Trading for Charities: Peer to Peer Support
What can I expect from the peer to peer Group?
The need to diversify income sources is something all charities need to consider. The social enterprise sector has never been more exciting or more challenging. This peer 2 peer learning set will enable us to share experiences with others on a similar journey. It is not a webinar or training programme. We will use a highly structured action learning process to enable participants to share their ideas and their challenges in a confidential setting and with a spirit of professional generosity.
The content of the sessions will be determined by the questions brought forward by the group but might include :
“ My organisation is considering setting up a trading arm......but we don't know where to start"
“I have ideas about what to trade and I would like to hear what others in a similar field think before taking them to my team/board”
“My organisation is struggling with prioritising values in a climate of competition and scarce resources and I would like support from peers to work out the boundaries”
"My organisation needs to broaden its customer base and would welcome ideas and support from others working in a similar field”
Skilled facilitation using a structured process will enable the group to learn from each other and develop innovative solutions to the challenges faced.
Who is it for?
For CEO/Directors or equivalent leadership roles, or the lead business/enterprise development officer or Trustee of charities developing social enterprises in Oxfordshire.
If you are responsible for developing enterprise and trading within a charity, reviewing your trading model, or deciding how to develop your trading activities post Covid 19 this opportunity may be just the thing for you.
Why participate?
Participating in a peer learning set can help you gain fresh perspectives and change habits of thinking in a spirit of professional generosity.
The group is a place to try out new ideas before they are fully formed, and to share your difficulties as well as celebrate successes.
How will the peer group work?
This will be a small group of around 6 - 8 successful applicants. The agenda is set by the group. The context is supporting peers to develop new ways of working and building knowledge and skills to expand and develop social enterprise within your individual charitable organisations.
The programme offers ‘Time to Think’ with support and challenge from others with common purpose and experience, in order to make creative positive changes in your life and work.
As places are limited, we will ask you to complete a short application form upon registration to assess compatibility and suitability. You may receive a phone call as part of the application process.
Dates & Structure
Dates: May 18th, June 15th, July 13th, September 14th
Times: Wednesdays 11- 2.30 (to include break for lunch)
Facilitators
The group will be hosted by Annie Davy from Flo's in the Park who is an accredited ILM action learning set facilitator with support from Sophie Kilmister from Aspire who is an experienced peer group facilitator.
Previous Participants say:
"Sharing similar challenges with other like minded organisations, being enthused and energised by others, and sharing in confidence with people you feel you could trust. Getting to know others in similar industry was really useful." Mike Woodward, Director of Opera Anywhere (2020)
“Annie's Action Learning set was without doubt the most effective professional support and development opportunity of my CEO years”. Tamsin Jewell, former Chief Executive of Elmore Community Services (2019)
“Annie is an excellent and enabling facilitator with a good balance of challenge, pace, empathy and reflection.“ Patsy Townsend, Director Thames Valley Partnership (2018)
The Hub
Aspire has teamed up with Flo’s, The Place in the Park to form one of five eScalate Programme Hubs in Oxfordshire. Aspire is a multi-award-winning employment charity, established in 2001 to tackle some of the most complex social issues in Oxfordshire. It supports vulnerable local people into, and towards employment and housing, as the most powerful way to break the complex cycles of homelessness, re-offending and poverty.
Flo’s is a Community Benefit Society and Social Enterprise Hub with community-owned café, nursery, refill shop, community midwives clinics and more. Based in Florence Park it opened in September 2018 in East Oxford, and has become a popular place for people to meet, eat, work, play, create, and learn. Located in the middle of a park with a strong environmental ethos it has nature in mind and wellbeing at its heart.
About eScalate
eScalate, is a three-year project, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) which runs until September 2022 to support Social Enterprises, social entrepreneurs, enterprising charities and purposeful businesses in Oxfordshire.
Support includes:
- one to ones
- workshops
- peer support sessions
For more information about the eScalate programme visit www.oxfordshirelep.com/escalate
Please note that this event is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is delivered as part of the eScalate programme to help SMEs. By engaging in this programme you are being offered assistance under the De Minimis regulation which allows a company to receive up to but not exceeding €200,000 of public funding (at the applicable exchange rate) of De Minimis aid over a rolling three-tax year fiscal period. This De Minimis declaration does not cover undertakings engaged in: the primary production of agricultural goods and fisheries/aquaculture, road freight, services of general economic interest and export related activities and activities favouring domestic over imported goods. Please note, support cannot be given to undertakings (businesses) in difficulty. In order to receive support from this programme, you will be required to complete an application form and other relevant documentation. If you need to check your current position for state aid please contact us. If you would like any further information on De Minimis aid and Special Drawing Rights (SDR) subsidies, please see the state aid page on the OxLEP Business website:
https://www.oxlepbusiness.co.uk/state-aid