Southampton based Freeset Ltd has been successful in satisfying key criteria to be awarded the Social Enterprise Mark, which identifies them as trading for social and environmental purposes.

The Social Enterprise Mark was launched nationally on February 1st at Voice10, the Social Enterprise Coalition’s national conference. The Social Enterprise Mark is the brand for social enterprises. The Mark will identify businesses which meet defined criteria for social enterprise, and consumers will recognise that businesses displaying the Mark are trading to benefit people and planet.

Freeset Ltd joins other ethical businesses that have been recognised by being awarded the Mark such as the Eden Project, Hill Holt Wood, Bristol Wood Recycling Project and the Co-operative Group South & West. The Social Enterprise Mark builds off the pilot work run by RISE, the voice for south west social enterprise.

Social enterprises are working to make a difference across the UK and beyond, but not enough people know what they are or how they work. The Social Enterprise Mark aims to raise awareness of what social enterprises do in order to get more people to buy from, engage with, start up and work for social enterprises.

Freeset was started as a social enterprise at the close of 2006 to provide employment to women who had been trafficked into and exploited by prostitution.  Through working with partners in India and creating conference and promotional bags along with great gift items, Freeset ensures that women vulnerable to exploitation are able to take part in dignity-giving employment. The women learn new skills of making handmade bags and gifts. All our seamstresses are paid fair wages and have healthy working conditions. Through this work, the women become free from sexual exploitation and are free to make the choices they want for their lives.

Mark Wakeling, Executive Director said, “We’re really proud to have been awarded the Social Enterprise Mark.  Freeset is absolutely committed to supporting sustainable businesses and consequently helping local communities to thrive and prosper”. 

Lucy Findlay champion from the Social Enterprise Mark Company (manager of the Mark) advised:

 “As the distinctive and exciting brand for social enterprise, the Mark identifies businesses which meet defined criteria, enabling consumers to recognise those that are trading to benefit people and planet. It also helps those businesses promote their business ethics and values. We hope that the Social Enterprise Mark will do for social enterprise what the Fair Trade Mark did for fair trade.”

Visit www.socialenterprisemark.org.uk or www.freesetbags.co.uk to find out more.

Freeset is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Social enterprises – businesses which trade primarily for social and environmental purposes – now have their own distinctive Mark. The Social Enterprise Mark was launched yesterday in Cardiff at Voice10, the Social Enterprise Coalition’s national conference.  The Social Enterprise Mark will identify businesses which meet key criteria for social enterprise, and consumers will recognise that businesses displaying the Mark are trading to benefit people and the planet.

The Mark was developed by a group of social enterprise leaders working with the COI and the Office of the Third Sector, and aims to raise awareness of social enterprise to as wide an audience as possible.  The design and implementation was informed by a social enterprise Mark developed and delivered by RISE, the voice of social enterprise in South West England with funding from the Big Lottery Fund.

Speaking at the launch Angela Smith, Minister for the Third Sector, Cabinet Office says; “The Mark has the potential to be a real catalyst to put social enterprises where they belong – clearly defined and at the heart of the UK economy and society. I have seen some amazing and innovative examples of social enterprises, and the more people that know about them and the more people that get involved in the sector, the better!”

Peter Holbrook, chief executive of the Social Enterprise Coalition, the national body for social enterprise, confirms the importance of the Mark for the growth of the movement in the UK. He says; “Social enterprises are businesses doing really extraordinary things in new and innovative ways but they have until now been hard to recognise, partly because they work in practically every industry imaginable and range from community enterprises to international companies. The time is right for the introduction of a visually powerful Mark which indicates, at a glance, the integrity of an organisation and around which we can drive awareness and understanding.”

The Mark will be administered by a joint venture set up by the Social Enterprise Coalition and RISE. Lucy Findlay, CEO of RISE, says; “The Mark represents a set of clear criteria which a business must meet to prove that it is a genuine social enterprise. Its achievement and use by businesses up and down the country will be crucial in spreading the message about a different way of doing business that has the potential to revolutionise attitudes to consumerism.”

