Have you heard about Village SOS? This initiative by Big Lottery Fund and the BBC launched during the summer to help communities take a step towards starting their own business.

And now there’s a nationwide road show coming to the region to bring the benefits of community enterprise directly to local people.
The East of England event is taking place in St Ives, Cambridgeshire on Tuesday 15 November.
We’re inviting local people from across the region to come along and be inspired by the people behind community enterprises like shops and pubs, broadband projects and transport schemes as they share their real-life experiences.
At this free event, delegates will have the unique opportunity to hear expert hands-on advice from rural and enterprise specialists including the Plunkett Foundation and its partners Cooperatives UK, Locality and Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE).

Sessions will include:

• How to start your own community-owned project
• Regional and inspirational community businesses, such as community-owned shops and pubs, broadband projects or transport schemes sharing their journey and path to success
• Workshops and exhibits
• Expert advice from sector specialists

Village SOS are inviting anyone who:

• Has an idea for a project to help their community but doesn’t know how to start
• Already has a community-owned project and are looking for advice and support
• Is from an organisation that supports rural communities or community-owned projects and wants to know more
  

You need to sign into the Village SOS Road Show website in order to book a place:
visit http://www.villagesos.org.uk/uk-events/category/126 for more details.