Never getting board

The Divine Sophi, a welcome addition to any creative meeting especially as she brings the choc!

The Social Enterprise London board has always been a source of inspiration to me. From the very beginning, it has been made up of some of the country's foremost social entrepreneurs. Co-chairs Mark Sesnan of GLL and Sophi Tranchell of Divine were supporters from the start, seeing the importance of a London-based agency promoting social enterprise. Other social enterprise stars joined the party later. These are busy people with often large businesses to run and in today's economic climate no one is unaffected by recession and has time to spare for the non-essentials.

So I continue to be humbled by the active and energised support of all our stalwarts. We had such a productive meeting this week, again well attended (SEL board meetings have never come close to being inquorate) and with some really strong and creative contributions. Sophi was very generous with the chocolate, which added to our clear thinking, and my thanks to June O'Sullivan for the use of her Marsham Street LEYF nursery as a venue.

SEL is going through a period of change in that we know our job is to ramp up social enterprise development, but the reality is there is very little money out there to pay us to do what we do best. We have known for some time that we face a double, triple even quadruple whammy as central government cut 90% of the contracts they had previously deployed to support social enterprise and regional growth by shutting, among other programmes, the RDAs, business links, Government Offices and Future Jobs Fund. Local governments are coping with swinging reductions in their budgets and have similarly cut much of their economic development initiatives. Those contracts that remain on offer from government or grant funding bodies now face hysterical levels of competition due to their scarcity and most crucially social enterprises themselves have diminished resources to pay for the business support they need. Any plan to achieve sustainability through the direct payment of fees needs to ask itself some hard questions.

What we face is a perfect storm with social enterprise in general and SEL in particular being asked to do more than ever with unprecedented low levels of resource. I have always been a fan of Blue Peter but even I am not sure what I can do for social enterprises with a cereal packet, toilet roll and some sticky-back plastic.

What we do have, however, is a solid reputation for delivery, a loyal membership and a perfect board. Their combined skills, experience, commitment and enthusiasm is an extraordinary resource in itself and one I shall be deploying heavily in the months to come. I have to say that although the cuts are a real pressure point, I enjoy the entrepreneurialism the new climate has teased out. I do not subscribe to the view that only the best survive tough times as I have already seen some good social enterprises go to the wall because social value is still a concept ahead of its time, but I do think at times like these you find out what you do best and who your friends are.

Its going to be bumpy and to ride this out, our offer to our 2,600 members must to be spot on. Watch this space, we will be calling on members for feedback and welcoming all interaction. You are going to be hearing a great deal from us so please do let us know if you like, or not, what you hear.

Racing through Social Enterprise Day with men with moustaches

Latzo lorverly prizes at Livity, Brixton 

For the last few years, Social Enterprise Day has been a real celebration for our world. It's a day when a great many social enterprises make the effort to showcase some or all of what they do. At SEL, we did our bit with a Guardian-supported launch of Spin-out and deliver, our latest publication on new forms of public service providers that go it alone to focus on social value, and an open day at the SEL offices.

At the youth and media company and SEL member, Livity, CEO Sam Conniff had Super Mario in and some guy in a red hat from the Cabinet Office to announce this organisation has organised youth consultation across the UK with Nintendo. This will co-design practical ideas that will make a real and lasting difference to young people. Nintendo intends to start piloting these co-created solutions for and with young people in their own communities as soon as next year.

Over the other side of town, SEL Director June O'Sullivan of LEYF gave this year's Margaret Horn Lecture at the RSA on LEYF research that explores social franchising as a model to tackle the challenges of child poverty. Read her lecture: 'Child poverty: Why social franchising is a giant step in the right direction'.  This event was chaired by Matthew Taylor, chief executive at the RSA.

Spin-out and deliver at the Guardian

Our own Guardian event sparked some really good debate and Matthew Booth, Head of Policy at Ealing Council was fantastic. He explained what was happening at the council and his frank and enthusiastic approach was a breath of fresh air. Participants got stuck in and a good discussion followed that I really enjoyed. As ever Andrew Burnell of City Health Care Partnership was on great form. Andrew is on the board of the Transition Institute (TI) and is as good an advertisement of public sector spin-outs that believe they are the next generation of public servants as you are ever likely to get. He was sporting his Movember moustache which, while impressive in a challenging facial hair sort of way, was no match for the tash of Super Mario. (Movember is an initiative that encourages men to grow moustaches in November to highlight issues and fundraising around men's health.)