Albert Tucker, on the board of the Big Lottery Fund’s England Committee, says; “As the funder of the original RISE project which pioneered the use of a Social Enterprise Mark in the South West region, the Big Lottery Fund is extremely proud that this scheme has been so important in moving Social Enterprise Marks onto the national stage. We look forward to seeing the widespread take up of the Mark and the benefits it will bring to the social enterprise movement.”

This emerging sector already contributes £24bn to the UK economy and employs 800,000 people in the UK in a wide range of businesses from health and education to IT and retail. The ‘Trading for People and Planet’ Mark will play a key role in growing the sector as more consumers turn to businesses which use their profits for social and environmental benefit.

Social enterprises are faced with a fantastic opportunity – a severe recession and several banking scandals mean the public is looking for change, for a different way of doing business.

And they are not alone. The current government has been increasing its efforts to get social enterprises more involved in the delivery of public services through schemes like the NHS’s Social Enterprise Investment Fund, while the Tories, should they get into power, have already indicated how important they believe social enterprises will be in this area.

The end result should be significant growth in the whole sector, plus many social enterprises getting bigger very quickly. However that rapid growth brings its own dangers – losing touch with the values, people and approach that you originally set out with, becoming just another service provider, alienating your customers and stakeholders as the gap between you and them grows. When a social enterprise starts up, all the customers, staff and suppliers are known by name. As it grows, that personal relationship can’t be maintained, so something else – better communication – needs to fill the gap.

Now’s the time to invest in your communications, to make sure you really know your customers and what they want from you, and that your brand and the image you project stays true to your organisation’s mission and values. Here are five simple steps to take, to ensure your communication matches your promise, to help you achieve growth without losing your roots:

1. Commit to paper the values and approach that you used to set up the enterprise in the first place. Nothing complex, just the reasoning behind its creation and the impact you wanted it to make. These words should form the backbone not just of your communications, but all aspects of the business. You might be loathe to do it, but it will pay dividends if you do.
2. Make sure everyone who works with you knows these words, and understands what they really mean and how they should be applied to their everyday work.Use these words as the basis for any marketing that you do, however seemingly small and insignificant. All that you do should flow from your values, and all that you communicate should do so as well.
3. Ask people what they think of you on a regular basis – staff, suppliers, customers, neighbours, competitors – so you know how the business is being perceived, and whether the cracks are beginning to show between your values and the reality
4. Invest in your staff as your communicators. Once you reach a certain size, it can be tempting to start outsourcing various elements of your business, from payroll to marketing. This makes sense financially, but can lead to your team feeling it is someone else’s job to communicate your values. Communication should be part of everyone’s job description, whether you have a dedicated marketing resource or not.
5. Remember you are a social enterprise and make sure everyone else knows that too. This will be inherent in your values anyway, but it is imperative that all your stakeholders are reminded of what makes you different on a regular basis.

None of this needs to cost money, and it certainly isn’t rocket science, but it is exactly the type of thing that can get forgotten when you’re distracted by the pace and priorities of an organisation growing beyond its roots.

Forster is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

The Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC)
announced today that Peter Holbrook will become its new chief executive officer
following the departure of Jonathan Bland in the New Year.  Peter is
currently the CEO of Sunlight Development Trust in Gillingham, Kent, as well as
one of England’s Social Enterprise Ambassadors.

Claire Dove, the chair of SEC, announced
his appointment by saying: “Peter is one of the most innovative leaders
working in social enterprise today. He brings with him the right experience and
an enormous amount of passion. Peter’s entrepreneurial abilities, the
pioneering work he has done at Sunlight and his commitment to social enterprise
make him the right person for the job. On behalf of the SEC board and staff, I
am absolutely delighted to welcome him to the Coalition.”

Holbrook said: “Politically and
economically, social enterprise is set to be tested like never before. But
alongside the undoubted challenges that face the sector, we have a unique
opportunity to promote an economic model that can change not only the way we do
business but also society at large.

“I’m honoured to lead SEC
during this period of change, which would be daunting were it not for
Jonathan’s inspiring legacy and the incredible team I’ll be proud
to be working with.”

