• Want to grow your business now and for the future?
• Want to gain a competitive edge in Cumbria and beyond?
• Want to build new partnerships that will benefit your bottom line and help build your business brand?

We're all in uncertain times now and looking for ways to secure our futures so this event is being offered right here in West Cumbria on 16th September to help us do that

VENUE 
​Lakes College West Cumbria Workington CA14 4JN (free parking)
TIME 16th September 2016 9.30am – 3pm (Lunch provided)
COST £25 – booking through eventbrite
AGENDA 
9.30am Registration & Tea/Coffee
9.45am – 11.15am Speakers

• What is social value & how do we measure it = Jeremy Nicholls
• Why should small local businesses care? Local procurement in light of the Social Value Act - what have Cumbria County Council done about it already + what are their future plans = Conway Stewart (Cumbria County Council)
• What can we do to collaborate across the sectors and realise the benefits for all partners = Rick Benfield

11.15am -11.30am Comfort break
11.30am – 12.45pm Workshops by theme 
Each workshop will be facilitated and include our speakers. They will involve a group discussion about what is happening around a particular issue, what the needs are locally and how the sectors could work together to address it. Issues:

1. Unemployment & under-employment
2. Services for disengaged & disadvantaged young people
3. Healthcare (including physical & mental health)
4. Isolation (with a Cumbrian focus! Looking at both geographical and social isolation for individuals relating to issues like mental health, age, caring responsibilities, poverty & transport.)

12.45pm – 1.30pm Lunch & networking
1.30pm – 2.45pm Workshop feedback and Q&A panel

• Workshop feedback : Facilitators will feed back to whole audience
• Informal Q&A : A chance to ask our visitors questions relating to their areas of expertise as well as sharing their knowledge about what’s happening elsewhere in the country and globally.

2.45pm – 3pm Close