Vale Steve Lawrence

SSE Founder Steve Lawrence (left) and SSE UK CEO Alastair Wilson

Dear SSE Friends,

It is with very great sadness that we share with you the news that our dear friend, colleague and joint founder of SSE Australia, Steve Lawrence, passed away yesterday morning after a long illness.

Steve, known as the ‘grandfather of social enterprise’ in Australia has been an inspiring innovator, motivator, driver and doer in many parts of the social sector for over four decades.

We were thrilled to publicly honour Steve for his work at the Social Enterprise World Forum global gathering in Melbourne in 2009.

Steve remained extremely active and engaged in SSE and the founding partners and our new CEO, Celia Hodson met with Steve only last week.

Steve’s energy, passion, and belief in the potential of every  person will be deeply missed by all of us in the SSE community here and globally.

Our deepest sympathy is extended to Steve’s family.

Jan Owen AM
Chair
Founding Partners Group
SSE Australia

SSE Sydney celebrates its 5th graduation

The Sydney School for Social Entrepreneurs’ 5^th graduation ceremony was held last night at ING DIRECT to celebrate its latest crop of entrepreneurial individuals who are developing innovative social ventures to address unmet needs in their communities.

The 17 graduating students are working on a range of social initiatives and enterprises including: an early intervention children’s literacy project, an online community to share stories around mental health, and a fair trade handicrafts enterprise to preserve Indigenous culture in Mexico.

Deputy CEO of SSE Australia, Jessie Williams, said that the students of the 5th Sydney program have benefited both personally and professionally from the highly supportive and non-academic approach of the School.

“We have seen amazing results from our students to date with many developing the confidence, networks and skills to make their social ventures more effective and sustainable,” said Jessie.

“Our students have not only secured funding but also developed strong partnerships and delivered significant social impact in their communities.  We are delighted to be welcoming them as fellows of our growing network of social entrepreneurs in Australia.”

A number of awards were presented at the graduation including the “Sydney Social Entrepreneur of the Year” which was received by Jac Torres Gomez for her work in establishing the Crimson Campaign to tackle the inequalities women and girls face globally due to menstruation.

The Project Achievement Award was jointly received by Mickey Kovari for his project Flashpoint Labs and Lizza Gebilagin for Corker Magazine.  Flashpoint Labs  runs photography workshops and training for young people including Indigenous youth and Corker Magazine is a creative publication that celebrates Australian culture and is produced by emerging creative artists.  The Action Learning Award was won by Libby Ellis for her project InCharge which empowers individuals and families to source their own disability support services.

SSE Australia runs a 9-month Incubator Program that gives social entrepreneurs the personal and business support they need to grow their venture to be more effective. Since launching three years ago, SSE Australia now boasts a fellowship of over 150 social entrepreneurs across Australia.

SSE Australia Welcomes Celia Hodson as CEO

Celia Hodson, New CEO of SSE Australia

The School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) Australia is excited to announce the appointment of Celia Hodson as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Celia joins SSE Australia with a wealth of experience as a business person, entrepreneur and founder of one of the UK’s most successful social enterprise schools, The Eastern Enterprise Hub.

In her role at The Eastern Enterprise Hub, Celia established SSE East so is already part of the SSE global family and has first hand experience of supporting and advocating for social entrepreneurs.

Previously Celia’s UK based roles have included Chief Executive Officer at Cambridge Co-operative Development Agency, Deputy Chief Executive at the Social Enterprise Coalition and Chief Executive of Choose Suffolk.  She has also held numerous board positions with UK based nonprofits and social enterprises.

Jan Owen the Chair of SSE Australia’s Founding Partner Group says Celia is a well- known and respected leader in the UK Third Sector and social entrepreneurship field.

“We very much look forward to welcoming Celia to SSE Australia and to her contribution to the advancement of social entrepreneurship in Australia,” said Jan.

Celia will be relocating from the UK and is set to commence the CEO job from early July. We look forward to welcoming Celia and introducing her to our SSE Australia staff, supporters, and friends.

Champion Changemaker Steve Lawrence Celebrates 60 Years

Steve Lawrence SSE Australia Co-Founder & Alastair Wilson CEO of SSE UK

Bill Drayton, the founder of Ashoka, boldly stated a few years ago: “Everyone’s a Changemaker”

With due respect to the great Bill D, Steve Lawrence, SSE Australia Co-Founder and serial social entrepreneur was onto this way earlier! He has lived Bill’s assertion daily, championing changemakers from all walks of life in Australia for the past 40 years. Like Bill, Steve’s boldness and belief in people’s ability to create change in their own lives and communities has been profoundly important, not only to the movement of social entrepreneurship, but to the many thousands of individuals whom he has personally helped and supported.

Steve, the wonderful combination of your driven, pioneering spirit, intense humility, unerring chutzpah, endearing stubbornness and downright lovability has set an unimaginably high bar for us all to aspire to!

Through all that you have achieved, your inclusivity – always making space on the field for others to play and join – has been an inspiring and constant theme in the way you so passionately lead and contribute to social change.

The Australian and global SSE family thanks you for your exceptional service to this community and wishes you a very, very happy 60th Birthday!

By: Jan Owen and Alastair Wilson on behalf of the School for Social Entrepreneurs – UK, Australia and Canada.

 

The SSE Learning Community welcomes Melbourne 4!

“If I don’t know something, somebody in the room will”

“Some of the greatest things I have learned came from my peers”