Blogs
Lockdown, learning, and leaving no young person behind
Our Head of Education, Emily Mnyayi, shares the importance of focusing on lifelong, rather than linear, learning during lockdown and beyond to support young people in Scotland to reach their full potential.
2020: Time for structural change and racial equity
23 June 2020
As leaders, we have a responsibility to engage in honest dialogue about how to dismantle structural racism and address issues of discrimination and inequality within our own organisations and beyond.
SEA & Emerald Works partner to support social change leaders
28 May 2020
This partnership will give Social Enterprise Academy learners free access to Emerald Work's award-winning Mind Tools toolkit, helping them to put learning into practice and develop the key skills needed to thrive in a post-COVID world.
Inner Gold. Blog 9: Possibility
How could being bold & brave expand your world of possibility?
In Karen's final 'Inner Gold' blog she shares how we can overcome the limitations of our mind to make surprising things possible.
Inner Gold. Blog 8: Transformation
In busy lives in a busy world, how do we allow ourselves time and space to experience transformation?
Join us for this weeks 'Inner Gold' blog as Karen takes us on a virtual adventure through the Atlantic Coast, exploring some of the key ingredients for transformation.
SEA featured as one of top 100 social enterprises in UK
14 May 2020
We're excited to announce that the Social Enterprise Academy is featured as one of the top 100 social enterprises in UK in the NatWest SE100 2020! You can read the full list of social enterprises in this year's list below.
What Critical Qualities Do Leaders Need in this VUCA World?
COVID-19 definitely meets the definition of a VUCA environment; Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous.
How does the VUCA leadership model (developed originally by the US Army in response to the Gulf War) offer insights on what we need to draw on as people and as leaders in this current crisis?
Inner Gold. Blog 7: Joy
In this week's Inner Gold blog, Karen takes a look at the definition of joy.
Reflecting on her travels around the world, she notices that in simplicity lies inner gold. Read this week's blog to learn the difference between happiness and joy, and through doing so, connect with some of your 'inner gold'.
Inner Gold. Blog 6: Love
Love: a vital force, a component of every facet and corner of life, something we all desire but rarely give to ourselves...
In this inspirational blog, Karen shares some reflections on self-love and loving others.
Inner Gold. Blog 5: Gratitude
Karen's fifth blog explores how the practice of gratitude is a powerful ingredient for transforming our mental wellbeing and our positive experience of life. Learn how you can connect with some of your 'Inner Gold' through simply feeling grateful each day.
A coaching response to Covid-19
23 April 2020
David Bryan reflects on the power of re-establishing relationships and how coaching can help build the long-term resilience of Scotland’s third sector.
Learn, Un-Learn, Re-Learn
This importance of learning and adaptability could not be truer right now. As we try to navigate through uncertainty and upheaval, life is offering us the perfect classroom, with so many opportunities to innovate, learn and grow on a daily basis – both individually and as organisations.
Over the past month, the Academy has been on its own learning, un-learning and re-learning journey…
Inner Gold. Blog 4: Freedom
Freedom is a word more pertinent now than perhaps ever in our lifetimes. With the lockdown that Covid-19 has brought to the world, most of us have either limited or no freedom to enjoy being outside. We notice the absence of things we all too often take for granted, as well as appreciating some things that we don’t normally have time to notice.
We all have different ideas of what freedom means…
Inner Gold. Blog 3: Vulnerability & Superpowers…
A mind and soul supporting blog series to help us transcend difficult stuff, and connect us with some of the ‘inner gold’ we all have inside.
Karen's third blog explores how we can use vulnerability to learn, adapt or develop resilience and come back stronger than before. Read the blog for a few simple strategies that may help…
How do you respond in a crisis?
David Bryan, Social Enterprise Academy's Highlands & Islands Hub Manager, takes a look at The Change Curve, a very useful tool when managing individual or team change. Knowing where an individual is on the curve can help when deciding on what type of support someone needs and when they are ready to take on new challenges.
