Abbònati

September 2014

A Vita Europe selection of civil society events around Europe

di Cristina Barbetta

Listed events (for further descriptions of events and links scroll down):
28 August-4 September 2014, Kopaniec, Poland, Active Youth for Active Europe
1-4 September 2014, Northampton, UK,  6th International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC)
2-6  September 2014, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, OpenLivingLab Days 2014  
3 September 2014, Brussels, Belgium, EU policy agenda for Social Enterprise: what next?
4 September 2014, Birmingham, UK, Social Business Angel Focus Group
4 September 2014, London, UK, The Young Foundation presents: How to go from seeds to soup: Growing social enterprises in the community
4 September 2014, Birmingham, UK, Investment Readiness and Pitching Workshop for Social Enterprises
8-9 September 2014, Helsinki, Finland, The European Employers' Forum for Work-Life Balance
8-14 September 2014, Milan, Italy, Summer School 4 social entrepreneurs 
9 September 2014, London, UK, SROI Practitioner Training 
9 September 2014, London, UK, SIG Health & Social Care 
11-12 September 2014, London, UK, Trading for Sustainability ( 6 days over 3 months)
 11-12  September 2014, Birmingham, UK, Hospice Brings Together Experts
12  September 2014, Brighton, UK, Brighton and Hove Social Enterprise Event
13 September 2014, UK, Social Saturday
17 September 2014, London, UK, Sources of Funding for Charities and Social Enterprises workshop 
17-19 September 2014, Turin, Italy, The Cities of Tomorrow: the Challenges of Horizon 2020 Conference
25-29 September 2014, Thessaloniki,Greece, Creative Entrepreneurship, Active Citizenship: Opportunities for EuroMed Youth 
27 September  2014, Wembley, UK, Enterprise Unleashed Conference and Expo
  
 
28 August-4 September 2014, Kopaniec, Poland 
Active Youth for Active Europe
Active Youth for Active Europe is an eight-day training course dedicated to people working with youth. The course will be held from 28 August to 4 September 2014, in the village of Kopaniec, near Jelenia Gora (Poland) and under the new Erasmus+ funding rules, you could have 100% of your travel costs reimbursed!  The project is open to 30 participants from ten programme countries: Malta, Italy, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Croatia, Macedonia, United Kingdom, Slovenia, Romania and Poland. The programme will address the topic of unemployment, which has become an extremely dangerous social problem, destructing the social tissue, the economic and social security systems and the mental health of young people, who encounter impassable barriers to find employment. This problem is especially present among certain groups of young people: minorities, certain ethnic groups, people from poor areas or coming from disadvantaged families, less educated youths or young people with various disabilities. Exclusion from the labour market often leads to marginalisation and exclusion from participation in the wider society. Special emphasis should be put on working with young people from groups that are in a particularly difficult situation in the labour market. Activities in the project will help youth workers to gain and deepen their knowledge and exchange good practices.
 
1-4  September 2014, Northampton, UK 
 6th International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC)
The 6th International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC) is an open conference that brings together scholars from around the globe to discuss the role of innovation in social businesses, social movements, not-for-profits, state actors, and the broader social economy.
To celebrate the designation of the University of Northampton as the UK's first AshokaU Changemaker Campus dedicated to large scale social innovation, this year's conference is being held at the University of Northampton in partnership with Ashoka UK, AshokaU, the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford (2013 host), University of York (2015 host), and Yunus Centre for Social Business & Health Glasgow Caledonian (2016 host). It will host keynote speeches from Professor Alex Nicholls from the University of Oxford and Marina Kim, co-founder of Ashoka U.
 
2-6  September 2014, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
OpenLivingLab Days 2014
OpenLivingLab Days is the annual summit of the worldwide Living Lab community integrated with the popular ENoLL Summer School (5th edition). Organised in Amsterdam from the 2nd to the 6th of September by theEuropean Network of Living Labs (ENoLL) together with Waag Society,Amsterdam Economic Board, and the City of Amsterdam.
This annual event reaches a worldwide, varied audience and is made up of different modules: the popular ENoLL Summer School, open workshops, interactive sessions, excursions and off-site visits with the overall aim to give participants a wider insight about models, theories and technologies related to Living Labs and innovation.
The theme of this year's event is “The art of Living in a Lab; creative, smart & innovative cities & communities” where topics such as Smart Cities, eHealth, Future Internet, Open Data, Creativity & Social Innovation will be at the forefront of discussions for our global audience of Living Lab and innovation practitioners and  researchers.
 