Jonathan Bland will continue full time as
CEO until 31 October and after that will provide interim support until Holbrook
starts in the New Year.

Bland has been CEO of the Coalition since
its inception six years ago and is leaving in order to start an international
consultancy on social enterprise. He said: “I couldn’t be more
pleased to be passing along the reigns to Peter. I am confident that his vision
and passion will take the Coalition into a new and exciting phase.” 

Sunlight is one of the UK’s most
dynamic and successful social enterprises and works to tackle long-standing health
and social inequalities in the community.  It was the
winner of the 2004 Community Regeneration Awards (BURA), was given special
recognition by the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2005 and was
highly commended by the Centre for Social Justice in 2007. In 2008 Sunlight
Social Enterprises CIC, home of cafesunlight, parentis, radio sunlight and
sunlight studios, was awarded Best New Social Enterprise at the Enterprising
Solutions Awards.

There are
approximately 62,000 social enterprises in the UK with a combined turnover of
£27billion. They operate in almost every sector including health, employment,
education, retail, technology, renewable energy and the arts.

The Social Enterprise Coalition is the
UK’s national body for social enterprise and represents a wide range of
social enterprises, regional and national support networks and other related
organisations. The Coalition key activities are centred around informing the policy agenda, influencing the political
agenda, promoting the benefits of social enterprise through the media, campaigning and events, and undertaking research to expand the social enterprise
evidence base.

CIC Association
CIC are pleased to announce the launch of their new website
www.cicassociation.org.uk
,which will provide a platform for CIC practitioners throughout the
country to connect with each other and help nurture the fledgling
legislation.

The
impetus for the
Association has come from CIC practitioners wanting a way to directly
engage in the agenda, and it aims to tackle a wide range of issues,
from general awareness and improved communication thru to technical
matters such as improving capital inflows into the sector.

With
over 3200 incorporated, CICs are the fastest growing element within
social enterprise, already operating across the spectrum of sectors,
at local, regional and national level. Tom Barnett, co-founder of the
Association and MD of Ethical Junction CIC said ‘This is a
fantastic development for the CIC community and social enterprise at
large, the legislation was developed to help bring social enterprise
into the mainstream and we hope this website will become a focal
point for achieving that. Promoting the legislation to a wider
audience, and developing resources for CIC practitioners are our key
priorities, and I’m very excited about the positive response we
have received so far’

www.cicassociation.org.uk

Enquiries

CIC
Association CIC www.cicassociation.org.uk

Contact
John Mulkerrin on 0203 262 3044 or john@cicassociation.org.uk

Notes
to Editors

CIC
legislation came into force in July 2005

CICs
are unique as they can trade in exactly the same way as normal Ltd
companies, but have an Asset Lock which ensures the community
receives the majority of profit.

A
New Start / Potential Plus Network Conference
Manchester,
21st May 2009

This
Masterclass focuses on the use of NLP to enhance daily interactions
with others, to create a step change in the functioning of social
enterprises, community and voluntary organisations.

NLP
(neuro-linguistic programming) is recognised as the premier ‘people
change’ discipline across many diverse fields of endeavour. 
From sporting success to sales and marketing, from board rooms to
family therapy; NLP has been used successfully for decades to help
people to be the best they can be.

Potential Plus Network’s
consultants have been working to apply NLP principles in their work
in the social enterprise and regeneration sector for many years, with
notable successes in the UK and beyond.  They are now working
closely with New Start to offer masterclasses sharing their success
principles with other regeneration practitioners.

This
masterclass focuses on the use of NLP to enhance daily interactions
with others, to create a step change in the functioning of groups,
communities and organisations.

The masterclass will provide an
introduction to some of the underlying principles of NLP, and a
chance for all participants to begin to experience the power of
applying these through interactive learning situations. 
Participants will also take away a suite of practical tools they can
apply in their own workplaces.

