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| SUSTAINABLE
FUNDING ADVICE FOR SECTOR BECOMING VITAL |
05/08/03 |
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Generating income and becoming less reliant on grants and donations is crucial
to the success of social enterprises, delegates at a recent seminar were
told.
Held by Business Link Hertfordshire, the "Income Generation for Social
Enterprises" event outlined the commercial opportunities available
to the voluntary sector, and urged groups to develop sustainable income
streams.
Many representatives of social enterprises attending the event admitted
the thought of entering the world of commerce was daunting. But the alternative
of surviving on grants and funding was equally unnerving, equating to an
uncertain existence and worries about the future.
The half-day event was attended by over 40 local organisations belonging
to the social and voluntary sector, and featured three expert speakers.
Jackie Sully from Rainbow Services in Essex spoke about the importance of
sustainability and the ethics of trading, emphasising that earning an income
from commercial activity did not necessarily mean sacrificing social ideals.
John Pepin, a consultant with 15 years experience of heading various charities,
then explained how charities and social enterprises could exploit their
assets to earn additional income, and the final speaker was Sue Cooper of
Triodos Bank, which specialises in the provision of banking facilities for
social enterprises.
Helen Marini, Business Link Hertfordshire's new social enterprise adviser,
said: "This sector has traditionally relied on grants and donations to operate.
There is however another option and that is to operate commercially.
"Over the last few months, I have spoken to many social enterprises about
the issues they face and this seems to be the biggest. They often lack the
experience that would be freely available within a commercial organisation
and are unsure where to go to get the help that they need.
"This is why we decided to hold this event and give some of those people
access to experts and the environment to share their experiences with others
in a similar position."
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