Leaders of impact-creating businesses and social enterprises share their practical tips and stories. Be inspired, intrigued and amazed, get advice to help your values-driven business thrive and benefit from candid conversations about how other leaders overcame challenges and built their businesses and social enterprises. New episode every Friday here and on Sheffield Live FM radio.
…
continue reading
We depend on public services for a functioning society. But there are record pressures on our health, social care and children’s services; and those covering homelessness, housing, domestic abuse, education, employment and training, criminal justice and support. Resources are stretched. Demand is escalating. Traditional approaches, whereby public authorities either do everything in-house, or outsource services with the same process as when they buy goods, are not delivering good outcomes. Th ...
…
continue reading
From banks that can’t lend to small businesses, predatory payday lenders, high interest loan sharks, or social investors who just don’t support social enterprises - there’s plenty to criticise in the world of finance. But there’s a a strong and growing network of finance providers who are building resilient economies throughout the UK – offering a personal service, a supportive approach and a real alternative to traditional bank lenders and finance providers. Responsible Finance providers br ...
…
continue reading
Why did NatWest Group choose to work with community development finance institutions (CDFIs) as part of its cost-of-living support package? What can be done to signpost CDFIs to bank customers who are financially vulnerable? How do bank to CDFI referral processes work for businesses and social enterprises? And why are CDFIs such a "terrific part of…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Dr Susy Ridout, Lotus Collaborations – a vision where Autistic and Neurodivergent Victim-Survivors of Sexual Violence are believed and supported
26:09
Lotus Collaborations is a Community Interest Company, set up to address the needs of autistic survivors of sexual violence and sexual abuse. Its directors are Neurodivergent Survivors and allies with experience in accessing and providing specialist support and mentoring to victim-survivors of sexual violence. "There's big gap in understanding among…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
How to be an HR hero, create social value and LOVE your volunteers with Diane Offers, YWCA Yorkshire
27:19
YWCA Yorkshire supports over 250 young women, children and families to build better futures. They may be homeless, escaping abuse, or in financial or other difficulties. It runs programmes to assist them in living happy, fulfilled and independent lives. A charity, it has operated locally since the 1940s. This Valentine's Day it launched a campaign …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Nurturing community assets into sustainable and impactful enterprises with Helen Allen, Community Catalysts and Harry Clarkson, Speakup
57:56
Welcome to episode 393 of Business Live, for purpose-driven entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs. When Rotherham wanted to transform its adult social care offer for people with learning disabilities and autistic people and offer personalised services that people wanted, local social and micro-enterprises proved crucial. Helen Allen and Harry Clar…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Profitable, Productive and Pioneering: why Social Enterprise is 'Mission Critical' with Dean Hochlaf PLUS lots of new funding
25:57
Social enterprises ploughed over a billion pounds into their social and environmental objectives last year. They make a vital contribution to the UK's economy, society and natural environment, as Dean Hochlaf describes today. An estimated 131,000 social enterprises in the UK collectively turn over £78 billion, representing over 3% of GDP. Many oper…
…
continue reading
When I heard about the UK's first open-access factory, offering "pay-as-you go accessibility" so entrepreneurs and makers can access state-of-the-art light industrial equipment I was intrigued. Originally established in 2012, its co-founders call it the "missing link for solopreneurs and SMEs seeking to bridge the gap between start-up and producing…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
How to power-up your video content with Joe Palmer – plus new funding for businesses, social enterprises and universities and a new LGBTQIA+ networking event
19:05
Many businesses make the same basic mistake when they want to make video content, says today's guest Joseph Palmer of Open House Pictures. His simple tip will help anyone wanting to use films to communicate, whether you want to work with a professional filmmaker, a local freelancer or even try to shoot them yourself. It's been a few years since Joe…
…
continue reading
Katalin Juhasz and Ollie Pollard join us today to show how impact alignment between investors and social enterprises makes a difference to communities and businesses – plus what traditional city institutions can learn from social investors. Ollie is Head of Enterprise Growth Funds at Resonance, founded in 2002 with the mission to connect capital to…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Proving the impact of air quality interventions and low emission zones with data detective Kate Barnard
31:04
Low emissions zones became a political battleground just after recording this interview with Kate Barnard, founder and CEO of Enjoy The Air. But what does the public think? Can we prove the impact of "hard or soft" interventions on air quality? And just how far are people prepared to go when it comes to action in response to poor air quality? "I wa…
…
continue reading