Feedback from
participants in past New Start / Potential Plus masterclasses was
overwhelmingly excellent.  Here are just a few of the things
people said:

“It can be applied to my workplace, I will use
in meetings, planning sessions, away days, self reflection,
workshops” (Project Manager, Regeneration Partnership)

“Well
thought through and delivered” (Regeneration Strategic Resources
Manager, City Council)

“I have learnt a lot and will use a
range of techniques when working with students and community groups”
(Executive Director, Training Programme)

“I feel confident
that my productivity will be enhanced and also my people management
skills” (Trustee, Regeneration Programme)

“It was good,
enjoyable, informative” (Project Director, regeneration
programme)

“Thank you for organising a very useful event”
(Capital Projects officer, New Deal for Communities Programme)

Each
delegate will also receive a copy of the NLP Principles Toolkit. 
This includes information about how to apply the principles in your
daily work and a suite of practical tools which you can start using
immediately.

NLP
Principles for Social Entrepreneurs – the Every Day Makes a
Difference Toolkit
New
Start and Potential Plus have now run 4 successful events about using
the tools and techniques of NLP in our sector, and have also
developed the comprehensive Every Day Makes a Difference Toolkit,
which provides you with a suite of ready-made tools for use in
regeneration work you can start using immediately.

The
toolkit includes:

• A
  wide range of practical tools for practitioners

• Photocopyable
  pages to use on your own, with your teams and with partners

• Ideas
  and case studies of how the tools can be used in practice

• A
  further reading list for people who want to expand their knowledge
  of NLP

Every
delegate will receive a copy of the Toolkit as part of their delegate
fee.
 
Join us on 21st May and experience the difference
NLP can make for you and your social business. 
Book online
at www.nlpconferences.co.uk

ScienceDaily (2009-04-29) — Satellite images show that icebergs have begun to calve from the northern front of the Wilkins Ice Shelf – indicating that the huge shelf has become unstable. This follows the collapse three weeks ago of the ice bridge that had previously linked the Antarctic mainland to Charcot Island.

Read more here…

 Future’s
recent launch, The
Knitter is
celebrating World Fair Trade Day on the 9^th
May with an all-ethical
issue, with every aspect of the magazine using organic or ethical
products and patterns.

 On
sale today, and printed on environmentally-approved  Forestry
Stewardship Council paper; every pattern is knitted in an organic or
ethical yarn, each new product featured has ethical credentials, and
the garments and accessories for the photoshoot were as ethically
sound as possible.  The team even recycled their teabags whilst
putting the issue together!

 Ethical
living guru, Lucy Siegel – who writes for The Observer and is a
reporter for The One Show on BBC TV contributes a feature on how
knitters can make an informed choice when buying yarn. Lucy helps
knitters to understand how to be a better consumer even in these
difficult times, with advice on chemical usage, cruelty-free
production, knitting with plant fibres and keeping it local.

Exclusive
patterns using organic or ethical yarns include a Moroccan-inspired
tunic by Martin Storey, embroidered socks by Lucinda Guy, a feminine
tie-fronted cardigan by Amanda Crawford, and a 1940s fitted top
brought up to date with modern yarns and fitting.

 Juliet
Bernard, Editor of The Knitter said:

 ”When
we discussed doing an ethical issue it was very important to us that
we could turn our whole issue over to ethical principles and not just
pay lip service to the idea.  Our readers will be able to see
how the choices they make can have a really positive impact. Ethical
living is extremely important to me and I am very proud of what we
have achieved in Issue 5 of The Knitter.”

 Regular
features include inspiring patterns from around the world, a
techniques Masterclass on short-row shaping, a competition to raise
money for Macmillan Cancer Support and an exclusive column from the
stars of America’s blogging scene, Mason-Dixon.

 Issue
5 of The Knitter is on sale now, priced at £5.99.

