Funny Women Comedy Charity Show
In aid of The Victoria Foundation
At the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond upon Thames
Sunday 29 th January
Doors 6.30pm, Show 7.00pm

On Sunday 29 th January, Funny Women returns to the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond upon Thames, for its annual Charity Comedy Show in support of local charity The Victoria Foundation. This bumper edition anniversary special will feature past winners and finalists from 10 years of the Funny Women Awards. Over the past decade, over 1,000 acts have taken to the Funny Women stage and many have gone on to stardom such as Andi Osho, Sarah Millican and Zoe Lyons to name a few.

Performing at this showcase is a trio of past Funny Women Awards Winners. Playing host to this event is the 2006 winner of the Funny Women Awards, Suzy Bennett, who is a fantastic ambassador for the spirit of Funny Women and a favourite with audiences. You’ll be seeing a lot more of Suzy in the year to come so catch her while you can.

Debra-Jane Appelby won the Funny Women Awards back in 2005. Debra’s comic style has been described as ‘razor sharp’ (ScotsGay) and ‘intellegent and original’ (Leicester Mercury). With recent success at the Bear Cat club in St Margaret’s it’s a rare treat to see her gracing the stage at the Orange Tree Theatre as part of Funny Women’s 10 th Anniversary celebrations.

Also performing is the 2011 Funny Women Awards winner, self-confessed ‘people pleaser’, Lara A King. Armed with a guitar, her comical songs are sure to have the audience singing along. ‘Strong impressive voice and naturally upbeat delivery’ (Chortle). Lara has proved to be a popular and worthy title holder spreading her own particular brand of joy wherever she goes.

There are more treats in store from the Funny Women Awards 2011, with original musical double act Ladies Live Longer, who picked up last year’s Variety Award. Best described as a delightful mix of Jessie J and Women’s Institute. Finalist Emily Lloyd-Saini discusses what life is like for a mixed race Northern girl living in London and who is, in her own words, ‘a little bit brown’, and runner up Katherine Bennett with her dead pan delivery style and observations on life as a parent of quadruplets is bound to appeal to Richmond audiences! Yummy mummies eat your heart out!

This show also features a very special performance from Kish Modasia who took part in last year’s Funny Women Challenge at Cannizaro House in which women, from all walks of life, were challenged to perform stand-up comedy for the first time again in support of The Victoria Foundation.

Funds raised from the show and raffle on the night will go towards the Richmond based charity which carries out fantastic work such as providing accessible mini buses for the disabled, funding much needed medical treatment, providing medical bursaries and much more.

For more information on The Victoria Foundation and their work please visit www.thevictoriafoundation.org.uk

Tickets for this show are priced at £20. There will be a raffle on the night with fantastic prizes to be won. Proceeds go to The Victoria Foundation.

Tickets can be purchased here: www.wegottickets.com/funnywomen

Venue: Orange Tree Theatre, 1 Clarence Street, Richmond, TW9 2SA

Co-operatives UK, the trade association for co-operative enterprises, has warmly welcomed the announcement made by the government that they are to refer the legislation governing co-operatives and mutuals to the Law Commission.

The announcement, made by the Prime Minister David Cameron, means that the 17 separate pieces of legislation governing the sector, much of which dates back to 1965 and has been developed piecemeal, may now be consolidated into one Act.

Ed Mayo, Secretary General of Co-operatives UK, said:

“The new act is intended to make it as easy and natural to form a co-operative as any other form of business. We are delighted to see the Coalition taking action to put co-operative businesses on an equal footing and create a diverse economy.”

“Co-operatives, as well as being widely recognised for their ethical business practices, are a vital part of the British economy, employing more than 235,000 people, turning over more than £33 billion each year and generating a significant amount of wealth for the country.”

Co-operative businesses are already outperforming the UK economy and have grown by 20% since the start of the credit crunch. The consolidation of the legislation will create a more equal playing field for them by creating clarity and reducing running costs.

