Turn your Ideas into Action!
Do you come from a refugee background? Have a great idea for a social business which benefits the community? Need some support to make your idea work? If so, Ideas into Action could be for you.
What is Ideas into Action?
Ideas into Action is a programme that supports people from a refugee background who live in the UK to develop their own social enterprises and non-profits. It provides specialist support including workshops, professional coaching, business, marketing and fundraising information and skills training, as well as public-facing events. It will be mainly delivered online.
Who is it for?
Refugees and people from a refugee background in the UK who are motivated to start and run a successful social enterprise, charity or other not-for-profit organisation which benefits the community and/or the environment, in the UK or abroad.
The programme is right for you if you have already:
- established what problem you are trying to solve
- established who your users, beneficiaries or customers are
- piloted and tested your product or service
- been working on your idea for a while.
Who is running the programme?
The programme is being run by 3 specialist organisations who are experienced in supporting social and non-profit entrepreneurs and leaders from diverse backgrounds:
- Result CIC: a professional training and coaching social enterprise run by people with experience of being marginalised, including experience of being a refugee.
- TERN: The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network: an innovative social enterprise with a proven track record of supporting refugees in using their own ideas to create their own successful enterprises.
- Social Enterprise UK (SEUK): The UK’s largest professional network, lobbying and campaigning body for social entrepreneurs with several thousand members.
Ideas into Action is generously funded by The National Lottery Community fund and represents a considerable investment in each participant.
What does the programme offer me?
The programme offers comprehensive support including:
- Personal development workshops to build your confidence and clarity about your goals and how to reach them.
- 4 individual coaching sessions with a professional coach to support you to develop your idea, make a clear plan and work out your best route to making your idea a success.
- A specialist workshop with SEUK on building your contacts and network to help you progress your enterprise.
- A crowdfunding workshop and 1-1 follow up support by experienced crowdfunding experts to help you run a crowdfunding campaign and get new funding for your social business.
- Preparation and practice to present your idea in a public ‘pitch’ event to potential partners and funders.
- An ongoing advice service - ‘Spark’. This TERN specialist service will help you deal with issues such as: registration, legal matters, financial advice, advice to build a volunteer team, brand development and website development.
- This programme represents a very valuable opportunity and investment in you. When you apply, you must be able to commit to attending as many of the events and personal sessions as possible to make the most of this opportunity.
When is this happening?
Between March and the end of June 2022.
There will also be new editions of this programme in 2023 and 2024.
Where will it take place?
Most of the programme will be online but we hope to have a face-to-face start and finish events for the whole group in London. If you need help getting online, and/or help to travel to London please contact us (see below) about this.
What level of English do I need?
The programme will be run in English. There is no formal qualification needed to attend, but to make the most of it, you need to be confident about taking part in the events in English.
How could the programme help me?
By committing fully to the programme, based on the achievements of our previous participants, you can expect to:
- Feel more confident about yourself and your idea for an enterprise. Watch a video of participants on another programme.
- Learn and be able to use a range of skills and tools for setting up and developing your enterprise.
- Improve your fundraising skills by actively fundraising with support from the Ideas into Action team.
- Improve your volunteer management skills by actively recruiting volunteers with support from the Ideas into Action team.
- Set up your enterprise legally and start your activity.
- Set up your enterprise’s digital, online and marketing presence.
- Meet and connect with a group of other entrepreneurs and form a valuable network with them.
- Be able to communicate effectively about your enterprise and its value.
- Feel a sense of achievement in your work.
I am interested. When can I apply?
The 2022 programme places have been filled and the group has started work. We will be recruiting later in 2022 for the 2023 programme. Feel free to contact us to express interest and we will make sure you receive the information you need. The application form will be available here on our website once applications open.
If you have questions or would like help to complete the form, please email: info@resultcic.com or phone: 07516 518194