Lesley Johnston

1
Lesley Johnston Social Enterprise Officer
2

• In 2003, Ards Business Centre received funding
  through Ards LSP, to deliver the Advance Ards
  Programme for Community Business. The key aims
  of the programme were
• To raise levels of awareness of the social
  economy and its benefits within local community
  groups and organisations
• To deliver targeted and relevant training to
  skill up community groups about the social
  economy, who were already operating in an area of
  weak community infrastructure
• To provide business mentoring and support to
  existing community businesses

3
ADVANCE ARDS AUDIT

• In May 2004, an extensive social economy audit of
  Ards Borough was carried out by Peter Osbourne
• Key issues identified
• Low levels of awareness of social economy
  support organisations
• Few groups could identify local social
  enterprises with the exception of Daisies Cafe
• Less than half of organisations had undertaken
  significant vocational training or business
  related skills training

4

• Key Social Economy Barriers in Ards were the
  same as elsewhere revenue funding, lack of
  awareness of social enterprises by Statutory
  agencies, raising capital, lack of specialist
  advisors
• In Ards, an area of weak community
  infrastructure, this suggested under-cultivated
  foundations for dynamic community leadership that
  facilitates strong social enterprise development
• Only 1/3 of organisations were aware of the
  Invest NI Community Business Programme No groups
  from Ards Borough participated.

5
WITH SO MUCH TO DO, WHERE TO START?Sept 2004

• Establishing a presence As a starting point,
  meetings were held with Ards Borough Council
  Development Team, Statutory Agencies (NIHE,
  Investing for Health) and Community Development
  workers in the area promoting the programme and
  its benefits
• Being Clear about Who we are and What we do
  Advance Ards is about developing the Social
  Economy It will have cross-over with economic
  and community development BUT the aim was always
  to work in partnership, NOT to duplicate
  services. The point was to be holistic and have
  joined up thinking..
• Solid working relationships were built up early
  on with Ards Borough Council, East Down Rural
  Community Network, Local community development
  workers, who understood that Advance Ards was
  complementary and could enhance the provision
  already in place

6
RECRUITING COMMUNITY BUSINESS ONTO THE SUPPORT
PROGRAMMESept 2004

• We quickly realised that there were more than
  five groups asking and needing support!
• In Sept 2004 Childcare providers were facing
  harsh decisions as various funding streams
  finished concurrently, training was developed
  within the main programme to support these groups
• We became more aware of the wide range of the
  diversity and skills mix within Ards community
  businesses (and the issues affecting them!)

7
DELIVERING THE SUPPORT PROGRAMMESept 2004 onwards

• Kirsty McBriar, Business Development Advisor at
  Ards Business Centre, worked with the businesses
  to address their development and growth needs
  through
• An Audit business needs analysis identifying
  the needs and requirements of the business
• A Business Improvement Plan - creating key
  deliverables, achievable targets and milestones
• Mentoring - one to one support to assist in
  implementation of recommendations
• Additional Training - a budget toward costs of
  skill enhancement specific to the needs of the
  business.

8
COMMUNITY BUSINESSES ON THE ADVANCE ARDS SUPPORT
PROGRAMME

• Ards Community and Employment Services ACES
• Little Doves Childcare Ltd
• Carrowdore Early Years Centre
• Comber School of Traditional Music
• Portaferry Playgroup
• Peninsula Community Transport PACT
• Youngstars After Schools Club

9
THE ADVANCE ARDS NETWORK

• Established in Sept 2004 with the first meeting
  being held in November
• Membership drawn from Community Businesses,
  Statutory Agencies and organisations and
  community development
• There was difficulty recruiting individuals from
  private business, as Advance Ards continues to
  evolve we hope to bring more business acumen on
  board

10
THE ADVANCE ARDS NETWORK cont

• Meetings are held bi-monthly and within social
  economy organisations
• Membership is voluntary, members willingly give
  up their time to support Advance Ards and
  receive no re-numeration or expenses
• The Network has acted as a steering group to all
  Advance Ards Activities
• In the long term the aim of the Advance Ards
  Network is to become more formalised, and become
  the leading body for driving the social economy
  in the Ards Borough

