Plymouth Social Enterprise festival
Plymouth’s Festival of Social Enterprise: Social Enterprise City has been hailed as a great success and re-booked for next year
While the dust still settles, there is little rest for members of Plymouth Social Enterprise Network as business and the growing social enterprise sector never sleeps.
The festival saw social enterprise business leaders from across the country converge on Plymouth the second annual Social Enterprise City Festival, a week-long programme of conferences, trade events and celebrations.
There were two conferences; a Meet the Buyers with the National Housing Federation; a seminar around women in social enterprise; the launch of Plymouth Directory and Social Enterprise; a panel debate and innovative forms of business finance and even a Cider Night in aid of Plymouth Apple Day Festival.
The centre piece of the week was the Social Enterprise City Trade, at University of Plymouth’s Roland Levinsky Building. The trade fair was fully booked with stall holders and saw keynote presentations from Sara Burgess, the head CIC Regulator; Lucy Findley CEO of the Social Enterprise Mark Co and; Keith Starling CFO from Big Society Capital.
Ed Whitelaw, lead developer for RIO and PSEN executive said: “Some of the city’s biggest employers are social enterprises; it’s not surprising that they create a real if you put them all together in one place.”
Martin Atkins from Francis Clark Accountants, the lead sponsor of the festival, said: “I am really pleased with how things went, congratulations to you and all involved for making the week a great success.”
With the success of the festival the venues have been booked again for next year’s Social Enterprise City festival .
Ed said: “The festival was a real community effort, the whole network came together to make it happen, I’d particularly like to thank the University of Plymouth for hosting us, they we’re fantastic.”
