Transitions - is just the job

Last night we launched our public sector route map to social enterprise called 'Transitions'. We did the deed at London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), a leading childcare social enterprise and the deed was done by Sir Steve Bullock Mayor of Lewisham and Derek Myers CEO at Kensington and Chelsea.
I knew that both men supported the idea of social enterprise as i had spoken to them about it, but I was delighted at how positive they were.  In the maelstrom of cuts they held out the hope, that I wholeheartedly agree with, that social enterprise is a good idea with a lot going for it. Derek said he spent most of his working day talking about reducing things and cutting them, he went on to say that if he could spend only 1 per cent of his day talking about building something or growing it, that would be a very good thing.  He pointed to social enterprise in his borough as the place he expected to have those conversations.

Steve similarly was alive to the difficulties Lewisham faced but told us that he had already been knobbled by a member of his staff who knew he was speaking at our event, who had a really exciting idea, he too thought this was real progress.

When I spoke I warned that this is not for everyone, that it is diffcult, but for the small minority of folk with passion for public service and an entrepreneurial zeal, like the inspirational ceo at LEYF, June O'Sullivan who talked of costs saved and standards raised, it is just the job.

I was delighted with the evening and Transitions, both of which mark a step forward for us and the debate on the role of social enterprise in public service delivery.

Twitter, tweets and chickens

As I hinted in previous blogs, I intend to introduce some life changes. Although I love every bit of my life (well most of it), the tension between giving the rapidly expanding world of social enterprise the dedication it needs and being there for my brood (and I can see the irony there) means that something has to give. The first victims of this rationalisation have been our chickens (Seen above). This weekend we said good bye to our feathered friends. Protests have been vocal, particularly from third born, animal lover extraordinaire. However the dear old chooks needed heaps of care, several times a day and a big clean at the weekend which never quite liberated my garden from the inevitable emblems of good luck. So when we were offered a foster farm in Northamptonshire who collects rare breeds (Our ladies were a class act), we jumped at the chance. Frankly I am relieved, they were lovely and the eggs were great but even jobs that only take a few minutes a day, like calories, add up in a bad way.
Maintaining the feathered theme I want to speak out in support of Twitter. I am no dab hand at technology, as anyone who knows me will confirm, usually with a snort, but I think Twitter it great. It is fresh, uncensored, informative and absolutely genuine dialogue. Through Twitter I have a sense of what is going on in the social enterprise world Globally, and it’s all done without taking itself too seriously. Those who use it well do so with tongue in cheek, you can spot those who do it as duty because it’s all information with no attitude.

I know it’s not for everyone but I think Twitter and social networking is a very important part of the future of our movement. Association and the freedom to form collective opinions and share views has always been our rock bed, but now you don’t need to be part of the in-crowd to get in. All that I find out I share and there are plenty of others like me. Between us all momentum grows very quickly and we can not only generate interest but also distribute information and create actual non virtual interaction. People log on and then turn up. As example would be our Transition’s document that is going to be launched tonight. Through Twitter people have found out about both the launch and the piece itself. They have been able to express their views, unedited and join in a conversation about the opportunities and threats of social enterprises entering the public sector outsourcing debate en mass. Our venue tonight for the launch is the wonderful social enterprise, the London Early Years Foundation in Westminster which, like all venues, has limited space. The event itself is hopelessly oversubscribed which is not surprising as we have Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham and Derek Myers, CEO at Kensington and Chelsea giving us a cross party launch. Social enterprise has the unique ability to operate across party politics. Twitter has the unique ability to allow anyone, be they in Wapping or Waikiki to join in. Needless to say Matt will be Twittering for SEL (SocEntLdn) and Dom (DomPotter) and I (aogdennewton) will be Twittering up a storm on our own accounts, so one way or the other see you all there!

Transition avoiding the North face

On Friday SEL's new publication Transitions became available on line. It has already been downloaded several thousand times, a number that should increase as the document is now listed by the National Audit Office. We are waiting to see which public bodies will distribute it to their staff and what comes from those conversations. For me it is a fascinating process and interestingly one that would have been unthinkable without the imperative for change we're now faced with. I hope to be able to take part in some of those deliberations.

Transitions launches next Tuesday evening at London Early Years Foundation HQ in Westminster. With keynote speeches from Sir Steve Bullock (Mayor of Lewisham), Derek Myers (CEO of Kensington & Chelsea Council) and June O'Sullivan (LEYF CEO), it should be an absorbing evening - book your place here, there are still a couple left.

By producing Transitions, it’s associated training programme and creating the Transition Institute, a forum of experts to provide the strategic thinking behind an ideal social value program, SEL are doing their bit to make sure change means change for the better. My job is to keep my eye on the horizon and make sure that our advice is sensible, articulate and constructive without slipping into group hug rhetoric or alientating the very people upon whom the success of this process depends.

