Celebrate Entrepreneurship
at Liverpool Hope University's Creative Campus
Business Networking Lunch
Thursday 15th March, 12:00 - 14:00
Great Hall, Cornerstone Building, Creative Campus (Everton)
A Business Networking Lunch will take place on Thursday 15th March, sponsored by Weightmans, as a Global Entrepreneurship Congress fringe event. It will run alongside a Trade Fair showcasing the talent of our entrepreneurial students and graduates.
We are delighted to announce that our keynote speaker will be Steve Jackson, CEO and Founder of Recycling Lives Ltd. His topic will be "Social Enterprise and Corporate Social Responsibility are good for business". Steve won the Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2010 and his commercial recycling services support his social welfare charity, which helps vulnerable people to work their way back to independent living.
Jordan Wright, a graduate of Liverpool Hope University, who runs Little League Sports alongside his friend and business partner Joe Mulhearn, will share his experience of setting up his business. Little League Sports won the 2011 Morgan Foundation Award for Best Entrepreneurial Charity or Social Enterprise in Liverpool, as well as being runner up in the Young Entrepreneur Award category.
Weightmans, our sponsor for the fringe event, will also give an insight to their views on entrepreneurship.
We hope that you will be able to join us. The event will run from 12:00 - 14:00 and will include a buffet lunch. Places are limited so if you would like to attend, please contact Becky Rawlinson as soon as possible by email:
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or by telephone: 0151 291 3005.
Enterprise and Politics - What is the impact on your business?
The morning of Thursday 8th December 2011 saw an eventful and engaging Business Breakfast with political debate, beneficial connections and a full English breakfast. The third event in the Business Breakfast Networking Series at Liverpool Hope University brought together businessmen and women from a range of companies, NGOs and Social Enterprises to discuss Enterprise and Politics and how it impacts on business. Clarity was brought to the discussion as Francis Davis, Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State at the Department of Communities and Local Government, and previously strategic advisor to the Labour Government, spoke on the subject of "Next Left, Next Right: Enterprise After The Big Society".
Francis stressed that the views he gave were his own personal opinions and not those of any specific political parties. His presentation surrounding decentralisation and the cutting of red tape for SMEs resounded with many of the businesses represented. It certainly made some people rethink their views of "The Big Society". The questions that followed led to a lively debate, which could have gone on for much longer but for time constraints. However, many people stayed on to continue talking to Francis and others took the opportunity for further networking in the EDEN Cafe.
The event also brought an opportunity to congratulate four companies run by Hope graduates and, in two instances, their business partners. Liverpool Hope University, in conjunction with O2, set up a scheme whereby Hope graduates took part in a competitive business pitch to win a £5000 - £10000 loan and incubation space plus other business support. Liverpool Hope University provided the funding to assist these companies in starting and developing their businesses, while O2 have supported the activity in judging the pitches as well as offering the companies the opportunity to meet some of their innovators and business executives at the O2 HQ in Slough. Ann McCracken, Communications Manager from O2 and Hope Business Gateway's Chief Executive Martin Carey presented a certificate and bumper sized cheque to each of the four businesses.
The successful competitors were:
DeeLyn:: Jewellery and Ceramic Design. DeeLyn Walsh, a graduate in Design with a first class honours degree, specialises in hand crafted silver and mixed-media jewellery and unique sculptural ceramics for the design conscious with an ethical and ecological conscience.
Culture or Corruption (also known as C.C. Clothing Company Ltd). Jason Dowling graduated from Hope in 2011 with an honours degree in Business Studies and set up Culture or Corruption with his business partners Bradley Farley and Dayne Forster. Their initial idea is to introduce a modern T-shirt design business taking its inspiration from 1920-1950's America. They will use both famous and infamous scenes from American history to create a unique twist to their distinctive clothing. The company recently showcased their products during Liverpool Fashion week.
