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Home > Past Conferences & Papers > 2004 Annual Conference

7.30pm Conference Dinner and networking.

Programme Tuesday 14th September

9.00-9.30 Arrival, Registration and coffee for day delegates.

9.30-9.35 Welcome from Dr Bob Grove Chair of Social Firms UK.

9.35-10.05 How One NorthEast is Embracing Social Firm Development Guy Turnball from Economic Partnerships Ltd describes the support mechanisms that exist in the region for social firm development and the ways in which delivery of these measures have been achieved through partnership. View the presentation.

10.05-10.35 Showcasing the NE Social Firm Sector Andy Cox from Economic Partnerships Ltd outlines the progress and developments within the region for the sector. View the presentation.

10.35-11.10 Coffee

11.10-12.00 Business Opportunities for Social Firms Gerry Higgins, Business Development Director at Social Firms UK, explains the background to the sector’s development and the current change in business focus; to include the franchising, replication and procurement opportunities for social firms presented within the Phoenix funded ‘Flagship Firms and Enterprises’ programme. View the presentation.

12.00-12.25 The Potential for Social Franchising Donald Findlay from Community Action Network (CAN) shares success stories of social enterprise replication and gives details of the social franchising programme.

12.25-12.40 Practical Procurement - Securing Contracts and Service Level Agreements Kevin Robbie from Forth Sector describes how social firms can take the current momentum around the procurement agenda and translate it into practical activity within their enterprise. View the presentation.

12.40-1.00 Question Time

1.00-.15 Lunch

2.15-3.45 Workshops

Workshop A - DIY Feasibility
Andy Cox, regional co-ordinator Social Firms North East presents a new SFUK resource for organisations with a business idea.
Some Notes on This Workshop
Andy’s Presentation Slides

Workshop B - Raising the Bar on Training Standards for Social Enterprise
Heather Squires, from the Social Enterprise Partnership, and a colleague from SFEDI discuss the introduction of National Occupational Standards for advisers and managers in the social enterprise sector. What difference will these make to the sector? Are there any other relevant plans?
Heather’s Presentation Slides

3.45-4.00 Social Security Benefits: the impact of recent and future system changes for social firms. Judy Scott, Mental Health Consultant on Disability Benefits and Employment, updates the sector on recent and pertinent developments. Judy’s Presentation Slides

4.20-4.40 Futurebuilders: what could it do for the social firm sector? Malcolm Hayday, Chief Executive of Charity Bank.

4.40-4.50 Business Support Register: how to get specialist help when you need it. Gerold Schwarz, Programme Director, Social Enterprise Partnership.

4.50-5.00 Social Accounting: what tools have the Social Enterprise Partnership been working on that might help to raise standards in social firms? Richard Murray, New Economics Foundation.
Richard’s Presentation Slides

5.00-6.30 Workshops

Workshop 1 - Replicating Social Enterprises
Donald Findlay, of CAN follows up his plenary with success stories of Social Enterprise and details of the Beanstalk Social Franchising Programme (only available in England).
Donald’s Presentation Slides

Workshop 2 - How to Get the Best Out of Your Consultant
Dorothy Childs, Business Link Northumberland and Linda Henshall of Rascals look with Guy Turnball at the proven formula for success in working with consultants for your business support.
Some Notes Taken From This Workshop

Workshop 3 -Benefits and National Minimum Wage Legislation.
Judy Scott and Andy Billings ask: What are the practical implications of recent benefit changes? Should we expect further change? In what ways should social firms be adjusting their behaviour? From the plenary this workshop goes into more detail and will discuss individual issues where people are prepared to share these with the group.
Judy’s Presentation Slides
Some Notes on This Workshop

6.30 Break

7.30 Dinner and Networking

Programme Wednesday 15th September

Chair - Guy Turnbull

9.00-9.30 Be Inspired: Entrepreneurship - Some Food for Thought David Hall will provoke us to think outside the box about business, what it is and how it comes about. With vast personal experience of setting up in business himself, David will share some gems on pitfalls to avoid and opportunities to grasp. David’s Presentation Slides

9.30-10.00 Legal Structures for Social Firms Geof Cox, Economic Partnerships Ltd., examines the implications for new and existing Social Firms arising from the development of Community Interest Companies and other current changes to company and charity law, and outlines the current SFUK - Co-operative Action research into legal/financial structures for Social Firms.

10.00-10.20 Development Trusts and Social Firms Steve Wyler, Director of the Development Trusts Association, (DTA): tackling social and community enterprise together. Steve’s Presentation Slides

10.20-10.40 Question Time

10.40-11.10 Coffee

11.10-12.10 WORKSHOPS OR MEET THE FUNDERS

Workshop I - Social Accounting Tools for the Social Firm Sector
Lisa Sanfilippo from NEF, Sally Reynolds from Social Firms UK and John Bennett from Pack-IT will introduce the concept of a performance measurement tool for social firms based on the balanced scorecard. Delegates will be consulted and involved in an exercise to help progress the tool in these early stages.
Some Notes on This Workshop

Workshop II - Market Intelligence
Gerold Schwarz: using market data to predict trends and growth sectors before they peak.
Some Notes on This Workshop

Workshop III –Recruitment
Kevin Robbie and Chris Scott from Forth Sector discuss how to achieve a good staff balance within a social firm and constructing the basis for enterprise success.
Chris’ Presentation Slides

Meet the Funders

12.10-12.30 Working in Partnership With Housing Associations Kehri Douglass, Head of Social Investment at Sunderland Housing Group, outlines possibilities for local partnerships between social firms and housing associations. Kehri’s Presentation Slides

12.20-12.45 Chairman’s closing remarks

12.45 Lunch and Conference end