Making Social Enterprise work for the Borders

The aim is to celebrate social enterprise and think about how we can grasp the opportunities that exist – both now and in the longer term - so that we can to do more and better in the years ahead, individually and as a sector.

We’ll hear from a range of speakers and have some break-out sessions so that everyone takes part, plus lots of time to network over coffee and lunch.

Conference programme

9.45 Coffee and networking

10.00 Welcome to our LEADER conference – Margaret Simpson, MBE, SBSEC

10.10 Keynote address – Aileen Campbell, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government

10.30 SOSE - Helen Forsyth, South of Scotland Enterprise Board member

10.45 Open Questions – a chance to pose questions to our Panel (including our guest speakers)

11.15 Meet the Seedcorn Fund awardees

11.35 Short comfort break

11.45 Workshop – choice of workshop 1 or 2 (see below)

12.30 Lunch and networking - Lunch options will follow

1.30 The Usual Place – guest speaker(s) from this Dumfries-based award-winning organisation

1.50 Workshop – choice of workshop 3 or 4

2.30 Plenary – Moving forward – general discussion inspired by your response to today’s speakers and workshops

3.00 Finish

Please confirm via email your workshop choices to either Pamela Redpath pamela@sbsec.org.uk or dean@sbsec.org.uk.

Workshop Outlines

Morning session – choice of either Workshop 1 or Workshop 2

Workshop 1 – SOSE and social enterprise

How can we as social enterprises respond to the opportunities that South of Scotland Enterprise (SoSE) opens up for the area?

• What opportunities will it bring?
• What challenges should we as social enterprises be trying to address?
• Are there barriers that stop us making the most of these opportunities?
• What do we need from SoSE?
• What other support do we need - from SBSEC and others?

Workshop 2 – Employability and social enterprise

How can we use social enterprise to develop skills and opportunities for people who face challenges in the jobs’ market and to create meaningful jobs for them?

• What are we already doing?
• What new opportunities do we see on the horizon?
• What are the barriers that stop us doing more and/or better?
• What support do we need – from SBSEC and others?

Afternoon session – choice of either Workshop 3 or Workshop 4

Workshop 3 – Carbon reduction and social enterprise

How can social enterprises respond to the climate emergency and play a greater part in the circular economy?

• What do we currently do to actively reduce waste and improve energy efficiency?
• What do we do in terms of re-use and upcycling?
• What measures could we do now and in the future to live more lightly on the Earth?
• What are the barriers that stop us doing more and/or better?
• What support do we need – from SBSEC and others?

Workshop 4 – Collaboration and social enterprise

How can social enterprises work better, more efficiently and more cost effectively through collaboration across and beyond the Borders and the South of Scotland?

• What opportunities are there to develop social enterprise services in response to Local Authority and NHS cuts?
• What opportunities are there for collaborative/joint responses?
• How do we ensure that we are fit to seize these opportunities and able to take our place at the table?
• What are the barriers that stop us collaborating more?

• What support do we need – from SBSEC and others?

We will also have a marketplace for organisations to showcase their products and services - please contact Dean Fisher via Email: dean@sbsec.org.uk to confirm you wish to have a stall*

Stalls will be allocated on a first come first served basis and are allocated subject to availability.