RenSEN Newsletter - 23 July

RenSEN Network
Social Enterprise News
RenSEN Spotlight...Funding Support
Dates for your diary

Support and Training
Social Enterprise Learning
Online Resources

Social Enterprise News

• Are you an aspiring social entrepreneur? – Book now for this Firstport information session designed to provide an insight into Firstport funding.  The webinar is taking place on 30 July (12:00 noon).  Booking is required – here’s the link
• Do you want to prove your social impact? Tell the story the difference your organisation makes? Collect data that’s actually useful? Then, you’ll want to book onto this Just Enterprise course: Measuring Social Impact.  The programme is fully funded so there’s no charge to participants.  Click on the link to find out more.
• Evening webinars (for real!) - Just Enterprise is running an evening webinar on Strategic Planning for Social Enterprises (24 September / 6pm-7:30pm).  Click on the link to find out more.
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Practice - Just Enterprise is seeking applications from senior managers and leaders of social enterprises to join a free online cohort-based programme which aims to ‘build awareness, confidence, knowledge, curiosity and peer support in EDI practice’.  Once selected, the cohort will participate in four online webinars to develop EDI plans for their organisation.  Click on the link to find out more.
• Anyone looking for Board Members? - Just Enterprise is running this free webinar on 19 November – Recruiting New Board Members. Click on link to find out more.
• Funding for business growth – This Just Enterprise webinar is taking place on 18 March 2025.  Book now to avoid disappointment!

RenSEN Spotlight - Funding

In June, RenSEN members highlighted their current training needs.  In response, we’ve pulled together support available to help with those big funding applications…

One to One Support – Funding Officers, Kam Kaur (Invest in Renfrewshire Communities Team / Renfrewshire Council) and Jane Hamilton (Engage Renfrewshire) are available to meet with organisations on a one-to-one basis to discuss funding needs.  Support includes:

• feedback on draft grant applications prior to submission
• help to identify relevant sources of grant funding
• ‘How to’ sessions designed to ‘coach’ you through completing a funding application. 

Recent examples of grants secured through this support include:

• A multiannual grant over £100k to cover costs including new staff posts
• £98k to help an organisation to scale-up its community-led activities.

NB - For one-to-one support with large funding applications, organisations should allow sufficient time to collate necessary data and process feedback prior to submission. This is best practice as large grants require detailed evidence of need (i.e. consultations, surveys etc.) which will strengthen the application.

E-alerts and e-bulletins – Both Kam and Jane issue regular funding e-bulletins and e-alerts on current funding opportunities.  To subscribe to these e-bulletins contact info@engagerenfrewshire.com / Econdev.community@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Social Media – Remember to follow our social media channels for funding updates too (@IRcommunities / IR Communities Facebook / Engage Renfrewshire Facebook)

Meet the Funder / Funding Fayres – Engage regularly host Meet-the-Funder events as well as Renfrewshire’s annual Funding Fayre.  Check the Engage Renfrewshire Calendar for upcoming dates or contact Jane Hamilton (see hyperlink above)

Other sources of funding information / support include: 

• Funding Scotland – a database of current funding opportunities.  Not sure how to use the database, then watch this video
• Guide to finding funding – This SCVO webpage has links to a range of online funding guides, tools and resources
• GCVS – has a series of video quick guides on developing your fundraising plan and applying for grants
• SCVO – Deliver webinars on range of topics related to fundraising.  To find out more visit the SCVO events page here.
• School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) – Regularly deliver online webinars to develop skills in writing funding applications (fees apply)
• Chartered Institute of Fundraising (COIF) – Membership of COIF is free if you’re a smaller charity or voluntary organisation with income below £50k.  Membership provides you with access to free training, resources, networking and support.

Dates for your diary 

• 26 July – 04 August – Love Parks 2024 is a week long celebration to highlight ‘the vital role green spaces play in boosting the health and wellbeing of residents and communities’.  Click on the link to find out how you can participate and request a resource pack.
• 28 August.  Consortium model for bidding for bigger contracts – ‘Collaborating with other businesses can bring a number of benefits…a consortium cooperative is one of the options open to businesses considering collaboration’. Information session delivered by Cooperative Development Scotland.
• 29 August – RenSEN In-person Network meeting commencing at 6:30pm (till 8:30pm) Venue TBC.
• 29 September – 01 October 2024 Heritage Trust Network Conference (Dunfermline) ‘a relaxed and friendly mix of inspirational speakers, lively discussions and fascinating tours and visits to historic sites and community projects locally’.
• 04 / 05 October – Community Woodlands Association (CWA) Conference in Merkinch Community Centre, Inverness.
• 18 – 22 November – Co-production Week Scotland sharing ideas, learning and stories about how co-production put people and communities at the heart of support and services.

