CASE STUDIES
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3 million pound environmental development programme - Greater Morpeth Development Trust >
- We wrote a 3 million pound proposal for Liveability funding to develop and enhance the environment and improve service delivery, involving the creation of a number of environmental work programmes, along the Wansbeck corridor in Morpeth
Result: The bid was written in less than six weeks and was successful. We were involved in setting up the Greater Morpeth Development Trust to carry forward a major part of the Liveability programme. - View Project Website >
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- A Development Trust for Berwick
- Berwick Development Trust >
- We were asked to look at appropriate delivery mechanisms for the regeneration of Berwick. We researched the need, held events and used the media to create an innovative Development Trust for Berwick based on a federated approach.
- View Project Website >
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- A European social franchising network
- Social Franchising Network UK >
- We managed INSPIREs transnational activities and organised a number of events and spoke about INSPIRE at a number of European events.
Result:
We helped establish European Social Franchising Network an independent company and have been elected to coordinate it. We are currently organising to launch ESFN working with our MEPs ESFN is promoting social franchising, setting standards for social franchises and promoting our social franchise member across Europe. - View Project Website >
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- An employment agency for disabled people in Sheffield
- De-Ploy >
- We researched and developed proposals for a new type of employment agency to support disabled people find and stay in work linked to employers and agencies working with disabled people.
Results: We produced a business plan for a city centre based agency, De-Ploy, which has been established. - View Project Website >
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- Business Planning
- Shetland Soap Company >
- We worked with COPE Limited and Social Firms UK to produce business plan for a new soap manufacturing and retailing social firm, the Shetland Soap Company.
Result: The business has proved highly successful. - View Project Website >
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Business Planning - Team Fostering >
- We prepared the business plan for Team Fostering North East
Result: Loan finance was secured, resulting in the establishment of what was to become the Norths leading not-for-profit foster care agency currently working with a dozen Local Authorities. Teams mission is to offer the best outcomes for children and the best value for Local Authorities. TF has offices in North Tyneside, Darlington + South Yorkshire. There are no shareholders and no profits are distributed. It is a growing company with experienced management + carers, whose selection is rigorous. Its origin makes it very ethical, very value for money oriented for local authority clients and totally committed to the needs of children/carers.
EPLs ongoing intervention has involved:
A strategic review
Legal and organisational structure advice
Business plan preparation
Assembly of patient capital financial package - View Project Website >
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Community Managed Workspace - Gateshead Citizen Advice Bureau >
- Economic Partnerships have been involved in preparing a number of community work-space feasibility studies. In particular we have researched and written the following business plans, all of which have been developed and are running successfully:
Gateshead CAB Incubator
Amble Community Enterprise Centre (Fourways Phase 1)
Blyth Valley Community Enterprise & Resource Centre
Haltwhistle Partnership Resource Store
Uniun Depot managed workspace in Pegswood, Northumberland
Dawdon Community Centre providing space for community activity and a range of statutory bodies in County Durham
Ellington Community Activity Centre - View Project Website >
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- Development of Earth Balance Social Firms
- Earth Balance >
- We developed a proposal with Earth Balance, the sustainability centre, and Northumberland College to develop social firms and submitted a £600,000 bid for Horizon
Result: The bid was successful and a brewery, a garden centre and recycled clothes social firms were established at Earth Balance. - View Project Website >
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Establishing a mental health consortium - Mental Health North East >
- Funded by Government Office North East, and on behalf of a number of mental health organisations, we developed a third sector mental health consortium. This has involved mapping the sector and researching its needs and regional conference to consider the value of a consortium that attracted over 100 agencies.
Results: Mental Health North East has been established and has enabled members to enhance their share of the mental health care market. - View Project Website >
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Establishing a regional network - North East Social Enterprise Partnerships >
We set up and then co-ordinated the North East Social Enterprise Partnerships in 2004.
Results:
We helped establish NESEP as major regional player with nearly 200 members, most of whom are social enterprises. It has been highlighted by the Department of Trade and Industry as an example of good practice in Social Enterprise: A Strategy for Success. As part of our work for NESEP we produced the Social Enterprise Regional Action Plan, which was endorsed by the Regional Development Agency, One North East, ran the Value Based Business Advisor Training and ran a number of events attracting up to 200 people.