11
MEET THE ADVANCE ARDS NETWORK!!

• Noel Gilmour, Invest NI (and guest speaker at
  training events!!)
• Lydia McAlees, Play-A-Ways Childcare Centre
• Lorraine Lindsay, Investing for Health Manager
• Miriam Woolsey, East Down Rural Community Network
• Valerie Richmond, Ards Borough Council/Ards
  Community Network Development Bureau
• Michael Taylor, District Manager, Housing
  Executive
• Alderman Kieran McCarthy, Local Councillor
• David Birch, Economic Development, Ards Borough
  Council
• Derek McClure, Daisies Café
• Willie Devlin, Ards Business Centre
  

12
THE ADVANCE ARDS WEBSITE

• Launched in March 2005
• Providing information background to the
  programme
• Relevant links for information research
• Case studies of our flagship social economy
  projects
• Always evolving with more to be added!
• Conference papers and information is available on
  the website
• www.advanceards.com

13
WORKING WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS AND SOCIAL
ENTERPRISES

• This work was on-going and continuous!
• We were helped by Community Development workers
  and Networks who informed groups that Advance
  Ards was the One Stop Shop for community
  business
• We listened to what groups wanted and tailored
  the training to their needs!
• We developed exciting and innovative best
  practice study visits that allowed groups to
  network together whilst learning about flagship
  social economy projects province wide

14
ADVANCE ARDS TRAINING FOR COMMUNITY GROUP AND
SOCIAL ENTERPRISES

• Four Idea Generation Workshops and follow up
  sessions to expand the ideas for social
  enterprise development
• Start Up Social Economy Business Training
• Sustainable Fundraising
• Team Building training for Portaferry Playgroup
  and Little Doves
• Staff Development for Childcare Project Managers
  hosted by Margaret Cameron, Little Doves
• NICVA Board Members Training delivered in
  partnership with East Down Rural Community
  Network
• Marketing Your Community Business on a
  Shoestring
• Creative Business Planning (30.11.05)

15
BEST PRACTICE STUDY VISITS

• Visit 1 For Advance Ards Network Members
  Landmark East
• Visit 2 For Community Groups Daisies Café,
  Farset International, Acceptable Enterprises
  The John Hewitt Pub Restaurant
• Visit 3 For Childcare Projects Play-A-Ways
  Childcare Ltd, Footprints Womens Centre,
  Blooming Bottoms
• Visit 4 For Network Members and Community
  Groups Colin Glen Trust Planned for Nov 2005

16
ADVANCE ARDS WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP OUTSIDE THE
BOROUGH

• Social Economy Network Pauline, Patrick and
  Charlie/Management Committee/Social Economy Forum
• Peter Osborne/Pulse Programme
• Social Economy Belfast - Rachel Marshall and
  Team
• Ulster Community and Investment Trust (UCIT)
• Social Economy Workers across Northern Ireland
• Hosted Community Development Workers Forum for
  EDRCN
• Local Enterprise Agencies, Castlereagh and North
  Down

17
ADVANCE ARDS KEY OUTCOMES

• Consulted with Ards Borough Council to get the
  Social Economy included on the Corporate Plan and
  Development Strategy
• Represented the views of Social economy projects
  in Ards borough through the SEN management
  Committee and Social Economy Forum
• Little Doves LTD, West Winds and Bee Nees, Glen
  Estate, Both accepted onto UCIT NETWORKS
  programme
• Advance Ards Case Studies on Social Economy
  Belfast website and opportunities for further
  working/visits to Ards Borough

18
ADVANCE ARDS KEY OUTCOMES cont

• PACT Facilitated a workshop on community
  transport at UCIT conference
• Portaferry Playgroup moving towards Company LTD
  by guarantee
• Ards Community businesses working in partnership
  to develop products ACES, PACT and Ganaway
  Activity Centre
• After visiting Footprints Childcare projects
  reviewing pricing structures for start of new
  terms
• Overall, heightened awareness of the Social
  Economy in Ards

19
ADVANCE ARDS WHATS NEXT?

• Formalise the Advance Ards Network
• Continue to work in partnership with the Public
  Sector to sell the benefits of the social economy
• See the benefits of the Advance Ards training
  through the implementation of ideas into actual
  projects, right across Ards Borough
• Continue to support community businesses with
  practical business support
• Continue to equip voluntary Boards, Committees,
  Managers and Staff to build up the business and
  soft skills needed to succeed in social
  enterprise
• Partnership working with community, economic and
  social economy workers and agencies as we go.

20
Thank You!