Social Economy West Project is a West of England Mayoral Combined Authority initiative, led by Business West. It is designed to support Third Sector organisations, social enterprises, and co-operatives to grow and be resilient amid the cost-of-living crisis. 3SG, alongside CVS South Gloucestershire and VOSCUR in Bristol, have been delivering the project in the South West region.
The project aims to provide organisations with the resources, expertise, and guidance so you can:
Explore opportunities for growth
Effectively manage increasing demand on services
Build economic resilience and enhance environmental sustainability
Manage risk more effectively
Diversify income streams
The project started in January 2024, and since then we have been working with organisations who come from various spaces within the Third Sector. They all represent their own unique and exciting growth prospects. We have had a busy start, with 3SG providing initial 1-2-1 support to organisations, as well as designing the future of the project.
As of this quarter, we have launched a survey to help us plan for hosting demand-led workshops on specific subjects. The survey addresses identified gaps regarding social economy support in the region and reflects our approach to this programme of providing tailored support.
We have our first event coming up on June 27th at Newark Works from 5:30-7:00 pm. It is in partnership with the Bath Social Impact network. The June In-person Networking event: From Start-up to Survival; Everything you need to know about Social Economy, will explore national and local context and hear more from the experts about it. You can register for the event with the link attached here.
At 3SG we believe that the programme will help us to strengthen connections between entrepreneurs and communities. As the project goes on, we are keen to assist organisations through offering:
1-2-1 coaching and support
Demand-led themed workshops
Expert mentoring from social entrepreneurs
We will continue to update our members about our progress and soon you can access the programme details from a landing page on our website.
This programme builds upon the work 3SG has already done with the School for Social Entrepreneurs and the Bath Social Impact Network. Local organisations are looking at ways to be more sustainable, and Social Economy West is an exciting opportunity to showcase what we can do here in B&NES. We are really looking forward to assisting more local organisations and celebrating their achievements through this project.
To apply for the programme please submit your application here.
Our Project Manager, Alfiya Khan, is working on this project under the leadership of our Director, Becky Brooks. For more information and any queries, please do not hesitate to email: alfiya@3sg.org.uk.
More from us about the programme coming soon….
Note: The programme is funded by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, via the UK Government through UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The Growth Hub is led by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority to support organisations across the region.
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