3 September 2014, Brussels, Belgium
EU policy agenda for Social Enterprise: what next?
What do social enterprises need for a better ecosystem? 8 months after the Strasbourg event, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)  assesses the current situation, in terms of legal framework, economic environment, public and private support and mentalities, to identify the new priorities and suggest the next EU policy agenda.
The EESC, actively involved in this field, has drafted a substantial number ofopinions that have contributed to and supported the European Commission elaboration of the Social Business Initiative (SBI) in 2011.
In the framework of its Social Enterprise project (aimed at handing over policy recommendations to the next Commission and the next Parliament), the EESC is organising a Public Hearing that will take place on 3 September from 9.00 am till 1.00 pm. This hearing will gather stakeholders from the European institutions and  the civil society to discuss this issue.
 
4 September 2014, Birmingham, UK
Social Business Angel Focus Group
An opportunity for individuals interested in social and impact investing to investigate the options and hear from some social enterprises.
The first part of this event will be a focus group for a small number of interested individuals and their advisers to discuss social investment. After this there will be a few short pitches by social entrepreneurs; followed by a debrief and networking over drinks and nibbles.
This event is funded by the Big Lottery.
 
4 September 2014, London, UK
The Young Foundation presents: How to go from seeds to soup: Growing social enterprises in the community'
The U from the Young Foundation will host an evening dinner during the Unusual Suspects  Festival that aims to introduce a variety of ways in which public and third sector organisations can engage with communities and support community-led change at different levels. The event will hear from compelling case studies and creative ideas that will be useful for thinking about engagement strategies for the attending organisations.
The U is a new venture that is aiming to make communities stronger and happier by providing people with the opportunity to learn practical skills in an interesting way. We believe that many people want to take action to help themselves and others, but feel they lack the confidence or skills to do so. That’s why the U offers fun, interactive volunteer-led learning sessions in areas such as first aid, conflict resolution, networking and practising positivity. The U is a Young Foundation venture. 
The Unusual Suspects Festival is a four-day festival that will blend international expertise and innovation with local thinking and practice from across the UK and feature a collection of interlinked events that will draw out the ways in which collaboration and social innovation can work in sync and ask how this can help address some of the most difficult issues we face in society today. The Festival will take place in London during September 2-5, 2014 and is curated by the Social Innovation Exchange, Collaborate and The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. 
 
4 September 2014, Birmingham, UK
Investment Readiness and Pitching Workshop for Social Enterprises
Big Lottery funded workshop for social enterprises to find out more about social investment, practice pitching and meet potential investors. Agenda: Introduction to the legal and financial aspects of accessing social finance including the new Social Investment Tax Relief; Peer pitch session; A selection of social enterprises pitches; Networking. 
 
8-9 September 2014, Helsinki, Finland 
The European Employers' Forum for Work-Life Balance
COFACE, in collaboration with its Finnish member Väestöliitto, The Family Federation of Finland is organising the European Employers’ Forum for Work Life Balance on September 8-9 in Helsinki.
The forum will bring together employers from the private, public and third sectors to discuss family friendly workplace measures for offering a better work-life balance for their employees. It will be a mix of global and local employers, large and small companies, with a special focus on retail, healthcare and other sectors that are not lending themselves easily for tele-working or other standard measures.
The core focus of the Forum will be on sharing knowledge, developing good practices and identifying ways to take action and drive change on work-life balance strategies as well as programmes.
The Forum will specifically feature work-life balance measures that have already demonstrated concrete outcomes in increasing company productivity, employee satisfaction, responsibility and ownership, gender equality.
This conference will also contribute to the overall policy recommendations that we are gathering during the entire week, which will feed into the European Reconciliation Package, to be published towards the end of the year. This policy document would provide pragmatic recommendations for EU level policy makers, as well as Member States to improve working conditions, change the working culture, adopt a more investment-led approach to service provision and create a favourable environment for reconciling work and family life.
 