The announcement comes at the start of the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives, a global campaign to increase understanding of co-operative businesses.
Co-operatives UK

Boom in student entrepreneurs as Young Enterprise ‘Start-up Programme’ grows fast due to the recession.

A pioneering scheme to help students launch their own business is booming as the economic downturn triggers a surge towards graduate self-employment.

Only six months into the academic year, the number of undergraduates joining the Young Enterprise ‘Start-up’ programme has already overtaken last year’s full-year total by a large margin.

Last year some 1,391 undergraduates joined Start-up , a programme where business consultants help 19 to 25 year olds create their own company to run after they leave university. The students created 250 businesses at 26 universities and colleges.

Now, half-way through this academic year, the total is already 1,586 students, 14% up, and they are running 255 businesses at 32 institutions. Young Enterprise executives predict that the final total by the end of this academic year could reach 2,000 students, an increase of more than 40% increase compared to 2010-11.

With more academic institutions negotiating to join the scheme, the charity is looking to recruit extra volunteers from businesses to act as mentors to guide the expanding number of new student firms. The rapid expansion of the Young Enterprise scheme suggests a new generation of graduate entrepreneurs is emerging as traditional white-collar job prospects diminish.

Initially executives at Young Enterprise, the country’s largest enterprise education charity, were worried that the economic downturn and Government changes to university funding would hit applications for Start-up. But the reverse has happened.

In the midst of the worst employment market for 20 years, many undergraduates are opting to start their own businesses rather than wait for major firms to begin hiring again. They are entering a range of entrepreneurial markets – from selling exotic blends of tea to web design services, beeswax candles to high fashion knitwear – and some of their ideas are highly profitable.

The scheme, which began in embryo ten years ago, began to grow strongly when it was relaunched as the Start-up programme with powerful support from the former regional development agency One North East, Newcastle University and global banking giant Santander.

The programme spread fast and is already firmly established in the North East, Yorkshire & Humber, the North West, London and Northern Ireland. So popular are the courses that Young Enterprise is drawing up plans for a national Start-up Competition with regional heats leading to a UK final. From there the winners would progress to compete at a European level in the Junior Achievement-Young Enterprise Graduate Programme Final at Skopje, Macedonia in 2012.

Adam Soliman, who did Start-up at Newcastle University, set up specialist tea business ‘Charbrew’ in 2009. Now heading for £500,000 turnover this year he said: ‘ Young Enterprise gave me great insight into the initial structure of setting up a business, registering a company, setting up bank accounts, partnership agreements, trading terms etc. It also demonstrated to me how much time and effort is required to make a business work and especially on a collaborative group level.’

Catherine Marchant, Young Enterprise interim Chief Executive said: ‘These powerful figures indicate the number of graduates starting their own business is increasing because of the recession. With the graduate job market slowing, anyone who’s got a business idea has an even greater incentive to go ahead with it. As there are fewer safe jobs out there it’s a good time to take that risk. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, Santander bank, Young Enterprise is there to help them carve their own futures. It is a massive demonstration of the power of enterprise education to transform young people’s lives and make a substantial contribution to the revival of the British economy.’

For more information please contact: Paul Eastham, Head of Communications, Young Enterprise T: 0207 549 1980 M: 0771 339 3594 paul.eastham@young-enterprise.org.uk

SCVO is pleased to announce that its Community Jobs Scotland (CJS) initiative has reached a key milestone – in 5 months more than 1,000 young unemployed people have got a job working in the third sector.

John Barr, 21, has become the 1,000 th young person to find work through Community Jobs Scotland. John who is working as a Trainee Outdoor Instructor at the Adventure Centre for Education in Girvan, said:

“Life is pretty boring when you’ve no money and nothing to keep you busy.

