BU Research Blog

Covid-19 has created tremendous uncertainty, to state the obvious mildly, particularly for small social businesses and social entrepreneurs where there is not much focused and specific support to go around.

A year ago we embarked on a journey, via the BU Social Entrepreneurs Forum (BUSEF), formed in collaboration with the Association of Sustainability Practitioners and the Poole Bay Rotary Club to develop the landscape of socially focused businesses in the community, to encourage knowledge transfer projects between BU and socially focused businesses and to provide a collaborative, inclusive forum to support business transition to socially sustainable yet economically viable models.

BUSEF is now offering free, focused, workshops online on the theme of ‘Coping with Covid-19’. Our very successful and well received session in August was on legal structures of social businesses and sources of funding with experts from YTKO , Jonathan Dixon, Head of Grants Programme and NatWest Community Business Funding support officers John Murray and Mairead Taylor .

Now, we have our next workshop on the 09th of October (online) where The Operations Director of Dorset Growth Hub, Nick Gregory; Director at Association of Sustainability Practitioners and lifelong environmentalist, Linda Farrow and Economic Development Officer at BCP Council, Claire Main will speak about the various types of direct support available, share experiences of business during Covid-19. And if that was not enough, we are also launching our BUSEF Clinic sessions! From this event onwards, we invite expressions of interest from local social SMEs and social entrepreneurs (via email to Sukanya at sayatakshi@bournemouth.ac.uk) to have their own particular case discussed live with an expert panel to seek a collective resolution and personalised support.

BUSEF is now in the final phases of developing its own website, in partnership with Worksity a social business founded by an ex-BU student Amin Pasandideh. Watch the space for our next exciting steps!