What We Do

 

Membership

Selnet is first and foremost a membership network. By becoming a member, you will join an active and vibrant Lancashire-wide network of like-minded business people. Together with over 150 other social enterprises, you can share ideas, connect, collaborate and grow. If you are social enterprise trading in Lancashire then joining our membership network is the first step to getting linked in and finding out about new opportunities for your business.

Being a member has many benefits – Members receive up to date sector news, funding information, events and training updates and a platform for promotion. We deliver a range of events and seminars on key subjects each year. Our members are the first to hear of opportunities we have secured and the first organisations we approach to commission work or establish new delivery partnerships.

 

Specialist Advice for Social Businesses

Selnet has a wealth of experience in supporting and growing social businesses. Our team of business advisors provide a tailored package of advice to suit your social enterprise, all of whom are experienced social enterprise practitioners. Qualified to the National Standards, they have a range of specialisms in all business areas, such as business strategy & growth, marketing and financial planning. They have experience of working with social enterprises whatever the legal structure and in all business sectors.

We recognise the importance of good advice to help you develop your social enterprise. While there are a lot of similarities between social enterprises and private businesses, we believe that there are a lot of differences too. Often these differences are something that private business advisors don’t understand, or if they do recognise, don’t always know how to deal with.

We are a trusted partner within Lancashire’s business growth support community, specialising in Social Businesses. We may be able to support you through a funded programme, so please contact us to discuss your needs. We are a Social Enterprise too so tap into our experience and expertise.

 

Partnerships

We are proud to be collaborators and regularly work in partnership with other organisations. We also develop and lead partnerships to deliver services that address social problems and meet need in our communities.

The Selnet team are continually working to bring opportunities to the sector. We are currently leading 3 Building Better Opportunities projects with a value of £9.2M, where 64 partners are providing specialist employability and skills development support for people with multiple and complex barriers to work.

We are also the accountable body for a consortium of furniture reuse organisations under the Crisis Furniture Scheme, a contract with Lancashire County Council to supply essential furniture and appliances to people in crisis situations.

 

Representation

Selnet plays a key role in representing the needs of our sector on a local, regional and national basis.

We regularly update our Members Trade Directory and as members of Social Enterprise UK, we are proud to champion the national Buy Social Campaign in Lancashire, which aims to increase the market share of social enterprises in public and private sector supply chains.

At a time when politics and the economy are going through radical change, we are here to fly the social enterprise flag with confidence and to promote our sector’s strength, resilience, impact and diversity.

 For more information or support please contact 01772 200690 or email hello@selnet-uk.com.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Selnet:  For People | For Business | For Good