“Finding work with the Adventure Centre for Education through CJS was great – and it’s not your ordinary nine-to-five job. I’m involved in all sorts of outdoor activities. Every week is different, early starts and long days

“So far I’ve assisted with bush craft and conservation sessions. Today we have been abseiling with a primary school group. The training is on-going and has been great so far – they always make it fun but I’ve also learned a lot. It is a cool place to work but I am also taking on a lot of responsibility – when you’re working with groups doing outdoor activities you need to make sure the people taking part are safe.”

John is one of more than 1,000 unemployed 16-24 year olds in Scotland to get back into work or find their first job through the SCVO-led initiative that will create 2,000 paid jobs for young unemployed people with third sector organisations.

Martin Sime, Chief Executive, SCVO, said:

“We are delighted to have reached this milestone, just five months since the Community Jobs Scotland initiative got underway.

“Not only is it creating real jobs for those at most risk of slipping into long-term unemployment, it is also helping them to develop new skills that will improve their employment prospects and supporting charities struggling to meet staffing costs.

“We can’t afford to ignore the potential of the third sector to help tackle this youth unemployment crisis. The 500+ organisations in our consortium tell us they have capacity to create double the number of jobs available through this initiative. The Scottish Government must find a way to expand and replicate it.

“Scotland’s young unemployed people want a job, want to work and want the opportunity to access the labour market.”

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympics Games (LOCOG) has today begun a search for enthusiastic and energetic adult volunteer performers to participate in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Jenny Sealey & Bradley Hemmings, Co Artistic -Directors of the Opening Ceremony and Kim Gavin, Artistic Director of the Paralympic Closing Ceremony, are searching for 5,000 volunteer performers to fill roles as dancers, actors, percussionists and general all-round performers.

Successful applicants will perform in front of a packed stadium and a worldwide broadcast audience for this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of one of the largest events ever staged in the UK.

Applicants must be able to participate in up to two auditions that will take place on evenings and weekends in February and March, up to two or three rehearsal sessions each week of up to four hours per session from June, and a number of all day rehearsals in the three weeks leading up to each Ceremony. All of these rehearsals will take place in East London.

Jenny Sealey, Co-Artistic Director of the London 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony said: ‘As with the Olympic Ceremonies we’re looking for both disabled and non-disabled applicants and previous performance experience is not required; we’re really looking for enthusiasm and commitment. Anyone with a positive attitude, huge amounts of energy and a willingness to perform in front of a stadium audience and to millions of people around the world should get onto the London 2012 website now and sign up.’

Kim Gavin, Artistic Director of the Paralympic Closing Ceremony, said: ‘For the Paralympic Ceremonies we’ll audition around 8,000 people to get our 5,000 volunteer performers. This is a great opportunity to take part in what will be the grand finale of the entire Games.’

People can find more information and register their interest for this opportunity by completing the online application form www.london2012.com/ceremoniescasting .

The deadline for receipt of applications is 13 February 2012 and it is not a first come first served process.

To be eligible applicants must be aged 18 years or older on 1 March 2012. Only one application per person will be accepted and if LOCOG receives over 8,000 applications a computerised draw will be used to randomly create the short list for auditions.

For those who want a chance to see the successful applicants in action there are a limited number of tickets still available for the Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies at www.tickets.london2012.com .

the3rdimagazine newsletter

January 2012

Starting the new year with a boost to the feelgood factor! The January Issue of the 3rdiMagazine focuses on INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN. We profile some fantastic women and our regular columnists give their views on who inspires them and why. Including:

	Claire Logie Strategic Director at Independent Women and passionate advocate for Women in Business.		Anne Houston Chief Executive at Children 1st, working for Scotland’s vulnerable children.
	Bonnie Clarke Award winning leader in professional services recruitment.		Fiona Ballantyne Experienced Executive Director and Chair of Museums and Galleries of Scotland.
	Cordelia Ditton Discusses the role Margaret Thatcher and Erin Pizzy as inspirational women.		Jill Ney Who are the leading women influencers in social media?.
	Lesley Collins Founder and CEO at Independent Women		Gill Eastgate Managing Director at NKD Clothing.
	Melanie Bryan OBE Big Society Award winner and awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours list.		Christine Hainsworth Owner of Paintpal, femaile painter and decorator and inspirational young entrepreneur.

