Tag: community

The Circle Academy is open for applications and has 25 fully-funded places.

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We are thrilled to announce that The Circle has been awarded funding from the Scottish Government to provide 25 subsidised places on the next cohort of our Academy. The grant has been awarded to allow individuals from three target groups to take part in the entrepreneurial training programme, given by The Circle Academy. 

The Circle Academy is a 12-week online programme, for individuals, start-ups and organisations, who want their business to have a social impact, while operating in a commercially sustainable way. It is a practical and educational training programme for individuals or organisations interested in running a ‘More Than Profit’ business.

The Circle Academy is an SQA accredited programme focused on developing skills in business planning, governance, finance, marketing, funding and pitching – with social impact.

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The Circle appoints new Academy Manager Jenny McCarthy pictured.

The Circle Academy appoints a new Academy manager.

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The Circle Academy is a practical and educational training programme for individuals interested in running a ‘More Than Profit’ business and is open to anyone who wants to create positive, social or environmental change in a sustainable and commercially viable way. We have supported an incredible 30 social entrepreneurs over the two years we have been running it.

Ahead of the launch of the 5th cohort, we are thrilled to announce our new Academy Manager is Jenny McCarthy. Jenny has been part of The Circle team since 2019, previously working for ACK Third Sector Consultants CIC which we merged with 2 years ago. As part of the ACK team, she was part of a team that supported individuals and organisations at all stages of their careers in a variety of areas. Jenny has helped support organisations in areas such as fundraising, event planning, feasibility studies and marketing. She has been a member of our consultancy team since she joined us in 2019 and has provided support in a few areas including grant writing, business planning and legal structures. Jenny has assisted with the Academy since its inception and will now be taking this knowledge and experience to run the programme. We know this move is going to be great for The Academy and the candidates and we can’t wait to see Jenny grow into this role.

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front exterior of a building with sign saying 'The Circle' and a garden space in front of it

We are sharing our next Social Impact Report with an online launch event

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November 25th this year will mark our 4th anniversary since launching. Every year we mark this occasion by publishing our Social Impact Report at a launch event. This year our celebrations will be slightly different, but we will be celebrating nonetheless! Instead of hosting the launch at our premises on Staffa Place as usual, this year we will be hosting an online event on Wednesday 25th November from 3.30pm to 5pm.

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Introducing our new project: The Circle Superstars

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We are excited to be introducing a new project to benefit children and young people during the lockdown. Set to launch in June, The Circle Superstars is a new initiative to provide activity packs to children and young people living in Dundee whose families currently access provisions from local food projects. The packs will include activities that will stimulate creativity while encouraging a focus on mindset, community and environment. This is a pilot project and will initially be delivered in the areas within Strathmartine Ward. This project has been funded by the Wellbeing Fund; a fund administered by the Scottish Government for organisations providing important services for people as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Come volunteer at our Community Café – 3 roles available

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The Circle Café provides Living Wage employment and training for one year to looked-after young people and care leavers. We run this in partnership with Barnardo’s Works, Leisure and Culture Dundee and Dundee City Council. It has been funded by the Community Lottery Fund.

Based at Staffa Place, in the Strathmartine Ward, The Circle is a community hub and offers affordable space to charities, social enterprises and small businesses. We support organisations with a More Than Profit approach to become sustainable and make a social impact. Our other services are offices, room bookings, consultancy and The Circle Academy.

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Dundee Soup joins St Andrew’s Fair Saturday

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Dundee Soup will be back at The Circle again for this year’s festive edition and this time it will particularly special because it will be part of St Andrews Fair Saturday. Fair Saturday is a Scottish Government pilot initiative for 2018 which is being delivered by the Fair Saturday Foundation. After Black Friday, thousands of artists and cultural organisations around the world get together in a unique festival and support social causes through their show and events.

This edition of Soup has been funded by BEMIS Scotland via Scotland’s Winter Festivals, and part of the St Andrew’s Fair Saturday Festival. This is a partnership between BEMIS Scotland and the Scottish Government to facilitate diverse, multicultural celebrations.

Dundee Soup #5 will take place on Saturday 1st December 2018, from 11am – 1pm at The Circle.

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The Circle team at the Courier Business Awards

Celebrating our social impact at the Courier Business Awards

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The Circle has won ‘The Courier Social Impact Business of the Year 2018 Award’ less than two years after it was launched by Kirsty Thomson, Founder & CEO.

The Awards Ceremony & Dinner at the Apex City Quay Dundee was a great opportunity for The Circle team to celebrate the judging panel’s recognition and reflect on their achievements. The evening was a wonderful occasion and The Circle were delighted to bring a trophy back to Staffa Place, however, it is the impact we have demonstrated that we are most proud of.

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