Work West are delighted to announce that we have received support from the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Northern Ireland to develop our idea for a social enterprise BIG Black Book trade directory.
The idea for the directory has come about over the last two and a half years, following the support we have delivered to the social economy sector in Belfast and across the province, through programmes such as the Social Economy Belfast initiative, the Social Entrepreneurship Programme, and Enterprising Communities.
"More and more groups kept asking us to tell them about what other social enterprises were doing, so they could buy from them too" said Rachel Marshall from Work West.
"Where possible, we use community owned catering companies, venues, media and print companies in our own work. Developing a "buy from within the sector" ethos is an imporant part of what we are about at Work West.
We are delighted that the Lloyds TSB Foundation also recognises the power that the sector has to generate business by selling to each other more, creating a multiplier effect within the economy." Rachel added.
A new online directory will be developed over the coming months and will be launched this summer at the first all Ireland Trade Event for social enterprise to be held in St Georges Market on 10th June 2008.
This directory will be a strategically important tool for the sector to promote itself more widely: to each other; to the public and private sectors and to the general public.
Watch this space for further details as we develop and launch the directory itself.
For more information, or to express an interest in registering your profile on the new BIG Black Book, contact Rachel Marshall at Work West on 02890 610826 or e-mail: rachel.marshall@workwest.co.uk
