This was a great story to write, so many people working together and making a real difference.
An inaugural conference to celebrate social enterprises across Shropshire has been deemed a huge success by organisers.
Over 60 people attended the event at University Centre Shrewsbury and across other locations in the county on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
Directors of community interest company (CIC) Partners for Social Enterprise Jean Jarvis MBE, who runs Fuse CIC based in Ludlow, and Nicky Kent, who runs Chirbury-based Social Heart CIC, co-hosted the event with Social Enterprise UK.
Nicky said they were delighted with the event.
“We had a huge amount of support to put on this event and all those involved did a wonderful job to ensure it ran smoothly,” she said.
“We are very grateful to everyone who donated money, time and equipment and are pleased with the feedback we received – people said it was an interesting and informative event.”
Councillors and social enterprise staff at the event
The conference was sponsored by Shropshire Council, Telford & Wrekin Council, Wellington-based Landau, Whittingham Riddell Accountants from Shrewsbury business park, Henshalls Insurance and CIC’s Social Heart, Fuse, Cedar and Wyldwoods.
Mid-Counties Cooperative supplied lunch and there were tours of CIC’s Telford’s Exotic Zoo and Recharge Telford in Brookside.
A dinner took place at The Pheasant Inn, Neenton, hosted by Peter Holbrook, CEO of Social Enterprise UK, and the final day saw guest speakers, workshops and exhibitions take place at Guildhall, a venue supplied for free by University Centre Shrewsbury.
“The extensive list of guest speakers was a big draw for a lot of those who attended,” Jean said.
“Our workshops on measuring social impact and collaborative working were very interesting too and we hope people will think about the way we can all work together more in the future.
“It certainly highlighted just how much can be done between social enterprises and private companies.”
The conference was also a way to celebrate Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin being awarded Social Enterprise Place status – a national award recognise the area as a hotspot of social enterprise.
Social Enterprises are businesses with a social or environmental mission and over the last 10 years many social enterprises which have had an impact around the country have started in Shropshire, including FUSE CIC, Social Heart CIC, Fordhall Farm in Market Drayton and Designs in Mind, based in Oswestry.
