TogetherWorks, the Social Enterprise network for Greater Manchester, has been commissioned to deliver a series of workshops to participants from Bury Council's adult services team. The workshops are tailored to enable the local authourity to better understand and work with social enterprises in an environment where councils are increasingly having to think and act in more flexible and socially entrepreneurial ways.

Using expert social enterprise practitioners from around Greater Manchester, these courses introduce the group to some of the basic concepts associated with the Social Enterprise sector and provide training in some key skills. The course concludes with a visit to a unique local authority externalisation project in Tameside, providing a valuable peer learning opportunity demonstration the practical application of social enterprise concepts.

To enquire about TogetherWork's bespoke range of social enterprise training courses please contact admin@togetherworks.org.uk

The course outline in full:

An introduction to Social Enterprise - Adrian Ashton, Independent consultant
Basic elements: Why set up social enterprises? - What makes it different from other business forms - Types of social enterprise - Examples of successful social enterprises

Adrian Ashton is a nationally recognised, approved and accredited provider of advice, consultancy, training and research to various social enterprises, charities and other organisations. Working with various sector bodies, individual enterprises, universities and government departments and agencies, he offers support on a range of issues through a variety of formats, including formally structured training programmes, research and lobbying policy and legislation. He is widely published, and regularly asked to contribute to national media and publications.

Basic business planning - Rachel Summerscales, Independent consultant
Basic elements: Basics of a business plan - income and expenditure - market research - assessing the competition - income streams and sources - funding vs earned income - putting it all together - real life examples.

Rachel Summerscales began working on City Farms in London in 1995 and then caught the Third Sector bug. After several years and several projects she went freelance and now supports charities and social enterprises with business planning, project development and fundraising. She gained a unique insight into the 'other side' of fundraising through working as both an Adviser and Assessor for several major Lottery programmes. As a trained mentor she provides an invaluable role to stressed out managers, and as a trained facilitator she supports whole organisation strategic and business planning.

An introduction to accountancy - Paul Cowham – Director, Slade and Cooper
Basic elements: accounting records - systems - budgeting - business control - compliance (e.g. VAT, corp tax, employment issues).

Paul Cowham is a Director of Slade and Cooper Accountants, where he has worked since 2004. Paul is Associate Chartered Accountant qualified and recently gained his Diploma in Charity Accounting. Two areas of work that interest him in particular are governance and VAT, both of which can have a major impact on the clients he works with. Slade and Cooper specialise in in the charity, social enterprise and non-profit sectors. Paul also works on a voluntary basis as the treasurer or the charity "Musicians Without Borders".

Company structures - Gerard Devlin, Legal Services, Co-ops UK
Basic elements: an introduction to the common legal structures for social enterprises - a run through of pros and cons of each model - how each model involves different stakeholders - the legal implications.

Ged has worked in the Legal Services Team at Co-operatives UK for four years and during this time he has advised hundreds of organisations working within the co-operative, mutual and social enterprise sector. Ged has experience of advising both end users and support providers of the role that governance and the appropriate legal form can play in the viability of any prospective business. Ged has contributed to several of the publications produced by or in conjunction with Co-operatives UK, including the 'Simply Legal' publication, the highly regarded guide to legal forms and organisational types for community enterprises.

Marketing for beginners - Jonathan Atkinson, Consultant, lowwintersun
Basic elements: Putting together a marketing plan - know your audience - the importance of market research - communicating effectively - how to work with designers.

Jonathan Atkinson is the lead consultant for lowwintersun, a social enterprise and co-operative development consultancy. Jonathan specialises in business development and support, marketing and communications and community-based research. Lowwintersun works in environmental, food growing and health and wellbeing sectors. Clients range from new start-ups to local authorities looking to establish new social enterprise-run services.

Park Café Peer
Learning Event Visit to the Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council-run project, to learn about their innovative approach to care, well-being and employment for users with learning disabilities.

Presentations and panel discussion with Alison Shockledge from the Park Café, Jonathan Atkinson and Ingrid Galbraith from Topaz Cafe and Tameside, Oldham and Glossop Mind. Ingrid Galbraith is the Social Enterprise Manager at Tameside Oldham and Glossop Mind, which runs an innovative well-being centre focusing on open access, preventative mental health and well-being support. She manages Topaz Café, a vegetarian social enterprise café which is an integral part of the centre, both in terms of the well-being message and as an easy access point to the rest of the services. Ingrid works with paid staff, volunteers, her Executive Committee and in partnership with other agencies. She manages current projects and services, oversees training programmes and is responsible for the development of new business opportunities. Her role involves both operational and strategic management and she oversees both social enterprises and grant funded projects.