The principles for social enterprise remain the same - it's inspiring but complex, it can deliver so much but only if everyone involved in the process understands what it’s about and someone, somewhere has to be prepared to make an investment, so the idea has to be a good one.

Yesterday I met with yet another local authority CEO to talk about social enterprise and the remodelling of public service delivery and then went on to participate in Lambeth Council’s ongoing dialogue around becoming a cooperative council. I am one of the participating commissioners and have found the process absolutely fascinating. Yesterday we met Barry Quirk CEO at Lewisham Council and author of the landmark Quirk Review, and Ben Page, CEO of Ipsos MORI and pollster extraordinaire. Frankly I could have listened to them both all day, gripping stuff. Fellow commissioner, Richard Bridge of Waterloo Community Coalition, with only a partial tongue in cheek wondered if once our final report has been submitted, whether we would be able to apply for a masters degree at the end of all of this, given the quality of the presentations and discussions, which have been superb and absolutely of the moment.

The debate is on defining the nature of ‘community’, scoping the appetite for engagement and setting the agenda for change. I salute Lambeth’s approach to this issue and I have to say the programme they have outlined for themselves shows real vision. Barry and Ben (there's a joke there somewhere) gave considered, and highly informed views on the issues. The discussions themselves are subject to Chatham House rules but the gist of prioritising function over form and social engagement run throughout. Ben’s stats were really thought provoking as was his deadpan delivery on what separates opinions, attitudes and values. He told the group that people changed their opinions quite frequently, but their attitudes were more entrenched and as for values, those are the foundations upon which people build their lives, and are for the most part fixed. So are we hoping to change people’s opinions, attitudes or values? The latter being an attempt to take the summit by the North face.

But that's the point isn’t it? Those of us that advocate community based business models are trying to engage people’s values and sometimes change their opinions, at least if they think that social value and profit are oil and water. We know that they can work for mutual benefit, and I for one am looking forward to showing people how.

You don't always grit what you want...

...so said Boris Johnson at the Lord Mayor's Dinner for London Government tonight. As our keynote speaker the Mayor (not to be confused with our host, the Lord Mayor) did not disappoint. He commended the 300 or so of us who had made it there, a testimony, he said to London's local authorities keeping roads open, and sharing their limited grit supplies with one another.

He went on to bemoan political name calling, the national shortage of grit and the nay sayers to his bike scheme.   All to the hilarity of the diners. Even Nicky Gavron, former Deputy Mayor broke the occassional smile. Nicky told me later that she was really interested in social enterprise and wanted us to begin an ongoing discussion on how to promote enviromentalism in particular. Reflecting on the speeches with Derek Myers, CEO at Kensington and Chelsea, James Cleverly at the GLA, John O'Brien at London Councils and Robert Gordon Clark, pundit extrodinaire and MD of the London Communications Agency, we all agreed it was a good address and impossible to follow as Merrick Cockell, Leader of K&C and Chair of London Councils, had to. Nonetheless Merrick's task was carried out with aplomb. To be honest I enjoy listening to people talking passionately and proudly about putting London first.

I thanked Boris, who seemed surprised that I enjoyed his address which he said he finished as he ate his meal, and my delightful dinner companions, William Hunt, a heraldic expert who has had at least four careers as far as I could tell,  Nigel Challis from KPMG who was chuffed to hear that they are already working with SEL and Peter Thackway from GLE who I hope to work with this year. Such is the disparity between men and women at this dinner that I was flanked by six men!

Me in my frock

All in all, worth the effort, which incidentally is so much greater than men have to make. Hours of hair, frock and bra stress (who knew there was such a thing as a bra stretcher/truss, that pulls the straps down to enable the wearing of a backless dress!?). I particularly enjoyed the furious post dinner speculation about the election. Too close to call according to most that I spoke too, even Robert Gordon Clark who knows more about London and the people who make it tick than anyone I know, said he had never looked at an election harder to call.

2010 is going to be tough but interesting. We will be awash with politics and I hope a raw demand for enviromental and social solutions that oustrip the rather hesitant toe-dipping we have seen so far. Certainly if the number of people who wanted to talk in greater depth with me about social enterprise at tonight's event is anything to go by, 2010 is going to be a New Year for new solutions.

I hope you had a good New Year. I certainly did, enjoyed a wonderful dinner at my oldest and dearest friend Clare's neighbour's home in Cambridge where 22 people sat down to a fabulous meal, great conversation and the most intensely organised review of the decade I have participated in to date. The collective view was hard to consolidate as the experience of an academic, psychiatrist or lawyer differ significantly, but I was impressed with the effort in not only putting a great meal in front of so many, but also the emphasis on the expression of views, entertainment and the ancient art of conversation. Thanks to Tina and Steve, our hosts, and here's to all of us who want to make 2010 the year things get better for the many and not just a few. I hope we all grit what we want!