Wednesday 21st March 2012, Congress Centre, London
UnLtd recently held a dynamic and inspiring national conference in London looking at both the role of older social entrepreneurs and social ventures that address ageing issues. Many award winning ventures from across the UK were showcased, tackling a broad spectrum of ageing issues, from health & social care to intergenerational projects and reducing isolation.
Representatives of government departments, funders and age sector organisations came together with social entrepreneurs to debate the potential these ventures offer and ways of cross working. We heard some fantastic examples of ventures who are taking innovative approaches and making a real impact in communities. However it became apparent that more needs to be done to raise awareness of social ventures in this space to make it more mainstream. Cultural and attitude change was needed from wider society to be accepting of the potential of older social entrepreneurs. Equally, becoming more visible to both politics and big business was seen as crucial. Just as social entrepreneurs offer new ideas and efficiencies, established organisations have tried and tested learning to share. Partnerships and collaboration are critical to taking the work of social entrepreneurs to the next level.
To be kept informed about UnLtd’s work in this area please click here
To access case studies of some of the social ventures showcased at the conference, please click here
To see the programme for the event click here
Wednesday 21st March 2012, Congress Centre, Central London
Many negative issues gain prominence as our society ages – social, physical and economic challenges experienced by older people are compounded by a fragmented support sector and austere economic outlook. However, many positive opportunities exist. Social entrepreneurship can offer a vehicle for making real differences in the lives of older people and be a source of both innovation and empowerment.
We are holding a conference to discuss how the many different organisations operating in the age economy can work effectively with social entrepreneurs to nurture new solutions to ageing issues.
We very much hope you are able to participate in the event and show support for individuals who have the drive, ambition and belief to transform the world in which they live.
Click here for the full programme and to register.
UnLtd has launched the fourth paper in our Finding Series, which focuses on our learning from social entrepreneurs aged 50 and over. Having worked with nearly a 1,000 social entrepreneurs over 50, we have found a wealth of untapped potential offered by this age group.
Our findings show the personal benefit experienced by the social entrepreneur themselves, as well as the social and economic impact their ventures create.
Read the full report here: Golden Opportunities - Social Entrepreneurs in an Ageing Society
Further to the survey we undertook amongst our Award Winners relating to the riots, we held a private roundtable on Tuesday 13th September with some of these proactive individuals, alongside key policy makers and supporters, to hear first hand how people leading social and community ventures in the most disadvantaged areas contribute to building stronger, more cohesive communities.
The roundtable also gave opportunity to discuss potential solutions with those working at the grassroots.
You can read the roundtable report here UnLtd Riots Roundtable Report
You can also listen to a podcast which was recorded after the roundtable with three UnLtd Award Winners, and UnLtd CEO Cliff Prior, by clicking here
The recent UK riots brought the problems faced in many UK communities to the attention of policy makers, the press and the public. At UnLtd we think social entrepreneurs are an important part of the solution to these problems, and as the government considers its response to the riots, we want to make sure social entrepreneurs' voices are heard.
We sent a short survey out to UnLtd Award Winners on 10 August. This showed that they are already working to get communities back on their feet after the riots. They’ve also got lots of ideas about how to work with communities so that the underlying causes of the riots can be tackled.
You can read the findings at the following link Social Entrepreneurs Response to the UK Riots
UnLtd has launched its annual survey findings of early stage social entrepreneurs, which found that these social entrepreneurs are achieving more impact and growth despite the adverse economic and public spending conditions.
You can read the findings report here
We are pleased to present the launch of our research publication into Social Entrepreneurship and the impact on the Higher Education sector and those individuals who received funding.
The research findings, launched at the conference, establish the scope, value and key ingredients for success for social venture creation amongst staff and students. The Report titled 'Unlocking the potential of Social Entrepreneurship in Higher Education' includes recommendations and key practical steps for success informing policy and effective practice across the HE sector.
To download a copy of the report click here
Deborah is passionate about holistic caring and has brought many years of experience to Alabaster Care, a Social Enterprise Community Interest Company that aims to provide a person centred and family oriented service for people living with dementia in the Birmingham area.
As a young girl Deborah witnessed her grandmother’s experience of living with dementia in an institutionalised environment. More recently, Deborah provided live-in support for an elderly friend with the condition. These vastly different encounters brought to light the particular needs and problems of caring for those with dementia: quality care requires a high ratio of staff to residents and can quickly run into budgetary constraints.
Alabaster Care intends to overcome this problem by training volunteers to live-in as carers for people with dementia and in doing so creating a community united by a sense of family with a seamless blend of volunteer and professional staffing. The ultimate aim is to develop a continuity of care from diagnosis to dying through a range of services: befriending; domiciliary care; support and training for family and friends; day care; respite care and full residential care.
The award of £2,800 from UnLtd will allow Deborah to offer a drop-in service for people with dementia. In addition the award has provided Alabaster Care with branding and specialist resources, whilst the recognition that Deborah has received from the UnLtd award has facilitated access to professional support for the project. More recently Deborah has been conducting 'church' services in care homes with liturgy appropriate to the needs of those with dementia; these services have been well received and are a promising sign of the continuing success of the project.
Thank you to all respondents for taking the time to complete the survey!
