The Melting Pot E-Bulletin March 2009
Key Concept - "One hand washes the other"
Reciprocity and co-operation are critical elements in a well functioning society. They are pure social capital in action.
We've learned a lot about these things along the way, as The Melting Pot has developed from an idea to reality. In every edition of our e-bulletin, we use this section to reveal transferable insights gained from walking this path.
When these tenets of human relationships break down, with each other, and with the ecosystems we live within, all hell breaks loose. At the dawn of a new age in globalisation and localisation, it is paramount that we must conduct ourselves in the manner to which we also wish to be treated – with integrity, generosity and care.
Claire Carpenter, Founding Director
Inspirational People: Inspirational Ideas
Introducing a NEW series of public events to inspire the social innovator in us all...
Every few months through 2009 we'll be hosting a public event aimed at inspiring and supporting you to realise your ideas for a better world, and to find out straight form the horses mouth, about the joys, trials and tribulations of those who've gone before us. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things - support your local heros.
Kicking off this exciting series is an evening with Mel Young, Founder of The Big Issue Scotland, and the Homeless World Cup. Mel will be talking about his personal journey in becoming one of the UK’s most successful social entrepreneurs and the highs and lows that this entailed.
The event takes place on Thursday, 26th March 2009, 6.30-8.30 pm at The Melting Pot, Rose Street, Edinburgh, the premier venue for incubating social innovation. It costs £5 for members and associates of The Melting Pot Members or concessions and £10 all others.
RSVP by contacting: bookings [at] themeltingpotedinburgh.org.uk
Good news comes in threes!
The Melting Pot is successfully incubating Social Innovation.
Scotland UnLtd invests £200K per year, supporting Scotland-based social entrepreneurs to develop progressive ideas of our time. Dozens of applications and business plans were whittled down last December in to a lucky seven projects in the second round of this annual national competition. This January those seven became three who each receive £17K of start-up funding.
All three successful ‘Level 2’ social entrepreneurs are all members of The Melting Pot – an Incubator for Social Innovation located in the heart of Edinburgh.
Eileen Inglis, Development Manager for Scotland UnLtd said “It’s great to be able to help individual people make their ideas for social change into a reality through our Awards, tapping into the creativity that exists in ordinary communities from all around Scotland.”
Claire Carpenter, Founder of The Melting Pot, was also a recipient of Scotland UnLtd funding 3 years ago during the RnD stage of its development. Carpenter says “I know from first hand experience just what a difference this investment grant will make to the winners. It’s really hard to set up any business, let alone a socially or environmentally focused one, with no investment capital, with an asset lock, and clear expectations of delivering far more than the financial bottom line. Our congratulations and best wishes go to: Andy Ross, Simon Hackin, Paul and Ian, for everything ahead of them, and for all that’s behind them now. May they go from strength to strength.”
The three winners are:
Andy Ross: New Caledonian Woodlands, a not-for-profit organisation that delivers projects which offer real benefits to the environment and to local communities. It aims to:
- Improve local environmental community assets and help create new ones
- Create opportunities that allow people to get involved in a hands-on way to bring about environmental improvements
- Offer people the opportunity to learn more about their impact on the environment and how to reduce it.
Ian Martin and Paul Ralph: With People is an Edinburgh based social firm providing accessibility training, graphic design and information technology services for the Third sector. The work of the business creates employment and volunteering opportunities for people with disabilities.
Simon Hackin and his team: Greenworks (Scotland) Limited is a newly formed Edinburgh based social enterprise which will provide a commercial wood waste recycling service and retail outlet providing affordable timber for re-use. Greenworks will be a stockist of environmental building supplies for trade and the general public, be a manufacturer of 100% recycled wood products and provide services that will offer valuable business experience for volunteers and trainee placements.
Andy Ross says...
“New Caledonian Woodlands has been delivering projects for almost two years now and we have been much busier than we had expected to be during this time. As such, we are exceeding many of our environmental and social objectives. However, as we are a young social enterprise, we have not yet reached a level of financial sustainability. For this reason, the money that we have been awarded by Scotland Unltd is crucial in helping us to work towards this goal while still successfully delivering our environmental and social objectives.”
