Social Enterprise StartUp Academy Kicks Off in Brighton

Last month saw ten hopeful social entrepreneurs pitch for a place on the SEEK social enterprise start-up programme following a six day introduction to social enterprise and business development training.

The ten unemployed or economically inactive individuals from Croydon and south London presented their ideas to resolve social issues in Croydon in order to secure one of five places on the main six month intensive incubation programme.  Their ideas included setting up a mindfulness café and wellbeing centre, support services for women and single mums, drama and creative sessions for disengaged young people and ex-offenders and working with parents of both victims and perpetrators of knife crime.

Others included projects to help reduce child holiday hunger, supporting survivors of domestic abuse, an online signposting service for GPs to refer patients to other care and support services provided by the voluntary and community sector and an online portal providing opportunities for creative artists to sell their creations and pieces of art.

The five successful individuals joined other successful participants from Brighton and Chichester at the first part of the main programme in Brighton where they have been exploring how to create a test version of their services, how to budget for it, identifying who their stakeholders are, legal considerations and setting an action plan to be able to launch within the six month programme.

So watch out for future updates on the 2018 new SEEKers and how their plans develop…