Andrew will also be speaking at the TI launch of Social value ethos, its first publication on Monday at GLL facilities in Marshall Street, Westminster. Nick Hurd, the Minister for Civil Society (as seen above and a person who started following me, @aogdennewton on Twitter yesterday), and Sir Stephen Bubb, CEO of ACEVO and TI board member, will also both be there.

Hearing about social enterprise

Back to Social Enterprise Day. I left the Guardian to race back to SEL offices where the staff had done a lovely job smartening us up for a social enterprise drop-in day. We had no idea how many would come, so were chuffed when over 50 social entrepreneurs came through our doors. Mei Hui, SEL's Senior Business Advisor, gave a presentation to over 30 of our guests and the rest met SEL staff and enjoyed some networking.

I had to break of to do a Live Guardian Q & A on, ironically the future of business support for social enterprise following the sad closure of our sister organisation RISE in the South West. During that discussion there were plenty of comments to the effect that everything we do should be paid for at the point of contact. Sitting in on Mei's presentation and listening to the comments from participants, I was struck by how much advice those new social entrepreneurs needed and how utterly unable the vast majority were able to pay for it. In this harsh new economic climate, it is hard to think those people are not our audience. After all, wasn't supporting community development through enterprise why we were set up in the first place?

When Mei, Jillian and I shut up shop at around 7.30pm, we congratulated ourselves on an excellent social enterprise day and wondered about next year: what would the world of social enterprise look like then?

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Why social value is more important than 'social enterprise'

Allison Ogden-Newton finds that social entrepreneurs are relaxed about changes to Chris White's public services bill

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• Allison Ogden-Newton
• Guardian Professional, Thursday 20 October 2011 14.20 BST
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Allison Ogden-Newton, chief executive of Social Enterprise London

If, like me, you have been referring to Chris White's public services (social enterprise and social value) bill as the social enterprise bill, after this week you will have to think of something else to call it. We now know that mention of social enterprise – that bit that many consider as the radical element of the proposed legislation – is to be removed, leaving only reference to social value, which strikes me as a touch of "don't mention the war".

I have to confess that Greg Clark, the minister for decentralisation and cities, told me in December that the government intended just such an amendment, so I was slow to realise that this was news. In truth, the bill is doing better than any of us dared hope and, as to be expected of all private member bills, it has been subject to extensive amendments – but a social enterprise bill that no longer refers to social enterprise has to be a joke, right?

To find out I spoke to June O'Sullivan of the London Early Years Foundation, an organisation that delivers early years services targeted at the most deprived families in five London boroughs. As ever, she cut to the chase. June told me, "What I want from any kind of bill is a level playing field. Local authorities are looking for the best service they can afford and while the social enterprise element of what we do interests councils, when we get feedback from successful contracts, it's all about the service we provide, nothing else."

I asked June what she would like from the legislation and she told me that anything that removed procurement barriers like a mandatory £20m turnover to tender, and added, "getting the concept of social value into their [local authority] heads wouldn't hurt".

This idea was echoed by Mark Sesnan of GLL, a company that manages 100 leisure facilities promoting community health and youth employment, making GLL probably the UK's most successful social enterprise delivering public services. Mark told me: "Having social enterprise in there was powerful, but removing it is not terminal. We welcomed the bill because it asked for government to look for more than just price in contracts. If it still does that then that's great, continuing to describe such activity as social enterprise would have been the icing on the cake."

Mark and June work closely with cuts-ravaged local authorities, which gives them a profoundly pragmatic view. Sarah Richards, director of sustainable environment and enterprise at Essex county council, told me, "We are really interested in social enterprise and its inherent social value and while we might have struggled in response to mandatory legislation, we genuinely welcome any support to our growing relationships with Essex's social enterprise community."

As for removing references to social enterprise, it is my view that as long as our community continues in its struggle to agree a definition of social enterprise, that was always going to be tricky. The impact of what we do, the difference we make to vulnerable people's lives remains the real show and, as for language, June said it best when she told me: "It's not a battle worth fighting; if we try, it will lose us the war".

Allison Ogden-Newton is chief executive of Social Enterprise London

This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. To join the social enterprise network, click here

Back to school blues, the true cost of childcare and learning to get along

I got a call this afternoon from our eldest: he had been locked out by his brother and was stranded at the back of the house. From the office I called home and demanded  a repatriation of the garden dweller. It's back to school and things are a little tetchy.

Navigating the change in temperature from holiday to school is this week's challenge in my first back-to-school without any childcare. Although the kids are really growing up and my husband is front line in the school shuttle service for our youngest, there is still a gap between the supervision necessary and an appropriate adult to provide it. But like so many working parents with teenagers, we shall have to limp on and hope for the best.