Social Enterprise Learning Webinars (for social enterprises at all stages)

Enhancing Digital Skills
29 July – How to build a digital marketing plan (online / Business Gateway)
30 July – Social media essentials: Instagram (online / Business Gateway)
01 August – Introduction to business websites (online / Business Gateway)
15 August – AI for your social enterprise (online / Just Enterprise)
22 August – Digital Marketing (online / Just Enterprise)
27 August – Social media essentials: Facebook (online / Business Gateway)
29 August – How to build a digital marketing plan (online / Business Gateway)
02 September – How to plan and schedule your online content (online / Business Gateway)
03 September – AI for small business (online / Business Gateway)
05 September – Effective use of social media (online / Business Gateway)
16 September – How to build a digital marketing plan (online / Business Gateway)
16 September – Social media essentials: Facebook (online / Business Gateway)
19 September – Effective use of PR (online / Business Gateway)
02 October – How Trustees can improve their organisation’s cyber resilience (online / SCVO)
31 October – AI for your social enterprise (online / Just Enterprise)
26 November – Digital Marketing (online / Just Enterprise)
13 February 2025 – Digital Marketing (online / Just Enterprise)

 
Governance & Leadership
26 July – An introduction to business strategy (online / Business Gateway)
15 August – Agile Management: How to incremental tests can lead to big impact (online / SCVO)
22 August – How to identify and learn from mistakes (online / SCVO)
02 September – Roles and responsibilities of Directors and Trustees (online / Just Enterprise)
17 September – Aspiring or New Leaders (in-person / Just Enterprise)
24 September EVENING Strategic Planning for Social Enterprises (online 6pm-7:30pm / Just Enterprise) 
Commencing 26 September – CEOs (online / Just Enterprise) Fees apply
Commencing 26 September – Senior Leaders (online / Just Enterprise)
03 October – Guide to good governance.  Defining strategy, culture and values (online / SCVO) Fees apply
10 October – Guide to good governance.  Board and staff relationships (online / SCVO) Fees apply
29 October – Annual accounting, governance and reporting (online / SCVO) Fees apply
12 November – Social Media Fundamentals (online / SCVO) Fees apply
19 November – Recruiting New Board Members (online / Just Enterprise)
17 December Strategic Planning for Social Enterprises (online / Just Enterprise) 
16 January 2025 – Aspiring or New Leaders (in-person / Just Enterprise)
27 January 2025 – Developing a coaching approach to leadership (online / Just Enterprise)


Social Enterprise Essentials
25 July – Bookkeeping essentials (online / Business Gateway)
31 July – How to deliver low cost high impact marketing (online / Business Gateway)
09 September – Introduction to safeguarding (online / SCVO) Fees apply
Commencing 24 September – Winning grants from trusts and foundations (online / School for Social Entrepreneurs) Fees apply
24 September – Advertising and Promotion (online / Business Gateway)
25 September – Introduction to data management and GDPR (online / SCVO) Fees apply
Commencing 08 October - Developing a fundraising strategy (online / School for Social Entrepreneurs) Fees apply
09 – 10 October – Introduction to equity, diversity and inclusion within charities (online / SCVO) Fees apply
23 October – Writing successful funding applications (online / School for Social Entrepreneurs) Fees apply
05 December – Comms and marketing made easy (online / SCVO) Fees apply


Volunteering
26 September – Quality Standards in Volunteering (online / Volunteer Scotland)
19 December – Quality Standards in Volunteering (online / Volunteer Scotland)
25 February – Meeting today’s volunteering challenges (online / SCVO) Fees apply



Business Planning
08 August – Business planning (online / Business Gateway Renfrewshire)
13 August – Strategy for Growth (online / Business Gateway)
12 September – Business Planning (online / Business Gateway)
18 September – Social Business Modelling and Scaling (online / School for Social Entrepreneurs) Fees apply
08 October – Introduction to Business Planning (online / Just Enterprise)
16 January - Introduction to Business Planning (online / Just Enterprise)



Monitoring and Evaluation
05 September - Getting Started: Outcomes and Indicators (In-person, Glasgow / Evaluation Support Scotland) Fees apply
Commencing 17 September – Measuring Social Impact (online / Just Enterprise)
19 September – Evaluation Methods (In-person, Glasgow / Evaluation Support Scotland) Fees apply
03 October – Analysing and Reporting (In-person, Glasgow / Evaluation Support Scotland) Fees apply
07 November – Plan, Measure and Report Social Impact (online / SCVO) Fees apply



Income Generation/Procurement
01 August – Working with the public sector: All you need to know (online / Supplier Development Programme)
06 August – How to find and bid for opportunities (online / Supplier Development Programme)
13 August – Getting your business tender ready (online / Supplier Development Programme)
20 August – Charitable Trading (online / Just Enterprise)
29 August – Know Your Numbers (understanding Accounts) (online / Just Enterprise)
03 September – Introduction to social investment (online / Just Enterprise)
17 September – How to find and bid for opportunities (online / Supplier Development Programme)
18 September – Online selling (online / Just Enterprise)
25 September – Unlocking social investment (online / School for Social Entrepreneurs)
Commencing 19 September – How to win contracts and service level agreements (online / SCVO) Fees apply
23 October – Working with the public sector: All you need to know (online / Supplier Development Programme)
05 November – Charitable Trading (online / Just Enterprise)
07 November - Unlocking social investment (online / School for Social Entrepreneurs)
21 November – Develop your fundraising skills (online / SCVO) Fees apply
03 December – Investment Readiness (online / Just Enterprise)
28 January 2025 – Charitable Trading (online / Just Enterprise)
04 February 2025 Introduction to social investment (online / Just Enterprise)
11 February 2025 – Establishing a trading subsidiary (online / Just Enterprise)
18 March 2025 – Funding business growth (online / Just Enterprise)