8-14 September 2014, Milan, Italy 
Summer School 4 social entrepreneurs 
We are living in a world which is constantly looking for solutions to small and big problems we face every day in our times, from active ageing to youth unemployment, from job and social re-inclusion of disadvantaged groups (e.g. migrants, disabled, unemployed) to environmental sustainability. In this context, public administrations cannot work alone and they are more and more looking for innovative solutions coming from civil society.
The framework of this summer school is social innovation, meaning new ideas (products, services, models) that satisfy social needs (more effectively than existing alternatives) and that, at the same time, create new collaborations across multiple sectors. 
The aim of the school is to foster social innovation by supporting young people who aspire to become social innovators through a powerful learning experience.
 
9 September 2014, London, UK
SROI Practitioner Training 
With the Social Value Act now law, the growing importance for tangible evidence regarding social and environmental value is now a bigger issue than ever before, not just for organisations outwardly seeking to affect change in society but for any organisation or individual who wishes to be accountable for their work. 
The SROI Network training course has been accredited by the Institute of Leadership Management. It, like other courses that contribute to the accredited practitioner status, is delivered by accredited practitioners that are also experienced trainers.
This 2-day practitioner training provides a thorough overview of SROI from two main angles. The first day gives a practical, interactive, step-by-step introduction to the process of SROI via a case study that participants can bring along. The second day covers the more theoretical basis that underpins SROI, together with an exploration of issues that practitioners will need to demonstrate an understanding of if they wish to become accredited. All training is delivered by SROI Network accredited practitioners and is suitable for any experience level.
 
9 September 2014, London, UK
SIG Health & Social Care
This group is for senior leaders from sector organisations interested in health and social care. The group gives members opportunities to interact with one another, interact with and influence decision-makers working in the health and social care systems, keep abreast of policy changes and other developments, and inform ACEVO's work relating to health and social care.
The group is chaired by Steve James, CEO, Avenues Trust, with staff support from Mark Winter, Head of Health Commissioning.
The group is kindly supported by Hempsons, who host the meetings.
 
11-12 September 2014, London, UK 
Trading for Sustainability ( 6 days over 3 months)
Trading for Sustainability tackles the challenges that many not for profit organisations face when making the transition from grant funding to trading or retail.
A recent survey by Social Enterprise UK found that 9 out of 10 charities want to increase their levels of business activity; Trading for Sustainability will show you how.  
The course is particularly relevant in the current economic climate, in which many charitable            organisations face an uncertain long-term future. Trading for Sustainability has been specifically      tailored to help leaders of social businesses, third and public sector organisations to develop trading as an alternative method of generating income and as part of a strategy for sustainability and growth. 
 
11-12  September 2014, Birmingham, UK
Hospice Brings Together Experts
Birmingham’s John Taylor Hospice is to look at new and inspirational ways of giving life back in a two day event in the city.
Taking place on the afternoon of Thursday September 11 and the morning of Friday September 12, the free event at Birmingham Library will explore possibility and end of life care in Birmingham.
Giving Life Back has been desgined for delegates to “taylor” their own experience, selecting from sessions that mean the most to them over two days and allowing time for delegates to both be at work and attend the event.
Workshops will include storytelling to the media in the West Midlands by radio and television journalist Joanne Malin, creativity with the city’s Ikon Gallery and how to run successful crowdsourcing with the Hospice’s director of community investment Sally Xerri-Brooks.
Director of UKPrime Sophia Christie opens the event by setting the scene for publicly funded health and social care. Sandwell and West Birmingham Consultant in Palliative Medicine Dr Diana Webb takes as a her lead a question posed increasingly often by patients “Can you help me to go to Switzerland?”. 
On day two Dr Sarah Mitchell, Palliative and End of Life Care Clinical Lead for Birmingham South Central and Cross City CCGs, is sharing the vision of local NHS commissioners for an integrated palliative strategy for Birmingham.
 
