SES is growing a strong, inclusive voice for social enterprise after being chosen by the Scottish Government to deliver the new ‘Single Enhanced Intermediary’ for Scotland from July 1st.

As part of its commitment to deliver this in partnership with the entire sector, including grassroots social enterprises, SES is establishing the Transition Group to ensure a seamless process.

As SIS announced last week, the group will be chaired by Ian Welsh OBE, who was chief executive of the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland, the third sector strategic intermediary for health and social care organisations for 12 years.

Irene Mosota

Social Enterprise Scotland has nominated Irene Mosota to the group. Irene is the founding director of I’mPerfect Foods, a social enterprise whose mission is to reduce waste innovatively and responsibly in the food supply chain. She has several years’ experience in a variety of social projects, conflict resolution and negotiation. She has a strong background in community and cross-boundary leadership.

SENScot will be represented by John Halliday. John is CEO of the social enterprise Community Renewal Trust and Chair/co-founder of Caledonia Funeral Aid CIC. His campaigning work focuses on changing systems for commissioning and delivery at a neighbourhood level as part of rethinking approaches to ending persistent poverty and inequity.

Further members include:

• Ailsa Clark is founder of Inspiralba, a social enterprise which delivers employability and learning activities for young people and those facing barriers to work, seeing first-hand the impact of Covid lockdowns as well as increasing poverty levels for those most vulnerable in our communities.
• James Hilder has worked numerous community asset transfers, renewables projects, community benefit funds, community shops, land acquisitions and has established a wide range of social enterprises over the last 23 years using many different legal structures.
• Angus Hardie is currently Director of Scottish Community Alliance, a group of national community sector networks which has been formed to advance the community agenda in Scotland.
• Yvonne Strachan CBE has a range of experience in the third and public sectors and has a particular interest in equality and social enterprise. She is currently Chair of the Social Enterprise Academy Board and was formerly a Deputy Director in the Scottish Government with responsibility for equality, human rights and the third sector. In this role she worked to support the strengthening of social enterprise in Scotland.
• Martin Avila is Group CEO at Community Enterprise in Scotland (CEIS.) CEIS is the UK’s oldest and largest social enterprise business support agency. Its mission is to develop a more inclusive economy in order to reduce inequality and make Scotland a better place to live and work. Martin moved to CEIS in August 2021 from Kinning Park Complex where he was previously the director.
• Polly Chapman is the CEO and co-founder of Impact Hub Inverness, a co-working space run by HISEZ CIC that is part of an international network. She is also an accredited coach and has onboarded 10 new teams for Impact Hub Global.

The placed-based Social Enterprise Networks and Third Sector Interfaces came together to nominate two individuals to represent them on the group. SIS said it looks forward to working with Claire Patullo and Jennifer Robertson.

John Halliday

Claire Patullo, is chief executive at Edinburgh Social Enterprise having previously worked in two local authorities, leading multi-disciplinary teams and partnerships to address barriers experienced by some of the most disadvantaged communities in Scotland. Jennifer Robertson is director of Glasgow Social Enterprise Network. Jennifer was previously the Social Enterprise Officer for the three TSI’s which form the Forth Valley SEN. Jennifer is a practitioner and has founded several social enterprises and is on the Board of a care centre.

The group has a six-month remit to report back with recommendations – which will be published in full. SES is engaging with existing local, placed-based networks including SENs and Third Sector Interfaces (TSIs), with very positive feedback. In a new statement, the SES board said it is “growing a collaborative movement so that all social enterprises have a stronger voice”.

The SES board said: “We are delighted to announce the membership of the Transition Group and to have so much experience and expertise on board as we evolve to the SEI for social enterprises in Scotland.

“The Transition Group will ensure a seamless process and oversee the work required to meet the needs of the growing and thriving social enterprise movement.

“We are proud to be creating a relationship of trust and confidence, with full transparency and flexibility, as we prepare for the implementation of the SEI in July. We are growing a collaborative movement so that all social enterprises have a stronger voice.

“This is an incredibly exciting time for our sector as we progress the transition and successfully deliver a new inclusive model that will give social enterprises a collective and stronger voice.”