Inner Gold. Blog 2: WIBA’s & Beliefs…
A mind and soul supporting blog series to help us transcend difficult stuff, and connect us with some of the ‘inner gold’ we all have inside.
The second blog in Karen's 'Inner Gold' blog series explores how creating a positive 'Wouldn't It Be Amazing' (WIBA) can help generate incredible focus, momentum, action and learning.
Inner Gold. Blog 1: To be an explorer…
A mind and soul supporting blog series to help us transcend difficult stuff, and connect us with some of the ‘inner gold’ we all have inside.
Karen's first blog shares what it means to be an explorer today and some key ingredients needed to understand how we can change and influence our reality and our world from within.
Tourism workshops getting under way in Thurso
6 March 2020
A SERIES of tourism information workshops will be delivered in Thurso during March. The events are being run by Thurso Community Development Trust with subject areas ranging from slow tourism to information sharing.
SEA Q&A with...Rona MacKay from Community Energy Scotland
How can we empower more women to take on leadership roles? We caught up with Rona, Chair of Benbecula Community Council and Head of Operations & Governance at Community Energy Scotland.
Courageous Conversations for Women in the Highlands
We’re supporting WEA’s Women in the Highlands project, who are enabling their members in the Inverness area to get involved in their own communities. Our Courageous Conversations programme inspired by the empowerment of women in rural areas offers a safe and supportive space to take strength from one another.
The Perfect Balance: a film about Rwandan Fair Trade coffee
28 February 2020
The Perfect Balance: Fairtrade Fortnight celebrations kick off with the premiere of new film highlighting links between coffee farmers in Rwanda and coffee-drinkers in Scotland.
Hopes encouraging collaboration in Moray will help region reach potential
25 February 2020
Charity TSI Moray is preparing to host its annual conference with the aim of pulling groups together to help realise the region’s potential.
Communities Leading in Tourism
Tourism is changing. Across the world visitors are looking to take time to really understand a place, its culture, local food, folktales, music, how people there make sense of the world. Communities are at the heart of this, designing and realising the sort of tourism they want to happen locally.
Accreditation Q&A
Our Accreditation Manager, Gail English, answers some of the commonly asked questions about gaining accreditation and the benefits of taking part in an accredited programme.
Unleash the Power of Others
Evidence shows that taking a coaching approach can help create proactive and confident individuals. People who are more motivated, engaged and productive. And you don’t need to be a qualified coach to adopt this approach in your leadership.
Sector Representation on Social Enterprise Boards
Graham Bell OBE, former Chair of the Social Enterprise Academy board, reflects on his 12 years as a trustee and his hopes for the future of social enterprise boards in Scotland.
Release of Social Enterprise in Scotland: Census 2019
4 September 2019
Aileen Campbell, Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government, announced the Census’s key findings this morning at the annual Community Enterprise in Scotland (CEIS) Policy and Practice Conference in Glasgow.
Social enterprise hub launched in Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park
19 July 2019
The Community Partnership based in Balloch has launched a new social enterprise hub in partnership with the Social Enterprise Academy, with its first Growing Enterprising Communities event taking place on 28 August 2019.
#IYIL2019: Connecting language, culture and social enterprise
As part of the International Year of Indigenous Languages, David Bryan reflects on the role that social enterprise can play in promoting indigenous langages and cultures, while increasing their economic development.
Social Enterprise in Education Awards 2019
Forty schools received a Social Enterprise in Education Award from Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education & Skills, John Swinney MSP to recognise the success and sustainability of their social enterprises.
Highlands & Islands Social Enterprise in Education Awards 2019
This year, innovative young people across Scotland have been setting up businesses to tackle the social and environmental issues that matter to them. 21 schools from the Highlands and Islands have received a national award to recognise the success and sustainability of their social enterprises.