SPECIAL OFFER The3rdimagazine is at the forefront of making sure that women’s views are expressed in all the places that matter to ensure that the condition of women is improved in the workplace and beyond. We work tirelessly to represent women’s views to government, to promote positive role models for our young girls, to support initiatives against domestic violence, to support positive networking, to provide mentoring and advice, to support young enterprise, to support ethical business practices and improve diversity across all areas of society. Our independence is vitally important. The magazine isn’t sponsored or controlled by a big corporates. We rely on your support. And at this time when we all have to count the pennies we have cut 50% from the membership. Between now and the end of January 2012, 5 year membership is down to £125 and 1 years membership to just £27.50

Would you like to write for the3rdimagazine? Join our community and get your message to our members, readers and wider networks. Contact anne@the3rdi.co.uk for more details.

FUNNY WOMEN LAUNCHES 10^th ANNIVERSARY CHARITY CHALLENGE

7.30pm Thursday 8^th March 2012

Grange Hotel, St Paul’s, City of London

Who says women aren’t funny? Funny Women, the leading and best established female comedy brand in the UK is going to celebrate its 10^th Anniversary by demonstrating that women are as genetically disposed to using humour as their male counterparts by challenging 10 amazing high profile women from the worlds of business, media and academia to perform stand up for the first time in their lives.

The event takes place on Thursday 8^th March 2012, International Women’s Day, in the luxurious surroundings of the Grange St Paul’s Hotel, and will support and raise funds for 10 amazing causes with the help of 10 of the UK’s most well connected women’s networks.

“We want to stage an event that really benchmarks what Funny Women stands for after 10 years in the industry,” explains founder and executive producer, Lynne Parker. “I’ve personally seen nearly 2,000 new acts come through the door since we set up in 2002 and launched the Funny Women Awards and know that once women get in touch with what makes them funny, they can really go all the way if they want to work in comedy professionally.

“Some extremely high profile professional women use humour to good effect, just like their male colleagues, but it’s not seen as a worthy attribute in the same way. We launched our public workshops and our business brand three years ago and we’ve seen some brilliant new talent emanate from both.

“So, we want to Challenge Perceptions with this anniversary event by demonstrating how women from all walks of life use humour and raise lots of money for some amazing causes at the same time. Over the years we’ve encouraged women to perform comedy in aid of charity when they might otherwise not have felt confident – this is the feminine way of doing things and we’re so grateful to the amazing networks and women who have agreed to take part and support us next year.”

All 10 challengers will be fully trained and supported by the Funny Women team which includes trainers and female comedians they have worked with over the last 10 years.

THE CHALLENGERS, NETWORKS & CHARITIES

Carole Stone
Author, broadcaster and founder of YouGovStone, has won the inaugural IoD and O2 ‘Britain’s Best Connected Woman’ prize. Known as the ‘Queen of Networking’, Carole has amassed more than 40,000 names in her contacts database and written two successful books on the subject – Networking: The Art of Making Friends and The Ultimate Guide to Successful Networking.
Carole is supported by Women in Journalism and raising funds for The Victoria Foundation

Vanessa Vallely
Currently head of business management for Finance, Strategy & Legal at Aviva Investors, Vanessa is also the founder of We Are the City, a free website providing city and female-centric information to the 70,000 women who work in the City and Canary Wharf. She recently won the Women in Banking and Finance Champion for Women Award which recognises the person who through personal commitment, application and dedication promotes and inspires women in the workplace to reach their full potential.

