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November brings us its usual mix of weather. When I started writing this edition it was lovely and sunny, today not so. But November does bring us fireworks. There weren't any at the Social Enterprise Scotland Awards which took place at the start of the month but the Highland and Islands groups sparkled and shone as they should.

We've got a unique secondment opportunity to tell you about which is on an Island, but it's a good bit out of our patch! Brook Scotland's Inverness team have got a great volunteering opportunity to share this month and we thought we'd highlight one of the Big Lottery's small funding schemes - Grow Wild - for the green fingered groups out there. It might not be the weather for growing but this is certainly the time to plan for Spring - and it takes our mind of all the Christmas marketing madness.

But if you are in the mood for some Christmas shopping have a look at what our Social Enterprise of the month, The Libertie Project, has been busy making. These quirky hand-made decorations would make the perfect gift for any grumpy friends or colleagues!

Forres - How Healthy is your Board?
Tuesday 24 November 12-2.30pm
Forres Area Community Trust, 1 Leask Road, Forres
Book your place here.

Fort-William - How Healthy is your Board?
8 December 12-3pm
Voluntary Action Lochaber, An Drochaid, Claggan Road, Fort William
Book your place here.

Shetland - Opportunities for Growth
12 January 12-2.30pm
Market House, Lerwick, Shetland.
Book your place here.

These events are brought to you in association with Just Enterprise.

Social Invesment Scotland have teamed up with Just Enterprise to deliver a programme of workshops across Scotland dedicated to exploring social investment. These workshops are aimed at two audiences. For the professional bodies who would benefit from knowing more about social investment there is the 'Professional Insights Workshop', and for third sector organisations who are curious about, or preparing to take on a social investment loan, there is the 'Investment Readiness Workshop'.

Inverness workshop - 1st December 2015

8:00 - 9:45 a.m. Professional Insights Workshop
12:30-4:00 p.m. Investment Readiness Workshop

Aberdeen workshop - 2 December 2015

8:00 - 9:45 a.m. Professional Insights Workshop
12:30-4:00 p.m. Investment Readiness Workshop

Oban workshop - 10 December 2015

8:00 - 9:45 a.m. Professional Insights Workshop
12:30-4:00 p.m. Investment Readiness Workshop

Please register for the session(s) that you will be attending via the SIS website . Or if you have any questions then please contact James Finnie by email: James.finnie@ceis.org.uk or phone: 0141 425 2912.

ï¿¼ï¿¼ï¿¼ï¿¼ï¿¼Volunteer Opportunity - Inverness

Do you want to volunteer with the UKâ€™s leading sexual health charity for young people? Brook Scotland's Inverness Team is looking to recruit Education Volunteers to support their education team in delivering BiteSize Brook across the Highland and Moray regions.

This is an exciting opportunity to gain experience volunteering for a leading charity providing sexual health and wellbeing services for young people.

You will be volunteering with our education and training team based in Inverness to deliver Bitesize Brook: our highly acclaimed fun and engaging â€˜pop-upâ€™ relationships and sex education programme for young people. Bitesize sessions involve young people taking part in short interactive activities in different zones, themed around key sex and relationship education issues. You will be given training and support to facilitate these sessions.

Benefits to you include:

Flexible hours to fit around your other commitments
Training and ongoing support
Opportunities to develop your skills
Expenses reimbursed
Great experience for your CV
A reference for future employment

For more information email: volunteering@brook.org.uk

Community Project Funding

Grow Wild is awarding funding of Â£1,000 to Â£4,000 to community groups that want to bring people together to transform a communal space by sowing and growing UK native plants.

Apply now to be part of the 2016 community projects. The closing date for applications is 1 December 2015.
Please read the community project application guidance to find out more and request an application form.
Get ready to put your brilliant ideas into action and inspire others to join you in bringing colour and wildlife to your community.

To find out more contact Claire Bennett by email: scotland@growwilduk.com or by phone on: 0131 554 2561 / 07917 264 891

Grow For It Awards

Have you got a brilliant idea to communicate the importance of native wild flowers and wild spaces in a creative way? Apply now for a Get Creative award. Or do you want to work with others to help transform a local space with native plants and wild flowers? Apply now for a Transform a Space award.

A panel of young people will be judging all entries. Grow Wild is working together with the Scottish Youth Parliament on all Scottish entries.

For the Get Creative Award, applications are open under two categories.

Visual art - to produce a large piece of art to be displayed outdoors. It can have a three-dimensional element, though we must be able to hang the artwork flat on a wall.

Audio/performance â€“ to produce a piece of music, dance or spoken word to a performance standard.

