Bad news ahead could be good news for Begbies

Begbies Traynor, the Manchester-based insolvency and recovery specialist, has released its interim results for the six months to 31 October 2009. Profit before tax rose by 69 per cent from £2.1m to £3.6m as revenue climbed from £28.3m to £34.2m. Executive chairman Ric Traynor warned that temporary economic support measures taken by the government would slow insolvencies, meaning full-year results are expected to be “slightly below current consensus market expectations”. But he added: “We expect to make considerable further progress as a result of anticipated rises in the level of insolvencies in the second half of the calendar year, consistent with patterns experienced over the last three recessions.”

After recovering our voices, we could only marvel at the middle sentence which is a classic of its kind and worth re-iterating….”temporary economic support measures would slow insolvencies….full year results…slightly below…expectations.”

In other words, “sorry chaps, but we haven’t made nearly as much money as we hoped in this recession, cos the Govt have stepped in to stop companies shutting down and throwing people on the dole.”

But all is not lost, according to Mr Traynor, (pictured)  who looks forward to a rise in the number of insolvencies later this year. “We expect to make considerable further progress,” he opines, loftily.

We find the use of the word “progress” particularly enchanting.

So, that’s alright then. We can expect more companies closing, more jobs going, more families paying the price for a recession caused in City boardrooms not dissimilar to those of Begbies Traynor.

This is the world that we live in….

Students at All Saints

STUDENTS from a Salford college came up with their own enterprising plans after being given a unique insight into social businesses.

They developed a range of new ideas for social businesses locally, based around the environment, youth and sports facilities after spending the day finding out about social enterprise.

More than 150 Year 10 students at All Hallows Business and Enterprise College in Weaste took part in the ‘Enterprise Day’ sessions.

Amongst the businesses who took part was the Salford-based health and social care enterprise, Unlimited Potential; The Big Life Company; Emerge, PeoplesVoiceMedia; Contour Housing and Sound Communication.

The students were involved in a range of workshops and activities designed to give them experience of the world of work and develop their own entrepreneurial skills.

They found out how profits from the social businesses did not go to anonymous shareholders, but were ploughed back into the communities they served and business development.

The session was organised by Salford Business Education Partnership and Form Teacher Yasmin Hussain as part of a programme to develop work-related learning.

As part of its contribution, Sound Communication ran half a dozen workshops with the students, designed to help them write a newsworthy press release about the event for the local media.

Director Matt Finnegan said: “The teenagers were very quick to learn and enthusiastic – they understood very quickly how social enterprises differ from private companies or public sector organisations.

“And they came up with some cracking ideas of their own for social businesses in the area – it will be interesting to see how their ideas develop further.”

Vicky Winstanley, Enterprise Cordinator for Salford BEP, added: “It was a very successful day – both the school and I were very pleased with the event. We are extremely grateful to all of the social enterprises involved for giving up their time for free to help spread the word.”

]]> http://www.soundcommunication.org.uk/2009/11/01/salford-students-get-social-and-show-their-entrepreneurial-flair/feed/ 0 http://www.soundcommunication.org.uk/2008/04/26/our-values-our-community/ http://www.soundcommunication.org.uk/2008/04/26/our-values-our-community/#comments Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:48:04 +0000 Matthew Finnegan http://www.soundcommunication.org.uk/2008/03/05/our-values-our-community

SOUND Communication provides ethically-based PR, media relations and communications services.

We are a social enterprise founded on ethical values.

We believe in social and economic progress, human rights and respect for the environment.

If you share these values, we would love to work with you.

We are an independently regulated Community Interest Company (CIC), run co-operatively and based in Manchester and Liverpool.

As a social enterprise, our profits are ploughed back into the company to develop our business and to benefit our community.

We define our community as:

social enterprises, co-operatives, charities, trade unions and other Third Sector organisations and others committed to social and economic justice, human rights and respect for the environment

Does that include you?

We want to work with anyone – public body, private company, Third Sector organisation, or individual – who shares or supports our values.

Or who wants to do business differently.

As long as it’s SOUND.

She made the announcement during the successful Voice 08 Conference in Liverpool, organised by the Social Enterprise Coalition.

Ms Blears, MP for Salford, told the conference that she wanted the Unit to be a beacon encouraging the public sector to raise its sights and look at the provision of services by social enterprises.

She said that councils were already recognising that they could hand over disused buildings to become homes for new community enterprises.

Ms Blears also said that she wanted to forge stronger links between the private sector and community enterprises.

She told the conference, attended by hundreds of social enterprises: “I want to make sure that community enterprise runs right through my Department’s DNA.

“Not just a few officials responsible for the Third Sector, but a whole department thinking and questioning whether what we are doing is creating an environment in which you can thrive.

“Whether it’s regeneration, tackling homelessness, or the £1.5bn Working Neighbourhoods Fund, I want to make sure we’re taking into account the contribution you could make.

“And of course our responsibility for local government is crucial – encouraging them to work with you not just as potential providers of public services, but also as local employers, market makers and stakeholders in local communities.

“That’s why we are forming a Social Enterprise Unit, a team dedicated to putting social enterprise first, to showing the vast potential of working in partnership with you. I want the team to be a beacon across Whitehall and to town halls, encouraging everyone to raise their sights.”

• See also Minister promises bigger role for social enterprises

HUNDREDS of social enterprises arrive in Liverpool this week for their annual conference.

Voice 08 is organised by the Social Enterprise Coalition and features a series of debates as well as exhibitions – and a little bit of culture.

Communities and Local Government Secretary of State, Hazel Blears will be taking part on Wednesday along with Campbell Robb, Director General of the Office of the Third Sector and Jonathan Bland, chief executive of the Social Enterprises Coalition.

But as well as the great and the good, the conference will also be giving a platform to budding young social entrepreneurs on Tuesday afternoon – and to some of the creative stars of Liverpool’s Capital of Culture programme for 2008.

We hope to bring you reports from the conference this week.