Back in the game: a returning news and info round-up

Hello everyone: a big welcome back from the SSE blog. We'll start back in traditional fashion with a round-up of everything that's been going on in the world of social entrepreneurship and enterprise in the past few weeks.

- For the geeky web 2.0ers amongst you, How Sociable will tell you how well your brand is represented on the social web. What more could a blogger want.... (thanks to Beth for this)

- Can you smell a rat? No, but they can smell a landmine apparently. And now they can smell the money: £500,000 worth of it for this rodent-loving social entrepreneur.

- Are you a sneaky rat yourself? Try this online ethical test for your moral DNA...

- Patrick Butler had an interesting piece in yesterday Society Guardian about Jamie Oliver / school dinners....but more generally about lone heroes bringing about social change (or not). Well worth a read, particularly for the complexities of measuring and attributing success and the need for catalysts.

- I totally identified with this post by Mike Chitty:

"Enterprise is not about business and entrepreneurship.
It is not about premises, finances, business plans and swots.
It is a process for human development.
It is a way of exploring:

• who I am,
• what my potentials are/might be, and
• the kind of future that I could create.

It is way of living – of becoming.
Enterprise can be a catalyst, a framework, for the emergence of identity."

- CICs are back in the news (stay awake at the back), with two CIC CEOs setting up a CIC association to provide support and representation to all those CICs out there. There's a fairly equivocal statement from the Coalition in response, but given their recent call for more promotion of the structure, they must surely see this as a good thing. Certainly, the meagrely-resourced regulator does....

- This year's FOOTSEY event in Yorkshire looks like being even bigger and better than last year's, which I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed. I'll be trying to get back up to God's country for this one as well, so see you there....

- Someone mentioned £300m being taken from the RDA regeneration budgets to fund the new housing initiative to me today. Will try and find a link soon enough: unclear what the ramifications may be region-by-region

- Good to see Social Enterprise Ambassador, SSE expert witness and all round good guy Craig Dearden-Phillips nominated in the most admired chief exec category in the Third Sector awards. And to see him having an entertaining debate with the publisher of his own book....

- Also, much SSE news forthcoming: a new programme in the East Midlands starting in October; a new SSE in Cornwall starting formally soon; and a new publication to be launched next week. I know your breath is bated now; more soon.

- Finally, the hot question of the week: are you a changer, a contributor, or a coaster?

Till next time....