SSE Forum
On 9 February 2010, the NZ Centre for Social Innovation convened a forum focused on “Supporting Social Entrepreurs: What Works”, generously hosted by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Approximately 130 participants from the public, private and community sectors gathered to explore the potential to develop a School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) on the highly-successful UK model in NZ.
“We recognize the need to build and invest into something that’s sustainable and scalable.”- Justine Munro (CEO of the NZ Centre for Social Innovation)
Forum participants were invited to discuss four key areas:
- What is a social entrepreneur?
- Why are social entrepreneurs important?
- What support do social entrepreneurs need?
- What support does NZ currently provide?
An inspiring panel discussion facilitated by Susan Wood, provided insight into these areas while Charlotte Young (Chair of SSE UK) and Steve Lawrence (Founder of SSE Australia) shared their experiences, success stories and the need for such initiative.
Charlotte Young sees that “social entrepreneurs have a common set of characteristics…they have a transformative effect on community.”
Steve Lawrence states: “There are massive problems coming down the pipeline. Governments have invested so much in the system; they aren’t designing the systems for the future.”
He believes there is extraordinary entrepreneurial capability in NZ and social entrepreneurs at the coal face of communities can create innovative solutions to address these problems.
The SSE brings a different learning model to that of the current formal education system. Social entrepreneurs don’t learn by being taught, they learn by action. They need support from people who have done it, with whom they can talk and establish long-term mentoring relationships. This is the purpose of the SSE.
Next Steps
The NZ Centre for Social Innovation is now working with a committed group of public, private and community sector partners to develop a School for Social Entrepreneurs in NZ, commencing in Auckland in early 2011. We are developing a website to provide ongoing information about the project and opportunities to contribute. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more, please contact Samara Strachan
Resources
- Summary of the Supporting Social Entrepreneurs: What Works Forum, Auckland, Tues 9 Feb 2010, hosted by PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Video highlights of the Supporting Social Entrepreneurs: What Works Forum
- Photos of the Supporting Social Entrepreneurs: What Works Forum
- Summary of the “Sustainable Paths to Community Development” workshop facilitated by Justine Munro, Charlotte Young and Steve Lawrence held at the NZ Community Economic Development Conference, Waitakere, 9-11 February 2010
- Charlotte Young’s workshop presentations at the NZ Community Economic Development Conference
Thanks
We are very grateful for the support of:
- Event Partner
- Susan Wood Communications
- yMedia
- Mindful Adventures Ltd
- British Council
The School for Social Entrepreneurs
is a stand-out model internationally for supporting social entrepreneurs. Founded in London in 1997, it is now franchised in 11 regional schools across the UK, Ireland and Australia, with other schools in development. In the UK, there are now over 400 SSE Fellows, with over 85% of all organizations established whilst at the SSE still in existence. Check out the website on www.sse.org.uk
News
A School for NZ Social Entrepreneurs
We’re building a dedicated training and support programme for our social entrepreneurs.
More »Australian Centre Launches
The SA Government-funded Australian Centre for Social Innovation launches with a Social Innovation Challenge, a focus on design-thinking and an emphasis on collaboration to find creative solutions to tough social problems.
More »
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