 About
Future
Future
plc is an international special-interest media group that is listed
on the London Stock Exchange (symbol FUTR).  Founded in 1985
with one magazine, today we have operations in the UK, US and
Australia creating over 180 special-interest publications, websites
and events for people who are passionate about their interests. 
We hold strong market positions in games, film, music, technology,
cycling, automotive and crafts.  Our biggest-selling magazines
include T3,
Total Film, Digital Camera, Fast Car, Classic Rock, Guitar World,
Official Xbox Magazine, Official Playstation Magazine, Nintendo
Power, Maximum PC
and MacLife. 
Our websites include gamesradar.com,
bikeradar.com,
techradar.com,
and musicradar.com. 
Future produces over 4 million magazines each month; we attract more
than 18 million unique visitors to our websites; and we host 25
annual live events that attract hundreds of thousands of
enthusiasts.  In addition, Future exports, syndicates or
licenses its publications to 90 countries internationally, making us
the UK’s number one exporter and licensor of monthly magazines.

 For
further information

For more
information please contact Jen Campbell, Communications Executive on
01225 732269 or jen.campbell@futurenet.com

Produced daily by the Social Enterprise Coalition

Triodos or Unity
should run social investment bank, says academic

New financial model
‘will allow charities to compete with construction companies’

Help for small
businesses

Continue reading for lots more…

National

Social enterprise
going ‘over the heads’ of NHS mavericks

Gemma Hampson,
Social Enterprise Magazine

The ‘right to
request’ social enterprise initiative is failing to attract the
interest of frontline health staff dedicated to driving change in the
NHS, according to a leading civil servant at the Department of Health
(DH). Right to request was introduced as part of Lord Darzi’s Next
Stage Review Final Report last year giving all NHS staff the right to
ask their primary care trust board if they can set up a social
enterprise to provide NHS-contracted services.

http://www.socialenterprisemag.co.uk/sem/news/detail/index.asp?id=947

Triodos or Unity
should run social investment bank, says academic

Henry Palmer,
Social Enterprise Magazine

An existing bank with
experience working with social enterprises should run the proposed
social investment wholesale bank, according to a leading third sector
academic. Professor Paul Palmer, professor in voluntary sector
management at City University’s Cass Business School, said any new
financial institution would risk creating yet another level of civil
service-style bureaucracy. Palmer was speaking following the Budget
announcement that the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) would launch a
consultation about the much mooted plans to create an investment bank
using unclaimed assets in dormant bank and building society accounts.

http://www.socialenterprisemag.co.uk/sem/news/detail/index.asp?id=946

Expert Eye: Law

Catherine Rustomji,
Social Enterprise Magazine

Collaborations and
mergers could help social enterprises win new business and battle the
recession – but take care. Catherine Rustomji, of Hempsons
Solicitors, offers expert advice. The intense press reporting of all
things recession-related has not left social enterprises untouched.
Recent reports from the Charity Commission refer to more than half of
charities feeling the effects of the downturn with 64 per cent of
largest charities concerned that future work will be affected. An
increase in the number of third sector organisations choosing to
merge has long been predicted as an immediate response in a
recession.

http://www.socialenterprisemag.co.uk/sem/features/detail/index.asp?id=945

Ethical Property
Company promises part-time office space for charities

David Ainsworth,
Third Sector Online

Hive Network planned
for London, Manchester, Brighton, Oxford and Bath. A third sector
landlord is planning to help start-up social enterprises and small
charities to escape from working in cramped coffee shops and draughty
village halls. The Ethical Property Company is launching a scheme to
offer the sector affordable part-time use of meeting rooms,
conference facilities and shared spaces. The Hive Network, to be
launched in June, will initially have buildings in Oxford and Bath.
More are planned for London, Manchester and Brighton.

http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/channels/Finance/Article/901162/Ethical-Property-Company-promises-part-time-office-space-charities/

New financial model
‘will allow charities to compete with construction companies’

David Ainsworth,
Third Sector Online

A Scottish housing
association is pioneering a new financial model it believes will help
charities to compete with construction companies for public building
contracts.
….Hugh Rolo, head of assets and investment at the
Development Trusts Association, said ideas such as this could help
retain more investment in local communities.”The problem the
third sector has at the moment is one of scale,” he said. “We
can’t bid for the biggest contracts. But that will come in time.”
Rolo said his organisation was keen for more charities and social
enterprises to get involved in such contracts.

