Dear members and friends,
Every Saturday I enjoy reading celeb responses to the Q & A section in the Weekend Guardian – so this week – during a crap game of footy – I recorded my own answers:
When were you happiest? I’m as happy now as I’ve ever been: What is your greatest fear? Abandonment: Which living person do most admire? Barak Obama: What trait do you most deplore in yourself? Extreme impatience: What trait do you most deplore in others? Mean spiritedness: Property aside, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve brought? Lot of holidays – mostly to Andalucía: Where would you like to live? East Lothian countryside – sea view: What is your most treasured possession? True friends: What would your superpower be? To move at will to Buddhist calm: Who would play you in a film about your life? Robert Duvall or Gene Hackman: What is your favourite smell? Evening Jasmine: What is your favourite book? The Tao Te Ching: What does love feel like? Belonging – the opposite of abandonment: What is the worst job you’ve ever done? Family fish and chip shop: What is your biggest disappointment? Drinking too much: If you could edit your life, what would you change? Letting down friends: What do you consider your greatest achievement? That I didn’t go mad (yet) – independence of spirit: How do you relax? Books, films, garden: What is the most important thing life has taught you? That it gets easier as you get older – until eventually only kindness makes any sense:
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Craig Dearden-Phillips, who writes well about our social enterprise world, tells in his blog (13th June) that he is hatching a new venture – but that he has switched to the private sector. He has concluded that if you put your ass and your money on the line – you and your family should reap the benefits. No-one can argue with this. If I personally come up with a new money making scheme, I’m not sure if I would do it for myself or ‘community benefit’ – I know it would be a close decision. The important thing, I believe, is to come clean like Craig – do one thing or the other – not blur the issue to deceive yourself and the public. I’m a strong supporter of accreditation for social enterprises because I believe our movement has the potential to attract serious levels of investment – as long as investors can be confident what they’re backing. See Craig’s blog and some interesting reactions. https://senscot.net/?viewid=9662
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DTA Scotland held its 7th Annual Conference last weekend in Aviemore which included the launch of their new website – www.dtascot.org.uk . Over 160 delegates attended where the theme focussed on Community Resilience. Keynote speakers included Pauline Hinchion (CRNS), Micheal Pyner (Chair, DTA England) and Alastair McIntosh (writer and activist). Alastair had a particularly interesting take on community resilience which he believes consists of three elements – resilience of nature; resilience of knowledge; and resilience of the spirit or soul. He has kindly prepared a short summary of his key points for the benefit of Bulletin readers – well worth a look. https://senscot.net/?viewid=9668
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One of my heroes, Muhammad Yunus, will be speaking in Glasgow on July 4th – but my sense is that he’s coming to Scotland in the wrong way – the razzmatazz is more like a Kenny Rogers concert at the SECC. I can hardly believe he enjoys the celeb stuff – he must have the wrong partners – the wrong advice.
http://www.senscot.net/view_event.php?viewid=9672
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Lovely story about writer Jeanette Winterston who has opened a food shop under her restored Georgian Townhouse in London’s Spitalfields. Individual – eccentric – local – made me feel better. I want one near where I stay. https://senscot.net/?viewid=9663
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NOTICES: We can’t flag all notices here, but more jobs, events and tenders available on our website. See http://www.senscot.net/jobsevents.php . This week:
JOBS: Dean and Cauvin Trust, Dundee Contemporary Arts, Turning Point Scotland, Elite Linguists C.I.C, Spruce Carpets, Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living (GCIL), sparqs (Student Participation in Quality Scotland), BBC Children in Need, New Caledonian Woodlands, Children in Scotland, Edinburgh Cyrenians
EVENTS: Understanding Social Enterprise, 24 Jun; Events at Glasgow Women’s Library, 26 Jun; Prove, Improve and Account, 8 Jul; More Than Furniture 2010, 24 Jul; Realising Potential – next steps for social enterprise in Scotland, 2 Sep; Understanding Social Enterprise, 9 Sep; The Facilitative Manager, 17 Sep
TENDERS: Waste Management, Working with people who have a learning disability and complex needs – the essentials, East Glasgow Community Food Project, Supply and Distribution of Fresh Bread and Rolls, 10/0015 Paper, Card & Plastics Recycling Contract, Provision of Training Services Framework
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NETWORKS 1st: Colin writes: The first annual report of the RBS SE100 Index, run in partnership with Social Enterprise Mag, is now out. The Community Banking team at RBS (long time funders of the annual Social Enterprise Conference & Ceilidh at New Lanark) is behind this initiative. The report reflects the progress in the sector in terms of growth and added value, something Senscot is also working to highlight through our Vital Stats Survey, which we believe will complement the information being uncovered by the SE 100 Index. For more Networks News, see http://www.senscot.net/networks1st/showart.php?articleid=144
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Spruce Carpets is on the look-out for a new Chairperson. After five years, Spruce is now well established and is looking for someone who can lead the organisation through its next stage of development. See role description and person spec, http://www.senscot.net/view_job.php?viewid=9661
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Morvern Community Development Company is looking to recruit a full time Development Officer for what looks like a very enterprising bunch of people. https://senscot.net/?viewid=9673
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In April, the bulletin ran a survey on behalf of Triodos Bank asking if the needs of social enterprises are being met by their existing banking partners. The results of the survey suggest that just a quarter of Scottish social enterprises are happy with their bank – but less than half have considered doing something about it. Their report considers this mismatch. See more. http://www.senscot.net/view_news.php?viewid=9665
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We are starting to emerge from a global compulsion to turn our whole planet – and everything on it – into a money making machine. It’s been a disaster and now we are told that there’s no money – that we’ll have to live differently; but still none of our leaders is really committed to the alternative values of sustainability. Rare interview with social entrepreneur Gordon Roddick (Body Shop, Big Issue etc) – he tells it the way it is: ‘‘ In the current system, if we don’t keep buying refrigerators and cars, the banks panic and everything goes into meltdown. I’d rather settle for a 3 day week – with much less purchasing – cut out waste.’’
https://senscot.net/?viewid=9664
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The profile, this week, revisits Greyfriars Recycling of Wood (GRoW) in Edinburgh’s old town to co-incide with the launch of their new website (www.growgreyfriars.com). GRoW is one of several new mini-businesses established as part of the Grassmarket Community Project (GCP) to provide work, training and life opportunities for people who have had long term homelessness and dependency problems. The business produces a range of high quality goods made from recycled church pews. Further social businesses are planned in the near future as well as a move to new premises. See more,
http://www.senscot.net/view_prof.php?viewid=9660
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The writer Malcolm Gladwell wrote: ‘‘My father would cry reading Dickens to us as kids. These are the passages I remember.’’ Carl Jung wrote: ‘‘One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers – but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material – but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.’’
That’s all for this week. Good luck with your adventures
Best wishes,
Laurence
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