"I ended up being offered a permanent role as a junior programmer which is a dream come true – and I worked on an awesome game which is actually my favourite of all the current projects at Sumo." Many people would love to work in the games industry but don't know where to start. Today's guests Eva Kioseoglou and Ruth Dickens have both secured full-…
…
continue reading
A community banking agreement brokered by a disadvantaged community with a mainstream bank two decades ago offers valuable insights to address financial exclusion today. Niall Alexander, a "community worker by trade" says the "groundswell" in addressing unfairness and financial exclusion is now reaching a peak. People "aren't asking for gold plated…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Transforming adult social care, growing enterprise, creating jobs and maximising outcomes with Nathan Atkinson
21:52
This interview covers pioneering work by Rotherham Council to develop a local ecosystem of social and micro enterprises to maximise outcomes for people with a learning disability and autistic people. Some considered it brave or bold to put faith in micro and social emterpises to develop an extensive "offer" (of excellent services which reflect a pe…
…
continue reading
Naomi Hulston has experienced "pretty much every role" in her 21 years working for Catch22. The social business has been around for 200 years. It delivers more than 120 public services that meet local needs and support individuals within our communities. "We consider ourselves a business with the heart of a charity and a business' mindset." Those s…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
The Practical Application of the Law in Progressive Procurement and Collaborative Commissioning with Julian Blake, Stone King
29:46
"Probably, lawyers are most responsible for some of the non-progressive aspects of how we deal with public services at the moment," says today's guest, a lawyer. Julian Blake is a partner at Stone King and co-author of the widely acclaimed 2016 publication, The Art of the Possible in Public Procurement. For over 30 years, he has specialised in soci…
…
continue reading
It's often assumed that people across an organisation understand what impact measurement is. But impact is about much, much more than "putting fancy numbers in reports." Next level impact measurement and management maximises social value and today's guest explains how. Heidi Fisher MBE has worked for over two decades in impact measurement and manag…
…
continue reading
Today's guests have bumped off nearly 300 people through their business. But they're not career criminals. Adrian Hobart and Rebecca Collins run Hobeck Books, a leading family-run independent publisher of award-winning crime, thriller, mystery and suspense books. What better business to get on air in National Crime Reading Month? Rebecca and Adrian…
…
continue reading
PossAbilities CIC provides services for people with learning disabilities, people with dementia and young people leaving care. Formed in 2014, PossAbilities has increased staff from 220 to more than 600, had eight consecutive years of growth and surplus, and grown its capital and reserves from zero to £6 million. It was formerly the Adult Social Ca…
…
continue reading
Naomi Hulston is the chief executive of Catch22, a social business with a social mission, which has a long and rich history in innovative public service work. Naomi describes herself as a ‘relatively new CEO’ but is not new to the organisation she leads. Having worked at all levels across Catch22 for 21 years she understood its culture inside and o…
…
continue reading
PossAbilities CIC provides services for people with learning disabilities, people with dementia and young people leaving care. Formed in 2014, PossAbilities has increased staff from 220 to more than 600, had eight consecutive years of growth and surplus, and grown its capital and reserves from zero to £6 million. It was formerly the Adult Social Ca…
…
continue reading
Welcome to the Vitalising Purpose podcast, about the power of the social enterprise difference in public services. We depend on public services for a functioning society. But there are record pressures on our health, social care and children’s services; and those covering homelessness, housing, domestic abuse, education, employment and training, cr…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
How fair finance boosts businesses, supercharges social enterprises and helps households with Eleanor Russell
41:47
Do we want to live in places full of thriving businesses and social enterprises, and where people don't get trapped by exploitative lenders and loan sharks? Sounds good to me. Eleanor Russell is policy and programmes lead at Responsible Finance, which represents the UK's social purpose lenders (community development finance institutions, CDFIs). Th…
…
continue reading
Caz and Darron Burness already had a thriving business – doggy day care, pet-sitting, home boarding and other services – when they spotted an opportunity to purchase a kennels premises. It was the perfect fit. But how to finance the acquisition? A £100,000 loan from BCRS Business Loans unlocked their ambition and growth plans, safeguarded several j…
…
continue reading
For a long time Claer Barrett vowed never to write a book about money. Now the award-winning financial journalist and broadcaster, who frequently answers the public's money questions on ITV's Lorraine, LBC radio and the Financial Times' Money Clinic podcast, has published 'What They Don't Teach You about Money.' It's a brilliant read – like having …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Slashing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing carbon intensity with Alpkit CEO David Hanney
30:33
We can do it if we really want to: Alpkit is a business success story which has doubled employee numbers since last appearing on this programme while dramatically reducing its absolute emissions and carbon intensity. "It's really positive and something ALL businesses can do, from small to big" says CEO David Hanney. The measures it is taking, Hanne…