RMD - Memory Matters. Donna Redgrave graduated in 2010 with a BA Hons in Creative and Performing Arts. She was highly commended in the Best Young Entrepreneur category at the Morgan Foundation Entrepreneur Awards at the end of 2010. RMD - Memory Matters provides interactive workshops for dementia patients and carers, combining elements of reminiscence, music and dance.
Little League Sports. Jordan Wright graduated from Hope in 2008 and has been busy with his business ever since. Noticing that there was very little low cost, quality sports coaching on offer in South Liverpool, Jordan and his business partner Joe Mulhearn endeavoured to meet this need through creating Little League Sports, a social enterprise with social aims around health and fitness. Jordan and Joe recently won the 2011 Morgan Award for Best Entrepreneurial Charity or Social Enterprise in Liverpool.
Click here for further information on the O2 Graduate Enterprise Award Scheme.
The Role of Charity Bank and Social Financing in the Big Society
Liverpool Hope University hosted a Business Breakfast on Tuesday, 25th October 2011, sponsored by Liverpool Vision. Local business people and representatives from both the academic and enterprise units of the University met in the new EDEN Cafe for a first class buffet breakfast and then moved to the new Lecture Theatre and listened to Simon Thorrington from Charity Bank who shared his views on "The Role of Charity Bank and Social Financing in the Big Society".
Simon is Charity Bank's Regional Director in the North with a portfolio of client relationships mainly in the North West, and responsibility for strategic management across the North of England, having been with Charity Bank since 2006, initially as North West Regional Manager.
Simon delivered an excellent presentation which gave a brief history of Charity Bank explaining who they are and what they do. He also mentioned some current initiatives including new tools and methods, as well as giving some reference to the Government's vision for growing the Social Investment Market and Big Society Capital. Simon stated that Charity Bank provides a bridge between people and organisations who want to use their spare funds for the benefit of society, and those enterprising community organisations who are best placed to deliver solutions.
Simon provided the audience with some case studies of social enterprises in the North West that had received support from Charity Bank. These were:
- The Black-E, Liverpool: Arts & Training in deprived area: £100K loan, £5m capital refurb. New office tenancies and community facilities.
- East Lancashire Deaf Society: Loan of £600K for £2.5m new office accommodation, restaurant and social care services, for the profoundly deaf community.
- Heron Corn Mill: Hydro-electric scheme. £500K capital investment, £325K grants, £175K loans. Will reduce grant dependency by increasing income by £80K per annum. Attracts new educational service-users andother visitors. Reconnects with history.
Feedback from the delegates was positive with a number of people staying to discuss in more detail the ways in which Charity Bank coud help their own organisation. Carol Buckman, Hope Business Gateway Manager and organiser of the Busines Breakfast Networking Series, said "Simon gave an excellent presentation, which was both interesting and inspiring. It certainly made me think about how I invest my savings and how I might do so in the future". Simon also left us to consider whether Enterprise based upon social values is the future. What do you think?
Charity Bank Presentation 25.10.11 (619.66 kB)
Liverpool Hope University hosted a Business Breakfast on Thursday 23 June 2011, sponsored by Liverpool Vision. The event began in the new EDEN cafe, where local business people and representatives from both the academic and enterprise units of the University met for a buffet breakfast and an opportunity to network. The delegates moved to the new Lecture Theatre to hear John Young, Agent for the Bank of England, talk about the state of the UK economy.
John gave a first class presentation using a dry humour and in language that the layman or woman could understand and painted a far more positive picture than might have been expected. He showed how businesses were improving especially in the Manufacturing industries and some elements of Construction too. John stressed how International Markets were playing an important role in this recovery. However, when a question was asked by Wayne Malcolm of Agent Marketing about how the North West compared to other parts of the country, John did say it was flatter here than in the South. London was doing particularly well and had excellent links with the global economy, although there are some positive signs in this region too.
Consumer confidence is the issue that will decide how soon the country will ride out the recession. If this picks up and people start spending again then the recovery the Bank is expecting will be seen in the early part of 2012. Maybe all of us who attended the event and those who read this article can play their part in spending some of our hard earned cash in the local economy! Feedback from the delegates was very positive.
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