A Social Entrepreneur Chat Show
19th November
6 – 8.15pm
The Melting Pot
Guest Speakers Biographies
Mel Young
President and co-Founder Homeless World Cup.
Mel Young is recognised as one of the world’s leading social
entrepreneurs by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. He
is a Schwab Fellow of the World Economic Forum.
Previously he worked as a journalist; co-founded The Big Issue in Scotland
in 1993; co-founded Senscot (Social Entrepreneurs Network Scotland);
former President and Honorary President of INSP (International Network
of Street Papers).
He also set up City Lynx magazine and New Consumer Magazine; worked
on a community newspaper in Wester Hailes in Edinburgh in 1990’s.
He is currently the President of the Homeless World Cup which he cofounded in 2003. Also a non-executive director on two boards:
Sportscotland and Glasgow Life; member of the World Economic Forum
Sports Agenda Council.
He has been awarded five honorary degrees.
He is a lifelong supporter of Hibernian FC and is the author of Goal: The story of the Homeless World
Cup.
Homeless World Cup website: www.homelessworldcup.org
Marianne Paterson
Director and Founder Aryshire Childrens Services
I have worked with children and young people for the last 23 years and
have developed skills in leadership and service development, however
more recently I have been developing Ayrshire Childrens Services and
Essential plus.
Over the last few years it has become evident that the changes brought
about by our current economic crisis has caused child care charities and
organisations to cut services across the board, with the hard hitting
knock on affect to some of the most vulnerable and isolated children in
Scotland. Therefore with this insight, I decided to resign from my job in
May 2011 and try to do something innovative which could stand alone
and fight against the economic crisis and direct its efforts to take a modern social enterprise
approach delivering a service with social value direct to my community.
Ayrshire Childrens Services CIC provides a personalised support service for children aged 6 –18 years
with additional support needs currently within North Ayrshire, with plans to expand into East
Ayrshire in 2014. ACS are an independent service which keeps families at the centre of decisionmaking regarding the support of their childs needs. The service is outcome focussed and children
and young people are encouraged to set and reach realistic personal goals. This helps children to
become, successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.
ACS main aim is to build peer relations, develop independence and resilience by provide
opportunities to become involved in community groups and access leisure activities. Our Staff
provides a consistent service with a named key worker and by completing a comprehensive training
course have a range of skills, including life skills and in supporting complex needs. All ACS staff are
handed picked and are enthusiastic and flexible in their approach. ACS is supported by Essentials
Plus a training and recruitment service specifically designed for the child care sector with a focus on
back to work and skills development approach.
Ayrshire Childrens Services website: http://ayrshirechildrensservices.org
Greg Chauvet
Managing Director Glasgow Bike Station
Greg left the financial sector at the birth of the crisis, as a
reaction against the unethical practices of his bosses. His
passionate and forward thinking management style focuses on
positive change, not only for those he works with but for society
as a whole.
In July 2010 he set up a social enterprise – unfunded and unpaid
– to address the lack of information, affordable bikes and
infrastructure for cyclists in Glasgow. This was the birth of
Glasgow Bike Station (GBS) and since its inception GBS has won
numerous awards and funding bids.
In 2011 GBS joined Edinburgh Bike Station to become Scotland largest bicycle recycling organisation.
Moving to a new 9000sq feet workshop in 2012, GBS doubled it's turnover and now has a team of 14
full time employees and 25 volunteers and is still recruiting. Gregory's inclusive style of management
sees volunteers from diverse backgrounds including refugees, ex-prisoners and the long term
unemployed, working closely alongside himself and his team.
Greg truly believes in the social enterprise model of business and works very closely with local and
national organisations to forge new link and increase the impact of the work he does. His latest
venture in helping to strengthen the voice of the social enterprise movement is the development of
a link with Cuba which aims to offer an alternative business model to a culture currently in a state of
flux.
Glasgow Bike Station website: www.thebikestation.org.uk