Update on Futurebuilders Scotland Support Programme, July 2006

12th July 2006

Social Added Value Guide
Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm has launched Making the Case: Guide to Social Added Value. The guide was produced by Communities Scotland and the European funded EQUAL Social Economy Scotland Partnership. At its launch at The Gathering last month Malcolm Chisholm said: "This is a guide to support organisations working in the social economy to demonstrate the social added value that is intrinsic to services you deliver. Providing a recognised way to measure the positive benefits of these activities will help when seeking further and future investment."

Limited hard copies of this guide are available for free. Please contact equal[AT]scvo.org.uk. To download a copy visit www.socialeconomyscotland.info

DVD: developing, managing and working in social enterprises
Through the EQUAL Social Economy Scotland Partnership with support from Communities Scotland, Indigo Project Solutions and Kibble Education and Care Centre have produced a unique training DVD on developing, managing and working within social enterprises. The training tool showcases the experiences of successful social enterprises from across Scotland and provides practical information on how to develop a social enterprise while providing better support for our communities. The DVD also offers valuable advice from support bodies within the social economy sector and includes footage from S2S, Scotland's first social enterprise trade fair which took place in Perth in April. The DVD was part-financed by Objective 3 European Social Fund and Communities Scotland. If you would like to obtain a free copy of the DVD, please contact Rebecca[AT]indigops.com.

Senscot Exchange
The Futurebuilders Scotland support programme also funds the Senscot Exchange. A great many organisations already use the service which provides 3 levels of support to social economy organisations:
- - Web based information includes tools and templates (55 documents, from sample constitutions and marketing plans to notes on commissioning a consultant), the feedback file where Senscot's on-line community provide solutions to particular problems as well as the Directory listing social economy organisations and intermediary bodies
- - Personal response provides a response over the phone to any particular questions you might have about developing your social business
- - Active accounts provide longer, in-depth support for those organisations looking to grow

If you are looking for support to help develop your business, then the Exchange could help. It can be accessed through www.senscot.net or telephone 0131 220 4104.

Latest information on the Futurebuilders Scotland programme as well as the consultation for the social enterprise strategy for Scotland can be found on the Social Economy Unit website: http://www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webpages/cs_013301.hcsp