http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/channels/Finance/Article/901063/New-financial-model-will-allow-charities-compete-construction-companies/

Work scheme targets
young jobless

BBC News Online
Scotland

A new scheme aimed at
creating work for thousands of young Scots has been announced by the
UK Government. Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy said the £95m project
would aim to provide six months paid work for 15,000 young, long-term
unemployed. It is part of a UK-wide initiative called the Future Jobs
Fund announced in last week’s budget. The package will be open to
organisations which prove they can create long-term jobs or training.
 They apply through the department of Work and Pensions
outlining how many and what kind of jobs they hope to create. It is
expected councils and social enterprises will be among the first to
bid for the money.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8021226.stm

Help for small
businesses

BiP Solutions

Public bodies should
take six simple steps to give small business better access to public
contracts, John Swinney said today. Steps include requiring suppliers
to pay sub-contractors within 30 days and using the free web portal
to advertise contracts – Public Contracts Scotland. Finance Secretary
John Swinney has written to Chief Executives and Heads of Procurement
throughout the public sector to promote access to public sector
contracts for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), social
enterprises and third sector bodies.

http://www.bipsolutions.com/cgi-bin/newsroom/newsroom.cgi?action=full_story&act=view_news_list&act2=view_news_list&id=208588&strt=0&searchCriteria=&searchChoice=&sectorToSearch=&startMonth=&startYear=&endMonth=&endYear=&storiesPerPage=10

Darzi invites GP
‘innovators’ to bid for new cash

Gareth Iacobucci,
Pulse

GPs have been invited
to bid for a £220m war-chest of new Government money to encourage
innovation and financial savings in the health service. The cash
injection, first promised to SHAs in Lord Darzi’s next stage
review, has been ring-fenced for projects that deliver ‘a health,
social or financial benefit’.  
….Bids are being welcomed
from the likes of PCOs, GP practices, and social enterprises or
universities if they bid in partnership with an NHS organisation.

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=23&storycode=4122534&c=2

Recession proof

Jenny Clark and
Karl Wilding, Charity Finance

How will the recession
affect the voluntary sector?
….Much of the orthodoxy in recent
years around sustainability has been to increase earned income, a
message the sector has clearly taken on board. Social enterprise
activity is now the norm, with earned income becoming increasingly
important in the funding mix. Although changes in accounting
practices are partly responsible, we estimate earned income increased
from £10.2bn (43 per cent of income) in 2001/02 to £17bn (51.2 per
cent) in 2006/07.

http://www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=2762&pg=17&cat=78

RBS SE100: Health
and social care

Gemma Hampson,
Social Enterprise Magazine

You just have to
compare this month’s growth figures with the last issue of Social
Enterprise, which featured the fastest growing companies in retail
and fair trade. Only three of the top five retail social businesses
had grown, in stark contrast to this month’s top five which have all
grown by at least 30 per cent. Collectively, the top five have an
average growth of a massive 68 per cent. In fact, only two of the 20
social businesses that completed the growth section of this month’s
survey had reduced in size, and even then their reductions were less
than ten per cent.

http://www.socialenterprisemag.co.uk/sem/features/detail/index.asp?id=942

From the Horse’s
Mouth: PR

Lily Lapenna,
Social Enterprise Magazine

Social enterprises are
often forced to do PR on a shoe-string, especially when starting up
but MyBnk founder Lily Lapenna is proof that you can get results with
minimal resources and here she shares her tips. We have chosen to do
our PR in house – we think it’s cheaper and we think we know our
business best. That doesn’t mean we don’t accept help and we’ve used
consultants for advice. We’ve found this really helpful and some will
spend a bit of time with you initially for free. This can be enough
to get some good ideas.

http://www.socialenterprisemag.co.uk/sem/features/detail/index.asp?id=943

Liam’s Got Issues:
April

Liam Black, Social
Enterprise Magazine

Can we really make a
difference? As if, says Liam Black.
….I’m with late leftie
Antonio Gramsci: ‘I’m a pessimist because of intelligence, but an
optimist because of will’. Expect the worst, but work for the best.
We know deep in our hearts that we have grievously hurt our earth.
The hard truth is, it’s worse than when I started. So why keep going?
Partly the answer is ‘what’s the alternative?’. Staying in bed,
getting out only to top up the Jamesons? No. Being involved in social
enterprise is about choosing to live as if we can make a difference;
as if greed and indifference are human aberrations, not the default.

