Briefing Board - News

Published on Wednesday 19 November 2008 20:21

SOCIAL enterprises – businesses set up with a social benefit – are to receive a cash boost from a dedicated fund, the Scottish Government has announced.

The enterprise minister, Jim Mather, confirmed that 1 million had been set aside to help social entrepreneurs launch new ventures, in a scheme that will start in March next year and run until 2011.

The Social Entrepreneurs Fund will be operated by the FirstPort charity, which currently operates the UnLtd awards programme offering support to new social businesses.

It will consider applications for aabout 200 grants valued between 500 and 20,000.

&#149 A SYSTEM to match electricity supply to demand is among 22 projects to benefit from a slice of 2.4 million in Scottish Government funding, it was announced last week.

Edinburgh-based company Flexitricity will receive 163,748 from the Smart:Scotland scheme set up to support technological research projects.

&#149 CHANGES to the West Lothian local plan will not be referred to a public inquiry after the council rejected most of the objections raised during the consultation period.

About 500 concerns were raised over the modification to the plan, which contains proposals for 25,000 new homes at sites in Armadale, Broxburn, East Calder, Livingston and Winchburgh.

AWARDS

THE City of Edinburgh Council is the only local authority in Scotland to be shortlisted for a prize in the Local Government Chronicle and Health Service Journal Sustainable Communities Awards 2009.

The council has been nominated for the regeneration award for its work in transforming Craigmillar, one of the most deprived areas of the city.

The council is named alongside the regeneration company Promoting and Regenerating Craigmillar (Parc), and will battle three English local authorities at the awards ceremony in London in February.

EVENTS

THE Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations will hold its AGM in the Augustine Church Centre in Edinburgh on 26 November.

The event will begin with a seminar on the impact of the current credit problems on the third sector, and how voluntary organisations can deal with the rapidly changing financial situation.

It will be followed by the organisation’s annual review and a lecture from Kevin Dunion, the Scottish information commissioner.

For further information contact .

&#149 SAVING citizens’ money through IT and the challenges of data-sharing are among topics on the agenda at the GC Scotland 08 conference in Edinburgh on 27 November.

The event for public servants will be addressed by, among others, Calum Elliot, of Procurement Scotland, and Ben Plouviez, the head of information management at the Scottish Government.

For further information, contact Nigel Wilkins at or call 020 7061 3222.