Sharing knowledge to support social enterprise

Social entrepreneur Liz Brooks-Allen will speak at Teesside University as part of a series of events aimed at supporting social enterprise.

Liz, partner in social entrepreneurs The Connectives, will look at the role of social entrepreneurs in the public sector at a special networking event at Teesside University from 12.00pm to 2.00pm on Thursday 14 February.

In her talk, Liz will outline the role of social entrepreneurs and social enterprises as partners in the delivery of public sector services. Liz will present her talk in the University’s Phoenix Building, Room G1.3. The full programme includes networking, lunch and a welcome from Kate Welch, chief executive of Acumen Development Trust. For details about booking a place contact Nazia Ali on 01642 384553 or email bic@tees.ac.uk.

This event forms part of Teesside University’s commitment to embed social enterprise in higher education. A social enterprise is an organisation which applies commercial strategies to maximise improvements in human and environmental well-being, rather than boost profits for external shareholders.

Earlier this year, the University was awarded £25,000 by social entrepreneurship charity UnLtd to help support social enterprise as part of a new initiative by the Higher Education Funding Council.

Teesside is one of 56 higher education institutions to be chosen for the scheme, which will provide help with setting up a social enterprise business to students, staff and graduate with innovative solutions to pressing problems in society.

Laura Woods, Director of Academic Enterprise at Teesside University, said: “Our aim is to promote and support the growth of social enterprise among staff, students, businesses and the wider community and to embed this activity in everything that we do.”

Teesside University offers a complete range of specific social enterprise workshops in an enterprise development programme to help people gain new skills to achieve their goals. Anyone interested can contact Eileen Wicks on 01642 384640 or email edp@tees.ac.uk.

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