Building Social Capital at The Melting Pot
Social capital is like oxygen – you know when it’s not there! It’s been recently ‘discovered and named’ but never invented.
We'd like to acknowledge and thank two of our members (Cara Gillespie and Mark Rait). Both have generously given of their talents to help TMP consolidate our learning from members, business and staff. We're now entering the next stage of our business development - restructuring and recruitment of staff and Board - releasing new energy, stabilise and build room and skills for growth.
We recently asked our members to complete a short questionnaire about the services they receive. Here's some key insights:
80% felt the level of service was good/excellent.
76% felt a reduced sense of isolation as part of TMP.
88% felt proud to be a member of TMP.
60% had generated 1 or more work leads with other members
Members' Working Lunches
1 - 2 pm, every 1st Friday of the month.
Every month our members are invited to a private lunch, to get their heads together and hear what we’re each doing, and to give and receive advice. If nothing else we stop working for an hour, and concentrate on relationships that support and connect us.
Members' Breakfast Club: Skills-Sharing Workshops for Members
8.30 - 10 am, every 3rd Wednesday of the month.
- March – Successful consultancy
Planning a brighter future at The Melting Pot
The environmental crisis looms large, and here at The Melting Pot people have been rising to the challenge of building a brighter future.
Last month TMP welcomed 16 young community climate activists from throughout the world, who were on an international research visit organised by the British Council. They were touring community projects in Scotland to learn about the trials and tribulations of setting up and establishing projects, so they could take this learning back home with them to their own setting.
Triodos Bank evening at The Melting Pot
Triodos Bank gathered together their Scottish investors and social business customers in an informal evening at The Melting Pot this month, highlighting the practical services the ethical bank provides, from Community Guarantors on an Overdraft, to bridging loans.
Accentuate the Positive
It’s not all about exams – we all know that. But somehow we forget to recognise the other brilliant stuff that young people do.
‘Amazing Things – a guide to the youth awards in Scotland’ is one way of putting the record straight. It’s been proving an invaluable resource for schools, youth workers, and all those who work with young people.
Developed jointly by Youth Scotland (the largest non uniformed voluntary youth and children’s organisation in Scotland) and Simon Jaquet Consultancy Services Ltd, ‘Amazing Things’ is a window on all the major youth awards in Scotland – how to take part, what you get out of it, how much it costs, and how it helps your CV.
For further information, visit www.simonjaquet.com
The Scottish Green list
Looking for Scotland’s Green champions
- Do you know someone who is supporting Scottish communities to tackle local, national or international environmental problems?
- Do you know someone that has developed a business or product that will help Scotland tackle social injustice, waste, energy inefficiency, fuel poverty or climate change?
- Is there someone in local or national politics who challenges the status quo and pushes for stronger action to ensure a sustainable Scotland?
The Scottish Green List is a celebration of individuals who make a difference. Nominate your sustainable development champions now! The Scottish Green List top 50 will be published by SSDF, and featured in The Scotsman, our media partner for the Scottish Green List.
The deadline for entries is 9am Monday 23rd March 2009
Find out more by visiting Scottish Sustainable Development Forum.
WWF Earth Hour
It's now less than a month to WWF's Earth Hour - a global demonstration of concern about climate change when people, businesses and iconic buildings around the world will switch off their lights for one hour at 8.30pm on Saturday 28 March.
WWF want a billion people around the world to sign up and join in - so if you haven't already, please sign yourselves up at http://www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour/signup/ and forward the message below to everyone you know.
Two Crash Courses on the Crisis
We wanted to share two series of video lectures which some of us have been watching - one succinct, one longer.
The first is Chris Martenson's 'The Crash Course', a condensed version of his 'End of Money' seminar and well worth watching. "Ready to learn everything you need to know about the economy in the shortest amount of time?"
Chris Martenson's 'The Crash Course'
The other, longer series broadcasts the wonderful David Harvey's seminar on Marx's Capital, Volume 1, from City University of New York this year. Its incredible how illuminating he makes the book. The rest of the website is well worth dipping into as well.
Reading Marx's Capital with David Harvey
Our aim is to inspire and support people to realise their ideas for a better world
The Melting Pot: E-bulletin © March 2009