…
continue reading
Impact investing has moved into the mainstream. Many asset owners and managers are trying to deliver more positive social and environmental impact as well as a financial return. Yet just a few years ago many institutions were dismissive or sceptical. How did this change? "It's not about telling people what they should do, it's demonstrating what ca…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
From PhD to CEO with Dr Kirsty Smitten, MetalloBio, addressing one of the biggest threats to global health
26:56
Dr Kirsty Smitten has gone from PhD Student to founder and CEO of MetalloBio Ltd: "I was writing my thesis while forming a company." Her firm is developing new compounds to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and is a spin-out from the University of Sheffield, incorporated in 2021. Already the cause of 1.2 million fatalities every year, antimicr…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Jumpers for goalposts, social enterprise success and disability sport with Louis Speight, Omnis Circumvado CIC
51:25
It's three years since Louis Speight, a former men’s European record holder, was last on the programme. His social enterprise Omnis Circumvado CIC is a specialist sports coaching company which works with children, young people and adults who have complex needs. "We are games-based" says Louis, and "our approach is to make sure everybody is having f…
…
continue reading
Ready for some big numbers? How about £165 million? Just one of the staggering figures revealed in Salad Money's first ever impact report. Salad CEO Tim Rooney tells us how the social enterprise, which lends to NHS and Public Sector workers, has helped applicants identify £165m in benefits they could apply for but were not claiming. Its customers "…
…
continue reading
In today's show: cost of living support and new funding opportunities for businesses and social enterprises. And it's the 'season of goodwill' – can't we have goodwill all year round? – but a time when many love to give presents. It's a horrifyingly difficult and challenging time for many. But it's also a crucial time for small businesses and socia…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
A hotbed for tech startups: boosting investment, talent and ecosystem with Darren Balcombe, Team SY
23:21
Can you feel it? Can you hear it? Yes, it's the blistering, crackling heat from the South Yorkshire Tech 100 – the "hottest" startups and scaleups in the region, published today in a new ecosystem report. It lists the most successful tech companies born since the start of 2000 with headquarters in South Yorkshire and emerging startups with tremendo…
…
continue reading
This is both an extraordinary and, sadly, an every day tale. All over the UK people with children or caring responsibilities compete for shifts or work patterns which fit around them, face the 'poverty premium' or are locked out from opportunities. "I was dismissed on so many levels," says Jules Hawkins. "I knew I was capable of more and I knew I w…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
How to reduce e-waste, address digital divides, be a better boss and adapt to new technology with Helen Milner and Stefan Stern
50:03
Today's guests won't just make you make you think, I hope they'll help you to act since both offer practical and immediate action points to build a better world and better businesses. The UK generates some of the highest amounts of e-waste (electrical waste including headphones, remotes, computer equipment and devices) in the world. Why do we hoard…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Printed By Us, Sheffield Credit Union and Fair Finance – social enterprise, high quality retail, job creation and financial inclusion
53:30
Terry Murphy runs Printed By Us, a social enterprise which sells t-shirts, prints, mugs, hoodies and other products, all featuring amazing designs by notable and up-and-coming artists. Terry was last on the show five years ago with colleague James whose candid story moved many listeners. The business works with vulnerable people and people who are …
…
continue reading
Every week on this show we try to highlight new grant and funding opportunities for businesses and social enterprises. Today (28 October 2022) we have details of 10 x £40,000 grants; funding streams with £8,000 and £18,000 awards; and a new games and tech accelerator programme. Those come after news of the shortlist announcement for the Sheffield B…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
What businesses and a new Government can do about poverty and how to boost "good" business - Helen Barnard
35:44
Most people in poverty in the UK are in working families. Four million workers live in poverty: their resources are well below their minimum needs. That means 'not being able to heat your home, pay your rent, or buy the essentials for your children. It means waking up every day facing insecurity, uncertainty, and impossible decisions about money.' …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Writer Akeem Balogun on Words, Vision and Sound, Okapi Books and the realm of the imagination
36:58
It can be unfair to quote a line from a writer's work out of context. But the words 'Truths are unpopular. Lies are famous' capture the weird maelstrom of social media posturing, fake news, politicians who'll promise whatever it takes to get elected, and over-friendly corporate messaging we're bombarded by today. The lines come from Akeem Balogun's…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
A Rant about (De)Regulation, New Funding and Events, and Air Quality Entrepreneur Kate Barnard
41:26