From first-hand experience I know childcare is expensive but was still shocked to hear from last week's Daycare Trust and Save the Children report that UK residents pay the highest childcare costs in the world. Restricted access to affordable, quality childcare is the single largest reason that women do not return to work after having children. The loss to the workforce of so many qualified, experienced women  must signifigantly reduce productivity, which has to be a bad thing. I know some men also give up work, but should anyone have to make that choice? Which is not a choice at all if it is done as a matter of necessity.

SEL board member June O'Sullivan, CEO at LEYF, the London Early Years Foundation, was everywhere in the media last week, discussing the report. June is one of the country's experts in early years' provision and the effects of restricted access to childcare and she spoke so well about the need to create affordable childcare and support more families through the early years. Once again, a social enterprise leading the way! June told me that LEYF had also been in the news this week when a visit by the then PM Gordon Brown and Chancellor Alistair Darling (another two boys who struggle to get along) to a LEYF nursery was the footage used to cover the Darling diary book launch. June has since had a visit from David Cameron, I wonder what the children make of it all?

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.

Schools run as social enterprises? Its not rhubarb you know

My first day back to the office yesterday after Japan and Cornwall, and I was hit by a wall of activity.  The SEL, 'Social enterprise: A brighter future future for schools?' conference on Thursday seems unbelievably well timed.  So much so, that as things stand, I have been lined up on the day for interviews with BBC Breakfast News and Women's Hour.

Following the launch of the Labour manifesto yesterday and the Conservatives today, everyone is talking about communities and social entrepreneurs running public services. The Tory manifesto even includes the following: "Our public service reform programme will enable social enterprises, charities and voluntary groups to play a leading role in delivering public services and tackling deep-rooted social problems." This will be the first time a major conference about that very issue, in the context of education, has been held in public. Those speaking include exemplary educationalists like Sir Michael Wilshaw, Principal of Mossbourne Academy in Hackney, who has shown how schools can excel under the Academy model, and others like Neil McIntosh CEO of fellow social enterprise CfBT Education Trust who are keen to promote the model of social enterprise, to ensure the sustainability of education projects. I can't wait, should be fascinating.

The bottom line for me is that we know there is an appetite for social enterprises like the Parent Promoted Foundation to take over running their local schools where existing management has failed to get a grip. I will not be distracted by the old slurs, that its only pushy middleclass parents wanting to take over everything, or its business trying to come in through the back door. Rubbish.

We have worked closely with some of the leading innovators in this field like Carmel McConnell from Magic Breakfast, June O'Sullivan at London Early Years Foundation and Paul Mason at PPF and we know there are highly qualified people in the wings, desperate to role up their sleeves and get stuck in to sort the intractable problems faced by families in London trying to make their way through the system. They just need an opportunity.

I hope you are enjoying the sun as much as I am. As I love being outside I was in the garden on Saturday and allotment on Sunday. The garden is looking quite good, my roses seem to be bouncing back from the hard winter well, although green fly is aready in evidence! But I also appear to have lost a couple of clematis.  At the allotment my forced rhubarb is nothing short of spectacular.  The colours of the stalks when they emerged from their dark hidding place is almost unearthly, and the taste is a delight. Subtle and not at all tart as my allotment neighbour Ben said in his text to me on Sunday having enjoyed the stalks I gave him.

                                                    Sam with this years stunning rhubarb

I promised an update on the decorating. I managed, with the help of my friend Sarah to finish the hall stairs and landings before setting off to Japan. 2 coats, 3 ceilings, 4lbs of body weight (who needs the gym?), 9 doors, 30 litres of paint and 72 stair spindles later it looks like this......

               The before shot, darker despite
                       the lighter walls I think

And now for the lesson

The last session at the Tory Summit hosted by Acevo is all about education and childrens services. We have heard from Clare Tickell arguing against cuts which will cause a "spike in social chaos", Neil McIntosh on the need for innovation in schools and now Nick Gibb Shadow Minister for schools and Maria Miller Shadow Minister for Families. Maria has outlined the Tories absolute commitment to Sure Start whereas Nick talked about how we needed to address education failure rates in the most deprived families. Sadly no mention of social enterprise, or really even the Third Sector.

I have tweeted the question, Should social enterprises be able to run state funded schools? Which as I blog is hanging on a screen over the panels heads. Let's hope our excellent question master Simon Fanshaw gets a response on that. The exacting and highly engaging social entrepreneur June O'Sullivan has now waded in. She finds the system of early years a shambles that needs fixing if anyone can succeed in taking on the PCTs. Nick Gibb has responded that today the Tories are releasing an application to those interested in running schools as independent providers. That makes our conference on social enterprise and education on April 15, run in partnership with CfBT Education Trust seem well timed. Finally a debate on parent run schools. Simon poses, 'how can we avoid parents from disadvantaged families being excluded? In response Nick Gibb refers to the Schools Admission Charter and how the Tories will simpilfy it.

