All about Adrian Ashton, consultant to social enterprise based in Pennines

Adrian Ashton, training, advice and consultancy

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About Adrian Ashton

After reading business in Cambridge, Adrian Ashton worked with one of the top 100 PR consultancies in the UK before taking on various management roles within a wide variety of social enterprises and community organisations.

These experiences enabled him to ‘turn around’ an ailing specialist social enterprise support agency into a nationally recognised body and gained him recognition as an authority on social enterprises from local, regional and national organisations including the DTI and Bank of England.

He has used this position, along with his knowledge of the changing environment and policy context in which social enterprises operate, to deliver support to local groups and national projects to high acclaim. This appreciation has been not only from the direct individuals and communities his work has impacted upon, but others, including support agencies and international governments. It has also led to his being invited to be an occasional writer for national and regional publications.

Skills and expertise:

Ø Extensive working knowledge of all forms of social enterprise: (co-operatives, social firms, development trusts, charities, CDFI)

Ø Business Planning and feasibility

Ø Social accounting

Ø CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility)

Ø Organisational ‘health check’ and review – all aspects

Ø Fundraising – writing bids and generating new business proposals

Ø Project management

Ø Legal structures and model of governance

Ø Diplomacy – (getting people to agree and deliver what was thought impossible)

Ø Public Relations and publicity

Ø Marketing

Ø Business start-up

Ø Training

Ø Building organisational ‘focus’ – creating a shared vision from all stakeholders for the organisation which is ‘owned’ by all

Ø ‘Social franchising’ (replication of successful models of social enterprise)

Ø Research and mapping

Social Accounts

‘Values in Action':

As someone who believes in the value of social accounting and strives to be transparent in how I conduct my professional work, I have committed myself to monitoring and reporting openly on my impact and the extent to which I have been able to generate activity in relation to my values:

2007/8 2006/7 2005/6

journeys by public transport, bicycle or foot

44% 64% 32%

income invested in continuing development of skills & knowledge

9% 8% 4%

articles research and published at own cost

8 6 5

proportion of purchases made within the 'local economy'

60% 60% -

feedback on all training delivered

(rating: excellent/very good) 99% - -

feedback on all training courses developed

(rating: excellent/very good) 100% - -

Qualifications:

SFEDI certificated as advisor to enterprise (including social enterprise)

Listed on the National Business Link Consultants Register

Graduate of Social Audit Network's:
'Social Accounting & Audit Masterclass' programme

Certificated trainer by the Institute of Leadership & Management

Graduate of Common Purpose programmes:
Local Links (2005/6); RENEW NW (2006)

Professional Memberships:

New Economics Foundation - www.neweconomics.org

National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) - http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/

Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship (ISBE) - http://www.isbe.org.uk/

The UK Society of Co-operative Studies - http://www.co-opstudies.org/

The Plunkett Foundation - http://www.plunkett.co.uk/

The Institute of Fundraising - www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk

Email Adrian on aa@adrianashton.co.uk or call him on 07786 492313