THE PEOPLE
Michael Berriman
BA History, MSc Enterprise Studies, Diploma in Environmental Management, Diploma in Business Excellence, Memberships of Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment and Institute of Business Advisors.
An experienced practitioner within the social economy as well as the wider enterprise agenda, Michael has worked with businesses and groups at all stages of their development, from idea generation to start-up to growth.
After spending a number of years working within mainstream business support, Michael moved on to head the DTI-backed Phoenix project within Durham Cooperative Development Association. This was a ‘fast-track’ project looking at tackling social exclusion via enterprise. With the untimely demise of the CDA, Michael successfully sought the backing of the DTI to ‘move’ the project to (and subsequently introduce to social enterprise) Business Link County Durham.
Managing the project, until its completion in April 2004, with a staffing level of 9 and a budget of just under £1m, Michael’s key achievements were:
- The development of 31 new-start social enterprises within County Durham.
- The creation of over 70 FTE new jobs to the County.
- National recognition for the work of BLCD within disadvantaged communities, from not only the Business Links nationally but also the much wider regeneration sector. (Recognised in the ‘Leading Lights’ DTI Publication)
- Being appointed as a founder Director of the North East Social Enterprise Partnership (NESEP), a body supported by ONE North East as the regional voice for the sector.
- Lead member of the team responsible for evaluating nationally the impact of the Phoenix Development Fund – 93 projects were successful in securing a total of £29m.
- The development of the regions first Social Accounting project – supporting enterprises of all sizes to evaluate the impact they make and subsequently reporting upon it.
- Managing a project to map the wants and needs of socials enterprises within County Durham, the provision locally to support those needs as well as the provision to meet identified gaps.
Michael is a trustee of a charity (UCR8 Community Arts) set up to boost learning across the school curriculum through the use of creative arts techniques, music and movement. He is also a director of its wholly owned trading arm.
Other directorships include; Teeny Tiny Films Ltd (a rural-based film making cooperative) and Option C (a community-owned car club, innovatively developed as a social franchise model).
Most recently he has, with others from the local Community Recycling Network, set up ResNet N.E. Ltd to broker ‘a waste exchange’.
He is registered with the N.E. England Service Provider Register and works regularly with Regen School North as a business mentor specialising in strategy and business planning.
For Economic Parnterships, Mike led on
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