Condoms and chocolate

Last night was ‘Vote Social Enterprise 2010’ (as well as our AGM), and quite a night it was. We held it at the lovely SEL members, Coin Street Community Builders landmark neighbourhood centre on the Southbank. To illustrate how diverse social enterprise is, and to get the evening off with a bang, so to speak, we handed everyone social enterprise condoms from One and some yummy Divine chocolate.

Being SEL’s first public intervention in the build up to the general election, we had managed to persuade Third Sector Minister Angela Smith and her Lib Dem and Tory shadows Jenny Willott and Nick Hurd to share a platform with myself and the magnificent June O’Sullivan of London Early Years Foundation. The aim was to get a bit of meat onto the three party’s plans for social enterprise.

With Third Sector Minister Angela Smith yesterday evening 

Angela kicked off by saying that government should “lead by example in buying from and working with social enterprises”. Music to the ears of the massed social entrepreneurs in the audience. She also exclusively revealed that a regular meeting of Cabinet Ministers examining the barriers to third sector organisations accessing contracts is “soon to be established”. She also said she’d have to shoot anyone who mentioned it outside the room – do you think that includes you?

I liked Nick's opening comments as he held up his packet of condoms and chocolate bar and wondered out loud whether he had to put them in the House of Commons Gifts Register? It got the best laugh of the evening.

One headline was the assurance from all three that the Office of the Third Sector will remain – something which will no doubt be met with sighs of relief from OTS staffers, and those of us who acknowledge how strong a contribution the OTS has made to social enterprise development not least in funding the Coalition's Social Enterprise Ambassadors Program and supporting our award winning work on Winning with social enterprise at 2012.

I was particulalry over the moon when Loona Hazarika from Silverback Works asked our panel what they were planning to do to safeguard the future of vital support organisations like SEL if Regional Development Agencies are to be threatened. All the candidates responded really positively culminating in Nick Hurd going so far as to say he, for one "would not like to tell Allison she isn't getting her money", sensible chap.

John Charles of Catering2Order, who I’m delighted to say has just been elected to the SEL board, provoked thoughtful responses to his excellent question on the potential of a social enterprise hub at the 2012 Games. Angela said she would raise it with Tessa Jowell, the Olympic Minister and Nick made clear that it was something that he would raise with Boris – watch this space.

Jenny made an important point on the Lib Dems policy of promoting community land trusts and offering disused public sector space to social enterprises at peppercorn rent – sure to go down well with our sylish hosts at Coin Street and over at the Development Trust Association.

Dai Powell of HCT Group mentioned the elephant in the room, with a question on plans to extend the right to request to all public services. This was particularly pertinent as the Government's own Competition Panel, set up to look at the Department of Health's u-turn on this, was itself banjaxed that very afternoon. In the light of which we got some interesting responses, particularly from Angela, who told us that Labour would examine the case to "expand the right to request, but we need to invest in the process and make sure that the private sector doesn’t just move in” and from Nick, who positively blasted Andy Burnham for "turning his back" on the policy – Tories, he said, are right behind the right to request “in principle, as we want to inspire people“. He even hinted that Mr Burnam's position on right to request was possibly, a potential leadership gambit. A thrilling moment, when the gloves came off.

June, who’s comments were nothing short of a tour-de-force, pressed harder on right to request. Looking for firmer commitments, she spoke on behalf of the room when she said, pointedly staring at our Minister, that she was not satisfied that either her question or Dai's had been answered. We didn't get any more but safe to say, the point had been made.

The whole thing was communicated through Twitter (which even a couple of years ago would have been unthinkable), under the tag #VoteSocEnt10. There were some strong contributions on there from the room, especially from Cliff Prior of UnLtd, who also asked a great question on engaging and supporting entrepreneurs.

All in we were delighted with the whole night, lovely comments from members – many of whom stayed with us to do justice to the wine. One of the things I love about social entrepreneurs is their enthusiasm for the big picture, they are, all in all, a very well informed lot. The room was animated as people talked into the night about what they had heard and who they would vote for. Roll on the election.

For full details have a look at David Ainsworth's quick off the mark piece in Third Sector this morning, and Chrisanthi Giotis's lovely article in Social Enterprise Magazine this afternoon.