Archive for October, 2013
10 Sofas 10 Minutes
Cambridge residents will soon wake up to purple ribbons tied on to benches and railings across the city as an invite to a local debate initiative around inflatable purple sofas placed in different locations. By Figen Gunes. // The local debates will be encouraged by a Cambridge-based social organisation called 10 Sofas 10 Minutes, launched by […]
Elephant Branded
Cool, funky bags made from recycled cement packs in villages in Cambodia are soon to be filled with women’s stories with an aim of informing buyers about the social aspects of the production. Figen Gunes finds out more. // Elephant Branded, a social enterprise creating employment for widows and vulnerable women in Cambodia, […]
SOS Project (St Giles Trust)
Sam Duberry was still an inmate in HMP Wandsworth when he first began working as a peer mentor for St Giles Trust’s SOS gangs project. Danielle Aumord hears the secret of his success. // Clients say Sam’s experience puts him in a better position to relate to the young people he works with on the […]
Rubies In The Rubble
Figen Gunes visits a chutney social business reducing food waste and employing disadvantaged people. // Old bananas will soon be back on the menu in the form of banana ketchups made with chilli, ginger and spices thanks to Rubies in the Rubble, an award-winning social enterprise producing premium quality chutneys from discarded food. Given […]
Bloomsbury Babies
Bloomsbury Babies, a social enterprise supporting entrepreneurial parents, is calling for mums with kids under 5 to join their new ‘parent-cubator’ group. By Figen Gunes. // The parent-cubator is the first of its type in London, providing a 12-session ‘self-help’ action learning programme for parents who want to start their own business or enterprise, with a […]
Mind Food
‘Care farming’ is growing in popularity as a way of easing the stress of mental ill health, finds Figen Gunes. // “The devil makes work for idle hands,” says the oldest volunteer at Mind Food to refer to her disturbing thoughts while she was in a psychiatric unit for 13 years. Mind Food is a […]
Learning With Teddy
How an English-language learning programme for children with special needs is breaking down barriers in Norway and beyond. By Jenny McBain. // The basis of discrimination is often presented as fact; a state of affairs of which social pioneers like Julie Monsen are all too aware. Julie is a special needs teacher from England who […]
Empowerment Plan
The Empowerment Plan in Detroit produces a highly insulated coat which can be a hold-all and a sleeping bag. They are also training people. Jenny McBain speaks to its young founder. // Veronika Scott is from Detroit and still in her early twenties but she is already making strides as a social pioneer, successfully battling […]
Befrienders Highland
Mental ill-health changes people’s relationships with friends. One Highlands organisation is helping those cut off reengage. As Jenny McBain finds out. // Life without the input of friends is almost unthinkable for most people, yet those who have experienced mental ill health often find themselves cut off from the support of others. Jenny McBain found […]
