Name and Key Areas Background Areas of Advice
Rob Wick
Tech and Community
Rob has a varied background from diving with sharks to building computer systems and 3d printing Megalodon teeth! If it is interesting or helps people, he wants to help! He has a career that spans being a Senior Biologist, Curator of 16 Aquariums across the UK, Global projects manager for one of the largest entertainments companies in the world, starting Plymouth’s first coworking space, co-founding the library of things (Borrow Don’t Buy) and owner of the solutions focused business TECHNOVORE which finds innovative solutions to problems using tech. His entire career has been about solving problems and he now puts those skills to good use helping social enterprises and those who want to make a difference in the world.

All things tech based.

Websites especially wordpress, hosting, email, project management, process automation, 3d printing, drones, small scale manufacturing, coworking spaces and community building, strategic planning, social enterprise, big ideas, being legendary, robots, photography and more.

Rachel Fell
Social Enterprise standards

I am the Business Development Manager for Social Enterprise Mark CIC (SEMCIC) which is the global accreditation authority for social enterprises and which operates as a social enterprise itself. Over the last ten years, we have developed a portfolio of accreditation services, which provide recognition to organisations that operate primarily to serve people and planet over shareholder gain. Applications are assessed against sector-agreed standards by our independent certification panel and are awarded one of our accreditation ‘Marks’.
I’ve been working with the SEMCIC team for almost 7 years and this year the company celebrated it’s 10th Anniversary, so I have a good insight into social enterprise accreditation and the standards that underpin these. My role enables me to recognise where you are on your own social enterprise journey and advise how to improve your practices as a social enterprise, using the tools and resources we have developed over 10 years as the original certifiers of social enterprise.

What we can help with:

  • Guidance for new-start and aspiring social enterprise practices
  • Guidance and support in achieving a globally recognised standard of good practice in social enterprise
  • Guidance and support in achieving our highest level accreditation in social enterprise excellence
  • Guidance and support in articulating your social impact
Owen Finnie
Start Up

Owen is co-founder and Director of Pollenize CIC, which brings together the power of community and technology to reverse pollinator decline. Pollenize is a fusion of ideas inspired by Owen and co-founder Matt’s allergy to pollen and fascination with bees.

Since 2018, Pollenize CIC has generated 70 members, as well as 3 business members who support them on a monthly basis.  They crowdfunded £25k from 247 people and have secured £21k in grants that has allowed them to buy their community assets. They have developed multiple revenue streams to help build sustainability into the business. They do this via our membership, honey shares, seed packet recipes, and pollen collection as a and management tool. They work closely with the Environmental Futures & Big Data Impact Lab at the University & The B4 Project (Bring Back the Black Bee) to further understand and contribute to pollinator research in our urban

Experience with setting up Pollenize, turning your idea into reality, branding, SEO, Crowdfunding, companies house registration, articles of association, HMRC/book-keeping, growing pains, working out your capacity, importance of integrating yourself into the city, building wealth into your community business and being visible to your community, managing expectations and lead times.

Importance of networking, events, and getting on business development courses/foundations. It keeps momentum and purpose to your

Louise Manico
PR and Marketing
Louise has over a decade of experience in broadcast journalism and public relations, most recently through her own business, Manico PR. She is an Accredited Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and has worked with enterprises from sole traders to 500+ employees.

To help social enterprises in the city let others know about all the great things they are doing. Particularly helping organisations to sound and look consistent throughout all of their communication materials, whether this is in print, on websites or through social media. This makes it easier for people to ‘connect the dots’ about a particular organisation and increases the likelihood they will engage with them in the future.

Can advise individuals looking to upscale about the changes they may face from a publicity and reputational perspective.

Gareth Hart
Governance, Investment & Impact

Gareth is an accredited business adviser with over twenty-five years’ experience of working with the social enterprise, voluntary, community and arts sectors. Gareth is the co-founder of Iridescent Ideas CIC and has worked at a strategic level with national organisations and at a grass-roots level providing legal structure, governance, social impact and business support on a diverse range of subjects.

