Bath Social Impact Network brings together like-minded groups and individuals to improve and grow the social economy in Bath and North East Somerset. It’s run in partnership with Bath Spa University and 3SG.
Bath Spa University and 3SG have set up the Bath Social Impact Network (BSIN) to fill a gap identified for businesses and individuals working in social, community and environmental impact areas in Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES).
Whether you’re a social enterprise, B Corp, CIC, co-op, or interested in the work of these types of organisations, we’re here to support you on your journey.
Why would you want to join yet another network?
If you want to meet and connect with like-minded and purpose-driven individuals and businesses then this network is for you. You’ll also have the opportunity to attend sessions specially tailored to help grow and develop the social economy. We aim to bring together those working for good in the BaNES region, making us stronger together.
Sign up now
Our upcoming events
We’ll be running sessions specially tailored for businesses and individuals working in social, community and environmental impact areas in BaNES. Whether you already work in these areas, are looking to grow or set up a new impact organisation or looking for one to partner with, you’re more than welcome to join us at one of our events.
Our past events
September in person networking
We welcomed members of the network to discuss how social enterprises in the region can grow.
Dan Gregory from Social Enterprise UK discussed the growth of Social Enterprises in the region and the policies associated with social enterprises. We also heard from Annie Legge from Tech4Good South West, who spole of her experience founding multiple social enterprises here in the West of England.
June Networking event: From Start-up to Survival - Everything you need to know about Social Economy
We welcomed 3SG to our June networking event, who told us all about Social Economy West and the exciting opportunities it offers.
Social Economy West is a West of England Mayoral Combined Authority initiative designed to support and grow the social economy in the region, helping organisations to overcome increasing demand amid the cost-of-living crisis. It’ll provide charities, third sector organisations, social enterprises and co-operatives with the resources, expertise and guidance they need.
We also heard more about Cool Ventures' Business Support Services.
March networking event: Creating an environment for Social Enterprises to thrive
We were joined by Nichola McAvoy from Social Enterprise UK (SEUK), the biggest network of social enterprises in the UK. Nichola spoke to us about the work SEUK do under their strapline of "Creating an environment for Social Enterprises to thrive."
Attendees heard about the exciting role they're playing on the national stage and the role your organisation can play in working together to influence policy.
Nichola also updated us on SEUK's Social Enterprise Place scheme, which recognises hot spots of Social Enterprise activity.
January networking event: Changing the Face of Philanthropy
We were thrilled to celebrate the first anniversary of Bath Social Impact Network at Newark Works.
We heard from Isobel Michael and Claire Wynne Hughes about Giving Circles and the current funding landscape of BaNES. Attendees then had the chance to network and discuss how they could contribute to the ever-changing funding landscape.
December festive networking
Our festive networking event was a chilled evening with home baked goods and great conversation. Attendees relaxed and reminisced on how the year had gone for us all.
FAQs
What are the benefits?By joining the network you’ll belong to a group of like-minded members who are keen to work together to grow and learn from each other.
Opportunities will include:
- Networking
- Visibility to a wide-ranging local market
- Forging new business opportunities
- Access to specialised training and workshops
- B2B Support
- Collaboration with like-minded organisations
- Access to external funding opportunities as a group
We’re interested to know what you’d like from the network and how we can make it work best for our members.
Our guiding principles
- We’re a network where everyone has equal input not dependent on size or outputs
- We work collaboratively and in a supportive manner to best serve the needs of the Network
- We bring together like-minded groups and individuals to improve and grow the social economy in BaNES
- We foster collaborative relationships between our members
- We provide support and guidance to those in the network through peer support
- We provide opportunities to further social procurement in the region
Who are the partners in the network?Bath Spa University and 3SG have set up the Bath Social Impact Network in partnership. Bath Spa University is a certified member of Social Enterprise UK and brings to the network its expertise in social enterprise, social value and entrepreneurship. BSU will be running the in-person events.
3SG is an independent membership network supporting the charity, social enterprise, faith and voluntary sector operating in Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES). To the network, they bring their expertise in managing other networks in the region and will be running the online events.