Hela Wozniak Kay & Annie Brooks
The only double act to take on the challenge, Annie and Hela co-founded Sister Snog, a networking group for movers and shakers – Sister Snog hosts over 30 sparkling business events a year. Members can interact directly with each other via a discrete and very private social network; create harmony by joining the choir, Sisters of Soul. Or be a guest on Annie & Hela’s weekly radio show, Sister Snog on Gas&Air on OnFM101.4. Sister Snog is a brand with a twist.

Deb Leary MBE
CEO of Forensic Pathways, which provides advanced data analytics, forensic intelligence, forensic products, training and consultancy, Deb is also chair of the Midlands World Trade Forum, vice president of the British Association of Women Entrepreneurs and deputy chair of the United Nations UK Global Compact.

Sonia Brown MBE
Founder and director of The National Black Women’s Network (NBWN) is a non-profit network organisation dedicated to raising the status and position of BAME women in all walks of life. The NBWN provides dynamic initiatives through network support; enabling women from diverse backgrounds and occupations to develop strong professional and social contacts; high quality training and education programmes; leadership and national recognition. 
National Black Women’s Network and Sickle Cell Society

Charlie Webster
A huge football fan, Charlie presented Real Madrid TV and Live Premier League football for ESPN for two seasons. Charlie currently presents on Sky Sports News, features on Sky Sports boxing show Ringside and has reported for BBC’s Football Focus in the 2010/11 Football season. Charlie has presented Live Speedway for Sky Sports for the past 3 years, and on various projects including GP2, F1 feeder race, for ITV and the UK School Games for C4. Most recently Charlie has presented the Olympic 2012 beach volleyball test event in Horse Guards Parade.
Women in Film & TV and Women’s Aid

Kate Nustedt
Kate Nustedt joined Women for Women International as UK Executive Director in May 2009. She is an experienced global campaigner and has run high-profile campaigns on social justice, women’s rights, anti-poverty and environmental issues. Kate was a key part of the Labour Party’s campaign team that won the landslide general election in 1997, and she has since managed campaigns and communications teams at Greenpeace, ActionAid and the Royal National Institute for Deaf People. She was an Associate Partner with Brunswick Group, a leading public relations agency.
Soroptimist International and Women for Women

Dr Julie Greensmith
Julie, AKA ‘Doctor Thrill’ gets paid to indulge her passion for rollercoasters as part of serious research to devise entertainments that adapt to how we are feeling. Her talk was one of several arranged to enthuse and inspire undergraduate women attending the BCS Lovelace Colloquium at the University of Leeds in April 2009
Women in Technology and Angelus Foundation

Rowan Pelling
Rowan has contributed to a variety of newspapers and magazines, including regular columns for the Independent on Sunday, The Mail on Sunday, GQ and Jack. She was a judge of the 2004 Man Booker Prize. She is now a columnist for the Daily Telegraph, and a former editor of the Erotic Review.
Ladies at 11 and Children in Crisis

She Settles in the Shields   provides a unique opportunity to meet the women who travelled to Scotland from all over the world in search of family, love and security.

Published by Glasgow Women’s Library, this book is now available to buy in the Library or online for just £9.95*.

Told in their own words, the women reveal a fascinating story of hope, isolation, warm welcomes, cold weather, racism and the quest for acceptance and integration. Many of these women have made significant contributions to the Pollokshields community, witnessing major changes along the way.

Featuring a wealth of photographs, the book explores the migrant women’s early lives before coming to Scotland, and charts their feelings and impressions on arrival, and their experiences of education, work and community. It also provides an intimate insight into family, intergenerational differences, and, on a more light-hearted note, of food, fashion, relaxation and celebration.

The story of Pollokshields migrant women is one of hope and despair, challenge and success. It is the story of the women who have created and raised a whole generation of new Scots. It is therefore part of the ever-intriguing story of Scotland.

SCVO and Unity Trust Bank PLC are pleased to announce the creation of a £50m loan scheme available at £10m/year to create third sector business centres across Scotland.

