Immpact - journeying towards sustainability

The 'Who Me?' programme is a 'Leaders for Transformation' initiative being delivered by the Messines Association. It seeks to provide participants with the necessary skills to improve their understanding of how ommunities are formed and how they work and enable them to gain the skills and knowledge that to support individuals play a fuller part in the life of their comunity. For further details download the attached 'Leaders for Transformation' pdf and for further information contact Harry Donaghy of The Messines Association  at;

Leaders For Transformation
45-47 Donegall Street
Belfast
BT1 2FG
Phone: 028 90961111
Fax: 028 90961110
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Almost 1.3 million people, or 3.4 per cent of the working population, are employed in social enterprise, according to a five-year survey of social entrepreneurship in the UK. The research, carried out by Delta Economics, also found that women and people from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities are more likely to be social entrepreneurs than men or people from the white community.

One of IMMPACT's direct frontline participants is Extern - a charity working with partners, providing high quality, innovative and community based services for people who have complex needs.  The charitable organisation has recently launched it’s new social enterprise 'Extern Recycle' - a recycling project in partnership with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Council for the Homeless and Rehab Recycle, based in the Republic of Ireland has been in operation since December 2007 in its new factory in Mallusk. This new business will reduce the amount of electronic waste going into landfill sites while also offering a unique training scheme specifically aimed at getting homeless people into work.

It aims to promote opportunities for social enterprises to do more business – by selling to each other, selling to the public and private sectors, and selling to the general public. Entries in the Directory are free to both existing and new or emerging social enterprises setting-up, established or already trading in Northern Ireland.

To search the directory online go to www.bigblackbook.org or to register the tradeable products and services your organisation provides via the website.

Today sees the public and much anticipated launch of the IMMPACT website.  The IMMPACT initiative is a response to the rapidly changing grant funding, administrative and policy environments impacting on the Voluntary and Community sector in Northern Ireland.   IMMPACT explores a range of finance and income generation options to develop sustainable funding in supporting frontline organisations meet their mission. 

Our IMMPACT Infrastructure Partner, Social Economy Solutions (RISE) are pleased to invite you to their conference on 'Networking & Sustainability in the Third Sector' - a unique cross-border event which brings together key stakeholders from the community and public sector to present, network and discuss on the developmental agenda for community and social enterprise organisations in Ireland, North and South.

IMMPACT cordially invite you to a masterclass in Social Auditing by John Pearce, author of Social Enterprise in Anytown. 

Our IMMPACT Infrastructure Partner, Early Years, the organisation for young children will be holding their Annual General Meeting & International Conference on the theme of 'Eager and Able to Learn' in City Hotel, Derry from 11th-13th June.