About Us - West Sussex Social Enterprise Network
We are a group of organisations that provide countywide infrastructure support for social enterprise in West Sussex. We promote and raise the profile of social enterprise amongst funders, statutory bodies and potential customers and seek to identify all social enterprises across West Sussex and their support needs. WSSEN and its activities are funded by West Sussex County Council. We are collating details of social enterprises in West Sussex on our directory. For further information on WSSEN members, and local information and advice providers, click here.
A few things about WSSEN
- Set up in July 2005 to help SEEDA deliver their regional strategy on social enterprise at local level. We are one of nine networks across the region.
- WSSEN is managed by a steering group which includes: Council for Voluntary Services (CVS), Business Link (local), Action in rural Sussex, ICIS Information 4 Life, The Aldingbourne Trust, University of Brighton, Sussex Partnership Trust, West Sussex County Council.
- West Sussex County Council funds the activities delivered by WSSEN.
- Our overarching objectives are: to promote social enterprise and to create an environment that enables social enterprises.
What has WSSEN done so far
- Social enterprise directory
- Website www.wssen.org.uk with information on events, training, support opportunities, procurement, case studies, information materials and the directory
- Monthly e-bulletin
- Established provision of one to one support from qualified social enterprise advisers.
- Participation in events to raise the profile of social enterprise
- Lobbying and influence to make sure social enterprise is taken into account either as an important tool to achieve healthy communities and wealthy local economy or as a stakeholder group
- Focus groups with social enterprises to keep in touch with their needs
- Fifth year running social enterprise innovation award
- Training for social enterprises and infrastructure organisations on relevant topics such as procurement and business planning
- Two peer to peer networks
- Thematic events on social impact measurement, self directed support and commissioning
- Visits to social enterprises
- We are part of a consortium delivering a Capacity Builders project called the Better Project (see Supporting Information on the Procurement page) to improve accounting of social impact amongst social enterprises and use this information to produce better tenders and to enhance the knowledge of procurers and commissioners
- Delivery of workshops to promote green business practices (in partnership with the West Sussex Sustainable Business Partnership)
What else is WSSEN working on
- Delivery of further training
- Development of mechanisms to encourage Probono support and Corporate Social Responsibility
- A handbook on social impact measurement which will contain relevent indicators to measure impact
- Ways to attract investment to provide support in the future
- Ways to engage with new structures and bodies such as our Local Enterprise Partnership to ensure social enterprise thrives in West Sussex