12  September 2014, Brighton, UK
Brighton and Hove Social Enterprise Event
With key Speakers and workshops for social enterprises and plenty of support organisations to offer advice on issues from funding to growing your social enterprise.
This event will do three things:
1.Bring together and connect leaders in the world of social enterprise from across the UK and Brighton and Hove.
2.Make sure we all know how to get involved with the invigorated social enterprise strategy to make Brighton and Hove a beacon for social enterprise by 2020.
3.Launch a dedicated website for Brighton social enterprise which has been built to provide resources and a directory to signpost social enterprises, funders, customers and supporters to each other and will also act as a crucial conduit of information on events and activities that support social enterprise in our city.
13 September 2014, UK 
Social Saturday
Social Saturday will seek to raise awareness of social enterprise and encourage consumers to unleash their spending power and buy from social enterprises.Social Saturday: Will seek to engage local councils, MPs, government ministers and big business; Aims to mobilise groups and communities to raise awareness of social enterprise within towns, cities and villages; Will be supported by a national PR campaign to raise awareness of social enterprises and the role they play in society; Will encourage people to share on Twitter and Facebook events and activities happening across the UK
 
17 September 2014, London, UK
Sources of Funding for Charities and Social Enterprises workshop 
The School for Social Entrepreneurs is organizing a one day workshop to better understand funding sources. 
Understanding the full spectrum of funding available is key to the sustainability of any third sector organisation, but getting access to funders and knowing how they operate can be difficult.  This highly practical workshop will provide you with insight into the mindset of the people who make funding decisions and what makes them tick.
The workshop  will explore funding from a variety of sources: grant making organisations, major donors, and from the CSR departments of corporate organisations. Participants will be shown ways to generate diverse income streams, how they can find new funding opportunities and how to make the contacts they need.
Attendees will leave the workshop with an understanding of the different income sources available to them, insight into what a range of funders are looking for and an action plan to develop new income streams. 
 
17-19 September 2014, Turin, Italy
The Cities of Tomorrow: the Challenges of Horizon 2020 Conference
This workshop aims at defining this new integrated concept of cities which will generate dynamic urban development, transport, engineering, environment and social perspectives across a diversity of geographical levels. 
The proposed workshop aims to bridge the gap between decision makers and researchers and pave the way to new solutions by the articulation of methodologies aimed at supporting and enabling an integrated and holistic vision. This will be achieved by uniting international experts from different disciplines, countries and institutions (university, industry, public bodies) to create a new multifaceted vision of the cities of tomorrow.
To enhance the impact of the workshop, an international consultation about the main findings will be undertaken as a follow-up exercise, with the necessary support from the COST Office. Such consultation will contribute to a productive discussion about the cities of tomorrow at European and international levels beyond 2020.
 
25-29 September  2014, Thessaloniki,Greece
Creative Entrepreneurship, Active Citizenship: Opportunities for EuroMed Youth 
The Anna Lindh Foundation is organizing the Networking event “Creative Entrepreneurship, Active Citizenship: Opportunities for EuroMed Youth”, in order to gather youth from ALF Networks from the Euro-Med region in the framework of the European Youth Capital, Thessaloniki 2014.
This activity will take place from the 25th  to the 29th of September 2014 in Thessaloniki, Greece, and will gather around 65 participants from the Euro-Mediterranean region. Through an interactive and youth-friendly process, the event will tackle the concept and process of ‘Social Entrepreneurship’ by providing the participants with the entrepreneurial skills needed to develop innovative ideas and projects to face the current difficult economic conditions and contribute to positive societal change in their communities.
On the other hand, the event will encourage youth to become more community-oriented and locally engaged, hence taking the responsibility of their future into their own hands by becoming active citizens and change agents of their societies.
 
27 September  2014, Wembley, UK 
Enterprise Unleashed Conference and Expo
The Enterprise Unleashed Business Conference & Expo features an action-packed programme of speakers, workshops and activities to support attendees’ entrepreneurial vision, growth and viability. In addition, it provides a powerful opportunity for businesses to come together to promote their products and services to the local community and for the local community to support the businesses
This dynamic event brings together and supports business owners, worship leaders and professionals to unleash their God given talent, purpose and destiny through dynamic business related presentations and a mega-dose of networking.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Cosa fa VITA?

Da 30 anni VITA è la testata di riferimento dell’innovazione sociale, dell’attivismo civico e del Terzo settore. Siamo un’impresa sociale senza scopo di lucro: raccontiamo storie, promuoviamo campagne, interpelliamo le imprese, la politica e le istituzioni per promuovere i valori dell’interesse generale e del bene comune. Se riusciamo a farlo è  grazie a chi decide di sostenerci.

Fai la tua parte, abbonati anche tu