New training for green social entrepreneurs

A new course dedicated to the development of green social entrepreneurs is about to be launched at the Liverpool branch of the School for Social Entrepreneurs.

The School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) provides training for social entrepreneurs. The London branch has been operating since 1997 but the SSE has recently expanded rapidly through franchising around the country and overseas.

The Liverpool branch completed its first programme in 2007/08 and it will now add a course tailored specifically to those social entrepreneurs that are working on solutions to environmental problems.

The course is likely to start later this year and funding is from the £42.5m Office of the Third Sector Action Plan announced in February and which included £500,000 for the School for Social Entrepreneurs.

Preliminary details of the new green course were announced by third sector minister Kevin Brennan at last week's graduation ceremony of 40 social entrepreneurs who had completed the London SSE course.

Brennan also gave preliminary details of what was to be done with the rest of the money - including the fact that two new branches will open later this year, one in the south east of England and one in Yorkshire.

Mistress of Ceremonies and SSE director of learning, Emma Mortoo told the graduation audience that new SSE schools in Sydney, Australia and Cornwall had been operating for a week.

Referring to SSE CEO Alistair Wilson Mortoo joked that he was not at the graduation ceremony because ‘Ali conducted a thorough and rational skills audit and of course concluded he was the one who had to support the set up of the new SSE in Sydney, Australia'.

In a lively ceremony that showcased a plethora of ages, backgrounds and fashions the 40 new graduates first pitched their businesses to potential investors and then received their certificate of fellowship from Brennan with the audience providing continuous thunderous applause.