Winning applicants will receive Â£500 to produce their creative artwork or to record their audio performance, plus the chance to exhibit or perform it outdoors at a high profile UK summer event.

Entries for this competition are invited under two age categories:

under 18s (for age 12 to 17)
over 18s (for age 18 to 25)

Click here to view our simple application form and guidance notes. The deadline for entries is 25 January 2016.

Transform a Space Award
Do you have a brilliant idea for transforming a communal space near you? Do you want to get together with others for some wild sowing and planting action? Young people aged 12 to 25 can apply for a Â£500 Transform a Space award.

Weâ€™re looking for project ideas that raise awareness about the importance of native wild flowers and plants and their diverse habitats. Your project can involve more than sowing and growing â€“ as long as it communicates a message about UK native wild flowers and wild spaces in a creative way. Think wild, innovative and eye catching!

Click here to view our simple application form and guidance notes. The deadline for entries is 22 February 2016.

To ask a question or discuss your project idea please email: growforit@growwilduk.com or telephone 020 8332 5445 / 5444.

WINNERS OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISE AWARDS SCOTLAND 2015

Social Enterprise Scotland announced the winners of the Social Enterprise Awards Scotland 2015, at a celebration awards ceremony in The Scottish Parliament earlier this month.

The top prize for Social Enterprise of the Year went to COPE Ltd in Shetland. The One to Watch award was given to EuroBiotix CIC based in Aberdeen and the Social Enterprise Champion was awarded to Isobel Grigor of the Calman Trust.

Scotlandâ€™s annual awards for innovation and success in social enterprise showcase how social enterprises are improving Scotlandâ€™s economy and society. 2015 also marks the 10 year anniversary of Social Enterprise Scotland.

The complete list of 2015 winners is as follows:

Social Enterprise of the Year - COPE Ltd

One to Watch - EuroBiotix CIC

Prove It: Social Impact - Cre8te Opportunities Limited

Buy Social: Market Builder - Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (Highly Commended Highlands and Islands Enterprise)

Inspiring Youth Social Enterprise - Arkleston Primary School

Social Enterprise Champion - Isobel Grigor (Calman Trust)

Business Development Officer - Secondment Opportunity

The Falkland Islands Development Corporation (FIDC) wishes to offer to a similar partner organisation a one year secondment for the post of Development Officer to strengthen our Development team.

For the successful candidate, it is a great opportunity to gain career experience in an exciting context of a dynamic economy based on established industries and businesses in the Tourism, Agriculture and Fishery sectors as well as promising emerging ones such as the Oil and Gas sector.

We are looking for a motivated individual with an entrepreneurial background to help us support local companies start and grow their businesses. Youâ€™ll be supporting our Development Manager with the provision of sound business advice, appraising loan and grant applications and the delivery of projects that promote economic development in the Islands.

Essential Skills & Experience include: A business related degree with a relevant 3-5 yearsâ€™ experience in a similar position.

Hours: 37.5 per week, normally Monday to Friday. Starting salary from: Â£27,624 per annum.

If you would like more information please contact David Stewart by email: david.stewart@dbs-projects.co.uk. To apply, Notes of interest and CVs should be sent to David by close of business on Friday 20 November, 2015.

Partner organisations that are interested in considering this secondment opportunity are encouraged to visit FIDCâ€™s website.

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE OF THE MONTH

The Libertie Project Limited is a social enterprise that runs arts and craft activities for offenders, those at risk of offending, their familes and victims of crime, in and around Inverness. Working independantly with vulnerable groups and in partnership with local Criminal and Community Justice Providers the project aims to develop pre-employability skills and reduce re-offending.

The project does so by providing creative activities, from ceramics to free style art work, designed to meet individual needs and provide a safe environment to engage in something worthwhile, which helps to boost self esteem.

â€¨â€¨Libby Bligh, Libertie's Director, explained more: "We work on a number of projects with a wide age range. One of our curent programmes involves working with young people aged 10-14 years identified by local youth clubs as being at high risk of offending. And another involves a creative club for homeless people which was actually designed by former offenders who had been living in temporary accommodation. They identified that some of the homeless people they met were at high risk of offending due to their circumstances and they devised a programme to help integrate them back into the community and to re-build their confidence."

"We have had some input from HISEZ recently as we have been looking at how we can market our products more effectively and how to progress with online selling. It is extremely helpful to have that input from an external perspective. Following on from that we have been busy recently making ceramic Christmas decorations which are now on sale in the New Start Highland shop on Church Street. We also held a very successful Living Wage Roadshow Event in Inverness last week in conjunction with the Poverty Alliance."

To find out more about the Libertie Project take a look at their Website or find them on Facebook.

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