All this talk about "slashing red tape" and a sudden zeal for deregulation as a magic bullet for growth made me climb aboard my soapbox. This episode starts with a rant and a reminder: regulation per se is no barrier to inclusive growth, and careless deregulation risks encouraging a race to the bottom in business and life. Do we want crappy, rubbis…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Allegro Optical – Growth, Finance, Customer Service and a Masterclass in Business Development
53:44
Stephen Tighe and Sheryl Doe founded Allegro Opticians to address specific issues which the eyesight of musicians and performing artists. The business now has customers from all over the world, has won multiple business awards, has a trusted high street presence with three branches, and has grown from two to more than twenty employees. Stephen desc…
…
continue reading
Nearly 20 years ago Jon Barton created a mountain biking guide to the trails he loved to ride in the Peak District. Since then his firm Vertebrate Publishing has grown with its authors and the business scooping multiple accolades and awards, including Small Press of the Year at the 2022 British Book Awards. It publishes beautiful and inspiring outd…
…
continue reading
Air pollution contributes to around 40,000 deaths a year in the UK and more in many other parts of the world. Enjoy The Air helps cities achieve air quality standards through policy, infrastucture and behaviour change. CEO and founder Kate Barnard, an engineer, describes why she launched the business and how viewing cities as engineering systems me…
…
continue reading
"They make it feel like it's your fault," says Cath Wohlers about loan sharks. They use manipulation, isolation and coercive control and ruin lives. Earlier this year a Centre for Social Justice report estimated 1.08 million people in England alone are currently using illegal moneylenders, who prey on financially vulnerable people. Cath is LIAISE M…
…
continue reading
Today's guest says he's the "world's oldest" digital nomad – until proven otherwise. Malcolm McClean has always loved the work he does, and when he hit 65 years of age he sold everything he owns to embark on a new adventure. Malcolm is an author and consultant to a remarkable social enterprise, PossAbilities Community Interest Company, which has gr…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
How to outperform big high street chains and avoid a race to the bottom - Stephen Tighe, Allegro Optical
56:35
Always treat the customer as though they're your mum, says Stephen Tighe, CEO and co-founder of Allegro Opticians. Launched just a few years ago, Allegro now has customers from America, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and many other parts of the world, after identifying and addressing a profound need for specialist optical care for musicians an…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
From 'you'll never work again' to her own business despite finance roadblock – Sarah Beaumont Inspires
36:49
Sarah Beaumont had held high-level management roles and worked all over the world. But when a chronic condition left her in constant pain she was told she'd never work again. Now she's launched and runs her own business helping other people, and tells her story in today's episode. Diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos syndrome and Fibromyalgia – both long t…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Better onboarding for higher-performing teams plus identifying 'unfair advantages' with Ash Ali
35:47
What is 'ever-boarding' and why should you use it in your business? Why do over half of sales people not hit their targets, and what can you do to support them better, giving you a huge return on investment if you do it right? And what does Ash Ali mean when he talks about unfair advantages which people can identify and apply? Imagine you spent a l…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Proving naysayers wrong by doing the right thing – ethical business and the Better Business Act with Hellen Stirling-Baker, Small Stuff
40:41
When Hellen Stirling-Baker launched Small Stuff in 2016, a mentor told her it would fail because she was so focussed on ethical business. Six years later she runs a thriving online and physical shop, has opened and expanded into larger retail premises, and survived the challenges of the pandemic. Turnover and profits are increasing, says Hellen – a…
…
continue reading
It's a Sheffield institution, a fixture in the firmament of music-lovers. Record Collector opened in 1978 and sells vinyl albums and CDs from its double-fronted shop in Broomhill and worldwide from its online store. Vinyl is "back with a bang" says Mark Elliott. He's worked at the store since 1988 give or take a couple of breaks including a stint i…
…
continue reading
Diane Evans, whose father was Ukrainian, tracked down her relatives near Lviv in Western Ukraine just two-and-a-half years ago. Since then she's met them for the first time and been in frequent contact. When Russian forces invaded Ukraine she wanted to help the Ukrainian people and refugees fleeing the war. Over just two days her business, Evans Le…
…
continue reading
It's crucial to prioritise when you launch a Minimum Viable Product. How? And how do you progress from MVP to uptake in more than 60 countries worldwide? Caroline Allams and Manjit Sareen launched Natterhub, an educational social media platform which prepares primary school children to thrive online, in April 2020. Their platform teaches children t…
…
continue reading
Who are we talking with when we meet someone on a dating app or social media platform? A real person or a fantasy construct? How do we know a person's profile is genuine and what they're telling us is true? With romance fraud rocketing, scammers and criminals are using dating apps and social media platforms to reel in their victims. But a new, Brit…
…
continue reading