Gareth has been chair of PSEN since 2013. He led the bid that saw Plymouth recognised as the first Social Enterprise City in the UK and plays a leading role in the national Social Enterprise Places scheme. He is chair of Plymouth City Council’s Inclusive Growth group and was chair of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership Social Enterprise Special Interest Group.

Gareth has written several national research reports and has conducted impact evaluations of multi-million-pound programmes.

  • Legal structures and governance: for social enterprises at start-up, development and mature phases
  • Social investment and financial management: finding funding and finance and help with business planning and financial management
  • Social impact: creating social impact reports, concepts and frameworks
  • Policy and systems: advising on policy and strategic development for the social enterprise movement
Lucy Blackley
Research, Evaluation & Impact

Lucy is a researcher with over twenty years’ experience of evaluation and research. She has conducted research to inform strategy and policy development at a national, regional and local level. Her wide-ranging experience includes working for the public, private and third sector on research into consumers, markets, social policy, impact and evaluation. She has expertise in designing, commissioning and conducting research projects. Work experience includes:

  • Impact Developer/Head of Research/Research Director Iridescent Ideas CIC (2015- present)
  • Freelance researcher for Big Lottery Fund (2009 and 2011)
  • Senior Researcher at Plymouth University (2010)
  • Senior Consultant at Step Ahead Research (2008-2009)
  • Officer/Senior Officer/Head of Research at Arts Council England (2000-2006)
  • Research: creating methodologies and research processes; scoping and conducting research
  • Evaluation: delivering evaluations of projects and programmes
  • Social impact: creating social impact reports, concepts and frameworks
Annette Dhami
Finance & Teams
Annette has championed the social economy for 10 years, leading and supporting mission-led ventures to grow financially, be better employers, create opportunity and collaborate. This has included running two Impact Hubs, part of a global social venture network that brings together 15,000+ people in 100+ places around the world to make social change. The Impact Hubs she ran had 400+ members and ran tailored programmes alongside over 50 events per month. She also programme managed a social venture that supports people in unsustainable employment to set up businesses in the franchising industry. She currently advises Library of Things (London), is a Board member of Plymouth Social Enterprise Network and works as a consultant for a range of ethical businesses in areas including events, HR, finance and strategy.
  • Financial modelling/management: preparing financial projections; modelling business options; cash flow management
  • Funding/opportunity applications and reporting: making a really strong case (in writing and numbers) to get support

Team management and support: getting the right balance between being legally compliant and building a thriving team culture. Ways to engage the team and wider stakeholders in collective decision-making.

Jessica Holliland
Communications, relationship building and business development
Jessica has been working with the VCS and social enterprise sector for the last five years. She currently works supporting social entrepreneurs across the south west in her roles with The School for Social Entrepreneurs and Plymouth Social Enterprise Network. She is passionate about social impact and prides herself on a no-nonsense approach to communications and ensuring that the human touch is never lost in translation.
Additionally she has experience as an author, editor and copy writer as well as a design background.
Support with developing and streamlining your communication Strategies.
Support with business planning and developing project ideas. Especially relating to clarifying your purpose, identifying your audience, honing your message and how to reach them most effectively.
Good event planning and practices.
Support with using platforms such as Eventbrite, Canva, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Julian Freeman
Film Making and visual promotion
Julian is a social film maker and has spent the last 20 years in the online marketing world, the last 10 of those almost completely dedicated to filming people who are helping to make our society a better place. Over the last 8 years he has published 1 film every week on Youtube and his channel has over 160,000 views at this point with one film being a finalist at the Ironman film festival. Prior to that he worked at a senior level in corporates creating a remarkable customer experience and helping teams deliver great service.
How to create great messages that are authentically you, powerful for the people you want to connect with and takes your passion out into the world. I have been making films as portraits of people and organisations, the impact they are having and the services they offer for 10 years now.
 
If visibility of your passion and the impact you are making is something that you feel it’s time to work on then I’d love to help you.
 
If you are looking to promote yourself on digital platforms I have lots of practical experience and advice that I’d love to offer too
Martyn Lowesmith
Team Development

Martyn has a gift for connecting people and businesses with their own humanity. He has decades of experience in business ownership and working as a human focused transformation specialist with expertise in team and organisational development, consultancy, training, sales, management and systemic coaching.

