Sound Communication

THE new Coalition Government’s plans for a radical shake-up of the NHS pose real challenges for social enterprises, such as Sound Communication.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley claims the Con/Dem changes  are aimed at giving GPs more power and control over the funding of patient care.

His clear intention is to dismantle the health authorities and Primary Care Trusts which largely administer the £80 billion which the NHS spends. [Read more →]

Tags: Corporate Social Responsibility (Sound behaviour) by Matthew Finnegan
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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. [Read more →]

Tags: Sound community by miles
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A SALFORD social enterprise has become the first in the

North West to win the prestigious Social Enterprise Mark.

The fair-trade style Mark has been awarded to Unlimited Potential, after it demonstrated that its work benefitted local people, rather than anonymous shareholders or owners.

Profits made by the company are used to tackle social or environmental issues in the city.

Unlimited Potential, which is one of Sound Communication’s clients, joins other ethical businesses, such as the Eden Project in Cornwall, in winning the new Social Enterprise Mark.

[Read more →]

Tags: Public Affairs by Matthew Finnegan
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TWO interesting developments in the Third Sector – the space between public and private organisations.
First, former Prime Minister Tony Blair hands out some advice to other Third Sector organisations as a result of his involvement in charity work.
Blair’s out-of-government office has now set up four separate organisations which all appear to loosely fit the term, Third Sector.
The four organisations, two of which are termed Foundations, have been set up to concentrate on climate change, sport, Africa and Faith.
Blair, who is also a Middle East peace envoy, concludes that partnership is the key to success for his and other Third Sector organisations.
Blair says: “comparing my old and new worlds, I’d say that in philanthropy, unlike politics most of the time, you can genuinely welcome others alongside you.”
Of course, post-Iraq, the difficult question for Blair now is whether organisations are willing to be associated with him in pursuit of their noble and good causes? Or whether the association damages the cause?
Secondly, an established and successful social enterprise, the ECT Group, has been taken over by the stock market listed private company, May Gurney. [Read more →]

Tags: Corporate Social Responsibility (Sound behaviour) by Matthew Finnegan
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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.

Tags: Sound community by Matthew Finnegan
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COMMUNITIES Minister Hazel Blears is to set up a crack Social Enterprise Unit to push for change in local authorities and across Whitehall.

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

Tags: Sound community by Matthew Finnegan
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