http://www.socialenterprisemag.co.uk/sem/tradingplace/detail/index.asp?id=940Local

Local

East Sussex mental
health service could go

Emily Walker, The
Argus

Mental health patients
could be stripped of a vital service that one patient says saved him
from suicide.

….A spokesman for
the PCT said: “In conjunction with East Sussex Adult Social Care we
are re-organising mental health day services across the county so
that they offer local people much improved care and support which
focuses on recovery, inclusion and a return to employment. “Under
the new set up we will no longer commission day services at New Road
Nurseries as we consider that it does not fit in with the new look
services we plan to offer.  ”However, we feel that the nursery
could have a long term future as a social enterprise, with the
potential for commercial activities at the site to support and
develop the services it presently provides.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/4323089.East_Sussex_mental_health_service_could_go/

Plan to build
crematorium in Buchan

Jamie Buchan,
Aberdeen Press and Journal

A crematorium could be
built in the Buchan area to help fund a new strategy group, it has
emerged.
….Peterhead Projects has been established to look at
ways of improving the local economy and making the area more
attractive to visitors and businesses. One of its first projects will
be a radical revamp of the town’s under-used Lido. Derek Jennings,
a director of the group, said: “For the first two years we receive
core funding from Aberdeenshire Council, but after that we need to
generate income through social enterprises. “We need to ensure that
the company is self-sufficient and be able to plough profits into the
community.”

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1185384?UserKey=

Blogs

Community cohesion
is alive and well – no thanks to the government

Dave Clements,
Guardian Joe Public Blog

Are we really living
in a broken society? When we wrote The Future of Community: Reports
of a death greatly exaggerated, we came to a very different
conclusion. As one promotional blurb put it, communities are “alive
and well despite the government’s best efforts”. We were
suspicious of the motives of those who tell us our communities are
broken and that everything is getting worse. As we tried to get
across in the book, this is more an expression of the political
class’s own sense of dislocation from society than an accurate
reflection of real world problems.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/joepublic/2009/apr/28/community-cohesion-race-ethnic-minorities

Why the public
sector needs to improve its contractor handling

Jane Dudman,
Guardian Joe Public Blog

Today’s scathing
report from the Commons public accounts committee (PAC) about the
failure of central government organisations to address the most basic
aspects of getting good value from the £12bn they spend on services,
highlights just what a tough job the Treasury has on its hands as it
attempts to drive through its agenda of greater efficiency and
savings. The report from Edward Leigh’s committee rehearses a
depressingly long and all-too-familiar list of failings. It says
relationships between central government and its external suppliers
remain “too cosy” despite years of competitive
tendering.
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/joepublic/2009/apr/28/policy-public-finance

Of
general interest

Politics:

Flawed attempt to
force social change

Nicholas Timmins,
Financial Times

The equality bill
suggests it is possible to legislate to “narrow the gap between
rich and poor”, as Harriet Harman put it on Monday. But at a time
when the government is already set to miss other self-imposed targets
for improving social and economic conditions, lawyers were sceptical
that public bodies could be ordered to help change society. The
legislation forces public sector organisations to “consider
reducing socio-economic inequalities”. It comes as the government
is introducing a statutory requirement for future governments to
eliminate child poverty, yet Labour is likely to fall well short of
its own interim target of halving it by 2010.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/055cb88c-3382-11de-8f1b-00144feabdc0.html

Business:

Tesco is ‘losing UK
market share’

