Yes We Can! Yes We Can! Have I Got Social Enterprise News For You

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Sadly this year I was ineligible to run for Mayor of London because a) I didn’t go to Eton and b) I’m not the son of a London bus driver so my application was rejected. I also don’t own a dead cat and I think you need one of those too, from what I’ve been reading in the papers (I haven’t been paying a huge deal of attention). Hopefully rules will have changed by 2020 so I thought that now was a good opportunity to set out my manifesto.

Have a super weekend (sunshine, finally!!).

@davemcglashan


Everyone will have a job.

To help me achieve this I’ll be supported by organisations such as SSE, which continues on its one organisation quest to reduce the unemployment rate to zero.  We’ve got loads more job vacancies – a Development Manager in London, an Administration & Project Co-Ordinator in Cornwall, a Learning Manager in Cornwall and a Business Specialist in Cornwall. Details on our website. I’m going to have so many new names to remember.

Numeracy levels will improve. 

On my first day in office I will be appointing SSE Fellow Alexandra Fitzsimmons as my ‘maths tsar’. Alex runs Maths on Toast, a charity in London working to improve the numeracy skills and life chances of individuals through community events (and games such as Number Rumbler). She is currently recruiting for a Trustee with Sales and Marketing experience – if you are interested you need to be quick because the closing date is today.

I will ensure that charities are honest about running costs. 

Because apparently some organisations perpetuate the myth of zero overheads and it is damaging the rest of the sector.

Talking about pricing will be outlawed.

Because the first rule of pricing is: you do not talk about pricing. This is a really good article looking at the psychology of pricing strategies.

I will work closely with businesses to ensure they support their communities. 

Programmes such as Skipton Building Society’s Grassroots Giving will be encouraged – they are offering pots of £500 to 163 organisation across the country. Also open for applications is the Feminist Review Trust Grants which offers grants of up to £15,000 to projects in the UK and internationally that support women.

The Ten Commandments will be etched in stone.  

No, not those commandments, but the 10 Commandments of Social Enterprise. Maybe I could use the back of that stone that Ed Miliband was using in the general election to save on quarrying costs. If you are in mood for another list, here are 20 Social Entrepreneur Books That Will Inspire You To Impact The World.

Social enterprise will become part of the school curriculum.

I have to confess I have no idea if it is already or not. Assuming it isn’t, I’ll make sure that it is. In the meantime, schools can enter the 2016 Social Enterprise Challenge, which is an international awards programme for schools around the world with up to $50,000 in prizes available for the most entrepreneurial schools, teachers and students. Staying with schools, NPC have produced ‘School report: How can charities work best in the school system?

The digital revolution will continue. 

Supported by social entrepreneurs like Uche Aniagwu, a medical student who is currently building a mobile app that converts lunchtime reward points into meals for starving children in London. Uche is doing some market research and would ask if you can spare 5 minutes to take part in a survey. All completed surveys will be entered into a prize draw for 2 x £100 Amazon vouchers.

Finally, infrastructure will be improved to allow more flexible work patterns. 

Or ‘shirking from home’ as I like to call it. Comms2Point have put together ‘a day working at home: what it actually looks like for an employee‘. If anything there’s a little too much checking email for it to be realistic…

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