EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES THROUGH ENTERPRISE

An engaging & interactive event showcasing Lewisham’s community success stories and new models of enterprise development.

What?

A full day of training seminars, business development workshops, business advice and networking opportunities for individuals and organisations interested in business start-up and social enterprise.

• a forum session showcasing models of community and voluntary organisations moving towards self-sufficiency through enterprise.
  
  
• training opportunities for community and voluntary organisations in improving funding results
  
  
• a chance to learn about government plans for the third sector and to find out about the community-based model of business support
  
  
• free business advice in a variety of languages
  
  
• networking opportunities for would-be entrepreneurs, existing businesses, people involved in community and voluntary organisations, and social enterprises

The SIED Project has developed a new way to deliver enterprise support in socially excluded and deprived communities by helping organisations to promote enterprise and provide business advice within their community.

Over the past two years the London borough of Lewisham has been involved in this pioneering project which is bringing together community and voluntary organisations and business support services to make a real difference to people’s lives in the borough. The project has enabled Lewisham community and voluntary organisations to support enterprise and provide business advice in their own communities.

In Lewisham a number of organisations have collaborated to deliver the SIED project. These include: the London Borough of Lewisham, the Association of Community Based Business Advice (ACBBA), Simple Business Solutions (SBS) and community organisations such as Refugee Employment, Education, Training and Advice Partnership (REETA), African Community Partnership, Afghan Community Organisation of London and Vietnamese Business Action.