lottery Fund’s entrepreneur programme The Big Boost.
“We found there was a need for research and to share the problems we face as young entrepreneurs,” said Ahmed Al-aagam, the commission’s chair and founder of the enterprise 3E Community Events. “We thought we would need an organisation with a strong research background to deliver something of magnitude that the Government and the sector would take seriously. We came up with the idea of a commission.”
Matt Kepple, another commissioner and founder of fundraising network Wahblo, was recently announced as one of the Office of the Third Sector’s 20 enterprise ambassadors. “We want to be a catalyst for young entrepreneurship and a supporter for entrepreneurs who are having difficulty,” he said. “There are lots of people out there who have the desire to have an ethical career and we want to capture that potential.”