Just Enterprise: Third sector partnership wins £5m contract
27 May 2019
Scotland’s social enterprises are set for a £5m fillip from the Scottish Government to help social firms boost their presence. The cash will be administered by the Just Enterprise consortium, including CEIS, the Social Enterprise Academy, Firstport and Impact Hub Inverness.
We are the Future: Big Issue Schools Edition
Read all about some of the brilliant social enterprises in schools across Scotland
SEA Q&A with...Wendy Fleming from Financial WorX
What is it like to take time out and develop your leadership practice? We caught up with social entrepreneur Wendy Fleming to find out.
Pupils become Big Issue vendors for the day in a special edition sell-off
19 March 2019
Pupils in Scotland today turned into enterprising Big Issue vendors as they took part in a sell off of a special edition of the magazine that they helped create. Five pupils from Mary Russell School in Paisley became Big Issue vendors and tried their hand at selling the magazine at Renfrewshire House.
Teaching social enterprise: Scotland leads the way
19 March 2019
Should social enterprise be on every school curriculum? It will be in Scotland by 2028. We find out what pupils and teachers think about a groundbreaking programme led by the Social Enterprise Academy and the Scottish Government.
School pupils to help sell special edition of The Big Issue
18 March 2019
Scottish schoolchildren have helped create a special edition of The Big Issue and will this week help sell the magazine as street vendors. Fifteen pupils visited the editorial headquarters on Glasgow’s Bath Street to help create the issue and a social enterprise-inspired supplement.
School pupils create and sell a very special edition of The Big Issue
Pupils at 14 schools across Scotland will be selling the special edition this week after we partnered with The Big Issue to give young people a platform to raise awareness of the big issues they care about
New Scotland-Canada partnership to support social enterprise
9 February 2019
An international agreement to grow and sustain social enterprises in Scotland and Canada has been announced by Nicola Sturgeon on a visit to Toronto.
Education Winter Newsletter 2018
Get a copy of our latest Social Enterprise in Education Newsletter, read on to find out how to enter our Big Issue competition and how schools got on in the Social Enterprise World Forum.
How can we be more kind as leaders?
Research shows that just one random act of kindness each day can make a significant difference to our ability to deal with challenges at work. How can you re-capture the art of kindness today?
A cuppa, cake & kindness: Bargarran Primary’s community café
Our education coordinator James went to visit Bargarran Primary to find out how they are connecting their community through social enterprise.
Forget Nessie, local schools are selling goodies at Urquhart Castle
3 November 2018
This is the outcome of the ‘Meet the Buyer’ project launched by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and Social Enterprise Academy to inspire young entrepreneurs as part of the Year of Young People 2018.
Pioneering business support group reaches out to world
24 October 2018
IT was founded in Scotland 14 years ago and has since helped almost 3,000 social enterprises to reach their full potential. Now, a pioneering organisation set up to support not-for-profit businesses north of the border is to roll out a franchise into more countries worldwide.
SEWF 2018: Scotland’s young people make a lasting impact
Opening the Social Enterprise World Forum, St Alberts Primary, Glasgow and Broughton High School, Edinburgh showed exactly why Scotland should be proud of its young people.
New Horizons shared on the Long Island
As the Rural Symposium came to an end David Bryan shares the challenges and solutions found across the world in rural areas.
Internationalism at the SEA Global Gathering 2018
Social Enterprise Academy Co-Founder, Jim Bennett, reflects on the international thinking that has helped shape the Academy.
Ask a #SocEnt School: BRO Enterprise
BRO tell us what inspired them to set up and start changing the lives of people in their community.
8 ways to develop your courageous leadership
Courageous leaders are able to create a culture of trust and respect, which makes those around them be prepared to follow them. What does courageous leadership look like to you?
Social Enterprise in Schools Awards 2018
We take a look around this year's Social Enterprise in Schools Awards in Inverness!
Sponsored by: SQA, Kibble, Big Issue Invest & British Council.
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