A World Beyond Profit?

south west | community | event notice Tuesday September 16, 2008 16:50 by Nick Thomas - The Pierian Centre info at pieriancentre dot com The Pierian Centre, 27 Portland Square, St Pauls, Bristol BS2 8SA 0117 924 4512

A Conference on Community Interest Companies (CICs)

The Pierian Centre is holding a Regional Conference on Community Interest Companies (CICs) on Thursday 2nd October. Important changes have occurred in the field of social enterprise – and ‘A World Beyond Profit?’ is your chance to hear from experts what these changes mean.

A World Beyond Profit?

‘Community Interest Company’ (CIC) is a new legal status, set up three years ago to enable and regulate the social enterprise sector. This growing sector lies in the no-man’s land between commerce and charity, and often struggles with the limitations of both sectors and the advantages of neither. The introduction of CICs recognises this increasingly important new area of operation, and gives a firm legal footing to the many enterprises who work in it for the social good. It will be of special interest to the voluntary sector and to Arts and Community groups.

CICs are limited companies set up with the specific aim of providing benefit to a community. They are social enterprises and not-for-profit businesses of all sizes, from single member companies to co-operatives – all of them combining commercial activity with the pursuit of a social purpose. CIC registration gives them an identity and status that offers other stakeholders the reassurance of regulated locked assets and a community purpose, and thereby opens up potential funding streams from a range of Community Finance Institutions.

The Conference on Thursday 2nd October will be attended by the UK CIC regulator and a panel of experts drawn from legal, academic, public sector and enterprise fields. It’s a unique opportunity to find out about CICs – how they work, and for whom they’re useful. A range of different views will be represented, both on the panel and among delegates. It’s a chance to discuss practical ways of bridging the often yawning gulf between business and the community.

The attached flyer gives full details of the Conference panel and the day’s Programme. The morning session is led by Leroy White, Head of the University of Bristol’s Department of Management, using Open Space Technology to generate an agenda from the delegates themselves. We then move to small group discussion with individual panel members, before opening out to questions to and contributions from the full panel. The day runs from 10am to 4pm, with informal discussions carrying on for those who want more!

‘A World Beyond Profit?’ has been part sponsored by Business Link, enabling us to reduce the price to £35 (including Lunch). To book simply contact the Pierian Centre on 0117 924 4512 or info@pieriancntre.com. Cheques (made payable to The Pierian Centre) can be sent to us at 27 Portland Square, St Pauls, Bristol BS2 8SA – or brought along on the day.