The scheme will be open to SCVO members for the sole or joint purchase of new build premises or the refurbishment of existing properties, helping organisations to build up an asset base and generate savings from shared back office services.

“This £50m strategic capital investment scheme will help to secure the financial sustainability of the third sector and enable it to deliver more high quality, cost-effective services to people in Scotland,” said John Ferguson, Director of Development and Programmes, SCVO.

“Following the success of SCVO’s Brunswick House, a charity hub that opened in Glasgow’s Merchant City in May, the new scheme will allow more third sector organisations to focus on what they do best – delivering vital services to the people of Scotland – safe in the knowledge that they are building assets and operating in an efficient, cost-effective way.

“But more than improving charities’ balance sheets, ownership will empower them to tailor their offices and facilities to the needs of their staff and the people who use their services.

“This is also a prime example of the key contribution the sector can make to the Scottish economy.”

John Brooks, Executive Director, Unity Trust Bank, said: “As a socially-focused bank, Unity is delighted to bring this scheme to the sector with SCVO, which has a great track record of active participation with its members.

“Unity is committed to supporting organisations that improve communities and benefit society, and this scheme fits neatly with that core purpose. In the current climate, we know how difficult it can be for organisations to access finance, so we wanted to do something practical to show the sector that we’re here to help them – this scheme delivers on that.”

Welcoming the announcement, John Swinney MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, said: “The third sector plays a vital role in delivering our priorities to support jobs and promote economic growth. The Scottish Government is committed to building the sector’s capacity and resilience and to strengthening its role in the design and delivery of public services.

“We therefore welcome this initiative by SCVO and Unity Trust Bank which will build on our support, helping to improve the capability of individual third sector organisation in delivering high quality public services and enhancing the sector’s economic contribution.”

TEDx HolyroodWomen comes to Scotland giving our women an opportunity to step into a global conversation.  So, w e invite you to make this evening a wonderful launch into the festive season – an occasion for making new connections and re-kindling, strengthening and deepening existing ones.  We anticipate a lively, thought-provoking evening, inspiring us as we move towards the New Year.

For tickets click HERE

The theme, aligned to the main US stage, is Relationships and the ties that bind us—to each other, to our communities, and to our most important institutions .

Speakers from Scotland include Heather Sim talking about  How relationships create vital space between what we currently know and what has yet to emerge. She will share the red spot carpet with Jackie Walker, Relation-Ships navigator , talking about  The ties that bind us .  Claire Fraser , fledgling singer songwriter will be sharing her music with us during the evening.

Direct from the main TEDx Women platform in New York we will be tuning in live to:

v   Shahira Amin – Egyptian journalist, former deputy head of Egyptian state-owned Nile TV

v    Matt Petersen – president, CEO and board member of Global Green USA

v    Laura Turner Seydel - national environmental advocate and eco-living expert

v    Tan Le – technology entrepreneur and business executive

v     Jennifer Siebel Newsom – filmmaker, actress, spokesperson & advocate

v     Noel Bairey Merz – director of the Cedars-Sinai Women’s Heart Centre

v    Marilyn & Alan Bergman – lyricists for film, stage, and television

TEDx HolyroodWomen will be an intimate gathering. There are just 40 places with tickets selling fast, so book now to avoid disappointment. Tickets cost just £20. Refreshments can be bought during the evening.
Ticket price covers technical and essential costs only. Generous gifts of time and resources have supported this not-for-profit event. We are grateful for the support of our partners, Macdonald Holyrood Hotel which is providing our venue, with thought out media ,   onlinevents and Rear View Music supporting filming, live streaming and sound on the night.

TEDx HolyroodWomen   6.30pm – 9.30pm GMT   Thursday,  1st December 2011
Holyrood Suite, Macdonald Holyrood Hotel, 81 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AU

  Organising group: Jo Birch, Sasha Shymina, Louie Gardiner, Pauline Holland
For more information, contact: jo@jobirch.co.uk