Dartington
Support for social entrepreneurs delivered across the South West of England.
The School for Social Entrepreneurs was founded in 1997 by Michael Young, (Lord Dartington) and so it made perfect sense that there was a team to continue the social enterprise initiative here. Since 2009 SSE Dartington has produced tailor-made courses to provide an complete package for the new social entrepreneur.
Support for social entrepreneurs across the South West
SSE Dartington is a beautiful partnership between the School for Social Entrepreneurs – which helps 1,000 people a year develop the skills, strengths and networks they need to tackle society’s biggest problems – and Dartington Trust, an ambitious experiment for rural generation based in Devon. They share the belief that we can build a more caring, creative, equal world where people live a fuller life.
At SSE Dartington we have been running programmes to help individuals and businesses to increase their skills, knowledge, strengths and networks for a decade. Find out more
We work with partners and funders from across the UK, some of the programmes we are currently running are below.
Devon Social Entrepreneurs Start Up Programme
It’s a challenging time for the Devon community. We’re looking for Devon residents who are unemployed, on benefits or have been struggling to find enough work and want to set up a project that will create social or environmental change, with community at its heart. We’re offering practical learning to help turn your idea into a real-life project or social enterprise (a business that trades for a social purpose). It’s free and it’s all online.
South Bristol Enterprise Support (SBES)
The South Bristol Enterprise Support (SBES) is a partnership that includes the School for Social Entrepreneurs, Knowle West Media Centre, Princes Trust and YTKO Ltd. It will provide training, support, grants and bursaries for new and existing businesses in South Bristol. The project is led by Bristol City Council, and supported by the European Regional Development Fund and West of England Combined Authority.
Lloyds Bank Business Start-Up
You’re committed to helping people in need or improving the environment. And you’re in the early stages of setting up a social enterprise, charity or impact project to make it happen. Now you’d like some support to get things up-and-running. Join the Lloyds Bank Start-Up programme! Register your interest below
Lloyds Bank Business Trade-Up
You’ve already set up your social enterprise. Now you want to bring in more income from trading, to make your organisation more sustainable and create more impact. You just need a bit of support to figure out how. Join the Lloyds Bank Trade-Up programme with us! Register your interest below
Accelerating Women’s Enterprise Programme
Accelerating Womens Enterprise (AWE) is a new collaborative project to help women working in various regions either side of the English Channel to increase their personal skills and develop their skills and knowledge. Deadline 1st March for the next programme but there is an ongoing recruitment across the southwest.
Rise Trade-Up programme
This Trading Development Programme combines match trading grants with a learning programme to assist the advancement of social enterprise in Plymouth. Match Trading grants help socially-driven organisations build more sustainable futures: they incentivise social entrepreneurs to grow by focusing on sales and trading, by matching increases in trading income with grant funding. This programme is run together with the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) Dartington, with support from Plymouth City Council Social Enterprise Investment Fund.
Programme recruited – find out more
Local Access Partnership
Find out more about our exciting new partnership with Access – The Foundations For Social Investment which will bring a share of a £33 million investment programme aimed at tackling inequality through boosting the social economy. Read more here Press Release
Local news
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Financial management in 2021: Tips for social enterprises
Rob Ormiston, founder of accountancy firm Northern Tonic and long-time supporter of SSE, shares his expert advice on managing finances through the crisis.
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15 ideas for engaging online events
Hannah C's round-up of learnings from our regional teams' online graduation events.
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Our Match Trading grants work – and a new report proves it
New report from Power to Change and Renaisi shows the impact of our learning programme and Match Trading grants on community businesses.
Fellows’ stories
Marie Yates, Canine Perspective CIC
The social entrepreneur bringing survivors of sexual violence together with rescue dogs.
More about MarieRob Wall, Roll for the Soul
"The School for Social Entrepreneurs really helped us put together a convincing business plan."
More about RobDarren Lynch-Burton, ACE
"The SSE programme has given me the tools, insight & confidence to further believe in myself & the change my organisation is capable of achieving."
More about Darren