BBC News Online

UK supermarket giant Tesco has lost market share to
discounters Aldi and Lidl as consumers cut back on spending. Tesco’s
share of the UK market dropped to 30.4% in March, from 30.8% a year
before, according to research firm TNS. Tesco’s share has dropped on
an annual basis in every month this year. Of the other “big
four” Sainsbury’s was flat while Asda and Morrisons gained
share. Wal-Mart-owned Asda moved to its record share of the UK
market, up to 17.5% from 17.1%.  Meanwhile, Waitrose saw its
market share fall.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/8023250.stm

Environment:

Unlikely allies at
last: Prince and Pope

Peter Popham, The
Independent

Throughout the last
500 years the Vatican and the Royal Family have had their share of
disagreements. Not least about wives. But yesterday they were as one.
Both about wives, and perhaps more importantly, about the future of
the planet. Protocol would normally dictate that Prince Charles, on
his third visit to the Vatican, would initially meet Pope Benedict
without the Duchess of Cornwall. But protocol was waived to enable
them to meet the Pope together, instead of the Duchess coming in at
the end.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/unlikely-allies-at-last-prince-and-pope-1675177.html

Juice, sprout & filter your way to a healthier life with Energise Your Life at the Natural & Organic Products Show this April

Top trade and domestic suppliers of top quality health-related food
processing equipment, Energise Your Life, will be helping support
Britain’s natural products trade this April at the Natural &
Organic Products show at London’s Olympia.

Taking place on 5 and 6 April, acclaimed health-promoting website
Energise Your Life will be displaying a host
of quality equipment including juicers, sprouters, distillers,
dehydrators and other products.

With on-hand expert advice, the machines themselves and plenty of health advice, the company is looking forward to a large turn-out for the show, which has been running for over 13 years as the UK’s number one retail and distribution event for the natural and organic sectors, and is by far the country’s largest trade show for natural and organic products.

Energise Your Life (stand 7036) will be showcasing their market leading branded machines including their top sellers:

Samson 6-in-1 Juicer (£169) -  Awarded Best Buy Masticating Juicer by Which? Magazine and scoring top marks in all categories.  The Samson juices fruits and vegetables as well as wheatgrass, and can be used for making icecream, pasta, dips, noodles, nut butters and sorbets.  

Solo Star II Juicer (£225) has shown in tests to produce over 20% more juice than the Oscar Vitalmax, and since its recent introduction into the UK is proving to be a best seller amongst juiceaholics!

Waterwise Water Distiller (£249) – This compact, portable distiller provides fresh, homemade distilled water and is great for travel as well as home use, and is a firm favourite with Peace Corps Volunteers and holiday home owners – it requires no installation, assembly or hookups and is lightweight and highly portable.

EasyGreen MikroFarm Sprouter (£149) – we think this is the simplest, most efficient table top sprouter in existence – using only seeds, oxygen (the key ingredient in growing sprouts!) and water the resulting sprouts stay freshly watered and oxygenated, ensuring no mould growth and only the freshest, healthiest greens for everyday consumption.  Energise Your Life are the exclusive distributors in the UK and Ireland for the EasyGreen MikroFarm.

Aquasana Water Filter (£89.95) – the No. 1 rated home water filtration system in America, works better & costs less than any other brand!   This patented twin-cartridge drinking water filter installs in seconds to standard kitchen taps and provides up to 30 gallons an hour of ultra-filtered high quality water for drinking, cooking and other beverages.  Costs work out at  2p a litre / £6.25 a month for a virtually unlimited supply of “healthy water”.  The Energise Your Life website includes an easy installation video link.

Excalibur 4-Tray Dehydrator (£179) – Securing top ratings from Energise Your Life, this world class dehydrator is the model preferred by most people in the raw food community.  Excalibur dehydrators uses a temperature controlled, fan forced, horizontal drying system mounted in the rear. Cool air is drawn in the back, heated and distributed evenly across each tray. During the dehydration process, warm air removes moisture from foods and is pushed out of the front of the machine.  The dehydrator is acclaimed by many well-known leaders in the raw food community including Victorias Kulvinskas, Gabriel Cousins, Cherie Soria and Victoria Boutenko.

The Energise Your Life site is bursting with health-related products as well as advice, price and performance comparison guides, demo videos, useful information and the company offers a delivery service second to none.