Media star opportunity for Shropshire’s social entrepreneurs

As part of a world-wide initiative, a promotional DVD is being produced showcasing the county’s growing number of social enterprises - businesses which allow society to profit.

The Community Council of Shropshire is organising for the film to be made at a special day-long event on November 17 to mark global Social Enterprise Week.

Funded through the ‘Growing Social Enterprise in West Midlands’ ERDF programme, the event will promote awareness of the impressive and diverse activities of social enterprises in Shropshire.

“The people behind social enterprises will have the opportunity to hone their media skills, appearing on camera as well as attending workshops in which they will learn about practical ways to maximise their unique selling points when promoting themselves in all formats,” explained Nicky Kent, social enterprise business outreach coach from the Community Council.

“The end result will be a DVD which will be used on an ongoing promotional basis. We hope it will emphasise that Shropshire is a diverse county which has a great mix of remote villages and big areas of regeneration from which a wide range of social enterprises have grown. The whole day and the film will shine a light on them all.”

The event will be facilitated by Appletree Theatre and Film Company, themselves a local social enterprise business, together with Jim Hawkins of BBC Radio Shropshire and Michaela Hardwick of Beyond Brilliance CIC, who together run Venture, a voluntary networking group for social enterprises in Shropshire.

Nicky added: “Anyone already running or interested in social enterprises is welcome to come along between 11.30am and 1.30pm and watch the day unfold and they may even be invited to contribute.”

To continue the Shropshire theme, the event will be held at Hampton Hayes Farm at Worthen, near Shrewsbury, home of the Dragonfly Project CIC.

For more information, please contact Nicky Kent on 01743 342178 or the website www.shropshire-rcc.org.uk