Social enterprises in the North East of England are set to benefit from a new leadership programme which launched last week at Cobalt Studios in Newcastle.

Delivered by the Social Enterprise Academy, ‘Investing in Leadership’ is bringing together leaders from 12 social enterprises and charities across the North East to explore their leadership challenges and learn how to lead in a way that will encourage the long-term sustainability and impact of their organisations.

Each module of the programme will be hosted at a local social enterprise or charity across the North East of England, including locations in Newcastle, South Shields and Sunderland.

Daniel Wilson-Dodd, Deputy Chief Executive at Big Issue Invest, the social investment arm of The Big Issue which supports the organisation involved, said:

We are really excited about this programme. It’s the first formal course we have been able to provide of this type. This will extend our work beyond providing finance.  If we can find new ways to support investees, create and sustain social impact, then we can add even more value to the investment process.

 Jess Kemp, Senior Partnerships Officer at the Social Enterprise Academy, said:

We are delighted to be partnering with Big Issue Invest to support social enterprises across the North East of England. It is really important for social entrepreneurs to take the time to build capacity and leadership within their organisations, as well as focusing on financially sustainability. This programme aims to bring the two together and strengthen the organisations from within.

Photo: Big Issue Invest event in Newcastle