He has held a number of senior and Board-level roles in Organisational Development and consulting; gathering extensive national and global experience as team and organisational development specialist working on culture change and transformation assignments for multi-national corporate clients. He is also a pioneer of coaching in the UK and played a key role in growing the UK coaching market and building the reputation of the industry. He is a member of the Institute of Consulting as well as a systemic Organisation and Leadership coach with multiple certifications. He also supports professional coaches with supervision and professional development.

Virtual team development sessions to support social enterprises with the immediate challenges they’re facing and to create learning that they can carry forward to emerge stronger, more resilient, agile and creative at the other end of the Covid-19 crisis.
Jen Parkin
Team Development

Jen is an expert in systems thinking with a flair for bringing difficult concepts to life in all sorts of contexts. She uses consultancy, facilitation and systemic team coaching to her work around systems change. Over the last 15 years as a team and organisational development specialist, Jen has worked as an independent consultant as well as holding consultancy roles with the Work Foundation, KPMG and Camden Council. Clients have included the NHS Shared Pathology Service, Devon County Council, Essex University, Talking Money and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Jen is a Fellow at the Schumacher Institute – a think tank that supports the application of systems thinking to economic and environmental challenges. She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, a qualified MBTI Practitioner, accredited in Workplace Mediation, an Agile Project Management Practitioner and a trained Organisation and Relationship Systems Coach.

Virtual team development sessions to support social enterprises with the immediate challenges they’re facing and to create learning that they can carry forward to emerge stronger, more resilient, agile and creative at the other end of the Covid-19 crisis.
Stephane Kolinsky
Team Development

Stephane is passionate about people contributing to the communities they’re a part of. He champions the importance of taking ownership of feelings, relationships, triumphs and challenges. Believing that effective solutions to the complex problems people face are created, implemented and sustained through relationship. This comes through strongly in his approach to helping teams realise their potential.

As a Director, mentor and consultant he has worked with for-profit businesses, social enterprises, charities, community and umbrella organisations. Helping them build their organisations from the ground up, access resources, co-create with stakeholders, navigate restructures and develop sustainable business models.

Stephane has worked in the voluntary, social enterprise, education, public, creative and professional service sectors across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. He holds a L7 Diploma in Executive Coaching and Mentoring and is a certified Organisation and Relationship Systems Coach accredited by the International Coach Federation.

Virtual team development sessions to support social enterprises with the immediate challenges they’re facing and to create learning that they can carry forward to emerge stronger, more resilient, agile and creative at the other end of the Covid-19 crisis.
Martin Howitt
Online Data
Martin is the co-founder of The Data Place, a Plymouth-based social enterprise that helps organisations and communities with all things data. Since we were set up in 2016 we have helped dozens of organisations get better data, and do better things with it as well. Our projects have included data science, data management health checks, startup support, data processing and compliance for organisations from 1-person startups all the way up to large public institutions.
  • understanding and acquiring data
  • data processing and analysis skills
  • using open data for better impact
  • data cleansing and data quality
  • data management and compliance (eg GDPR)
  • data visualisation and communicating with data
Paul Read
Business Advice specialising in charity, social enterprise and creative businesses

I am a SEFDI accredited business advisor who has over 14 years experience of providing business advice to 100’s of organisations from the private and community & voluntary sector. I am passionate about developing individuals and organisations to help them reach their potential.

I have managed a local grant giving charity, been an operational director of a social enterprise and has also been a non-executive director of a national mental health social enterprise.  I was a committee member for an international creative arts magazine called Tribe, a committee member of a local community music festival and more recently set up an environmental community group called Tide Plymouth.

I have been fortunate to have lived and worked in both Canada and New Zealand and have enjoyed travelling to 27 different countries so far.

I can support clients with:

  • Reviewing your idea, what’s good, what needs work
  • The startup steps, why be your own boss, marketing research, finance etc
  • help you understand the barriers you might be facing, the stress and anxiety that is slowing you down
  • project and business planning
  • support ambitious people to grow their business.

 

Plymouth Social Enterprise Network
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