- View Project Website >
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- Evaluation and development of Community Enterprise Northumberland
- Community Enterprise Northumberland >
- We carried out an extensive evaluation of the impact of the project involving all stakeholders and a wide range of social enterprises for the Local Strategic Partnership.
Result; Our recommendations have been accepted. Social Enterprise Northumberland has been established and is now fully funded.
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- Externalisation & The Exchange
- The Exchange >
- EPL have pioneered the development of public sector ‘externalisation methodologies’ including the development of the ‘Exchange Model’ - an ‘air lock’ between public sector day care services and the world of enterprise. The Exchange model offers a bespoke service for Health & Local Authority Social Care seeking to ‘externalise’ their traditional public sector ran day-care services for adults with learning disabilities & mental health problems into independent social firms, social and micro enterprises.
A pilot Exchange is currently operating in the North East.
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- Goodwin Development Trust Doula Project
- Goodwin Development Trust Doula Project >
- Economic Partnerships were engaged by the Goodwin Development Trust to develop a social franchise model to replicate the success of the Hull-based and award winning social enterprise, ‘Goodwin Doula Service’ - an effective business model, whose primary social purpose is to train local women to become volunteer doulas and support women who have no or very little support through pregnancy and childbirth. The overall aim of the Doula service is to provide information and support to enable volunteers to confidently and competently offer emotional and physical support to expectant mothers throughout the volunteering period and birth.
The Doula Project was motivated by local women who wanted to do something positive for other women in the face of harsh social and economic conditions.
The key objective of the EPL consultancy was to deliver a scoping/feasibility study designed to examine the potential for ‘rolling out’ the Newland Volunteer Doula Project to other locations in the UK though social franchising and replication. The work comprised of:- Approach & Vision
- Preparation Of Prospectus and the ‘Franchise Offer’
- Opportunities and potential locations/Discussions/negotiations with potential commissioners & potential partner organisations
- Examination of funding opportunities
- View Project Website >
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Interim Management - Social Enterprise Partnership (GB) Limited >
- Turning a national social enterprise programme around.
The Social Enterprise Partnership (SEP) DP asked us to provide management support, help them redevelop their programme, and improve their management systems.
Result: We successfully accomplished this work to the satisfaction of SEP who went on to manage a successful programme and their main funders, who released all outstanding funding
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Interim Management - Social Firms North East >
- We have acted as contract managers for SFNE since 2000. During that time we have successfully prepared and project managed a number of significant externally funded business development programmes.
- View Project Website >
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Legal Sructures & Incorporation - Rapid Enterprise Development (RED) CIC >
- EPL have advised on the legal incorporation of a range of companies, charities and CICs:
Red Initiatives CIC
Counted4 CIC
Family Matters CIC
NESEP Ltd
VIVA CIC
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National dissemination strategy for social enterprise - The Social Enterprise Coalition >
- For the Social Enterprise Coalition, we were appointed to develop a dissemination strategy to support all theme D (social enterprise) Round 1 Equal partnerships.
Result: The strategy was accepted by all theme D partnerships and was implemented by SEC.
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- South Tyneside Healthy Living Centre
- South Tyneside Healthy Living Centre >
- We developed a business plan and secured the funding for a £4.3 million Healthy Living Centre in South Tyneside. This involved extensive consultation and the creation of an innovative ILMS to employ local people to provide a range of health and transport related services and greatly improve their job prospects.
Funding for the centre was secured, and the project has had major impact on the area.
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- The UKs most successful social franchising programme
- Social Franchising Network UK >
- We developed and wrote proposals for the INSPIRE R&D programme to set up social franchises and went on to direct it.
Results:
We secured £1.2 million from the ESF EQUAL programme and One North East to develop environmental care and culture and tourism enterprises. We worked on establishing Community Renewable Energy, Option C car club, Viva CIC to develop health care social enterprises and New leaf (etc!?). As part of this work, we helped establish Care and Share Associates, Britain's most successful social franchise, which replicates the Sunderland Home Care Associates business model which helped them win 2007 years Social Enterprise of the Year Award.
We have established INSPIRE as an independent agency to promote social franchising and the franchising opportunities of our members. As part of this, we wrote "Opposites Attract - A Guide to Social Franchising." - View Project Website >