Why Start a Social Enterprise?

 

There are almost as many reasons to start a social enterprise as the number of social enterprises themselves! Find out below what makes some social entrepreneurs tick.  

 

Orwell Mencap Genesis

 

My name is Damien Ribbans, and I am the Business Development Manager for Orwell Mencap Genesis.  We work with around 200 disabled people a week to improve their lives through the provision of care, support and work-based services.  My role within the organisation is to plan, design, implement and manage social enterprise provision, as well as providing cross-organisational strategic business support.

 

There are two main enterprises that I manage - Genesis Garden Furniture, a manufacturer of high quality hardwood garden furniture, and the Green Bike Project, a cycle reuse project with environmental, social and health benefits.  These projects and their trading activities are a by-product of our core business; providing real work opportunities for those furthest from the labour market.

 

The social enterprise model gives us the freedom and flexibility to deliver innovative, valued services to our client group.  It allows us to demonstrate, in real terms, what can be achieved by people when they are given the right support and opportunities.

 

Based in Ipswich, Suffolk, www.orwellmencap.co.uk , T - 01473 723 888

 

Jesters Kids Club

 

My name is Alison Doherty and I am the Director of Jesters Kids Club, which was formed in April 2001 and converted into a community interest company (CIC) in 2006.

 

A CIC is a form of social enterprise, a business that trades with a social purpose, fundamentally driven to make a difference to the lives of people in a local community rather than make large profits.  This is a belief that I as a social entrepreneur hold passionately, that everyone has the right to be supported to improve the quality of their lives, should be respected and involved in shaping their service to meet their needs.  We do this frequently with parents, children and the wider community.  These statements form the basis of our vision and values.

 

At Jesters the small surplus we are left with at the end of each year is always re-invested back into services, toys, equipment or activities for the kids.

 

Jesters' mission is to provide high quality childcare to all children aged between 4 - 12 years out of school.  Families are 'at the heart' of our local service.  We pride ourselves on being responsive, trustworthy warm and committed to providing an excellent play/care environment.

 

Our service is available all year round, specifically before and after school and every school holiday.  Registered and rated by Ofsted as 'very good' we are also credited nationally / regionally as a 'quality' service, we work to the governments strategy 'Every Child Matters'.

 

Our service and activities are created to support children's social, physical, intellectual, creative and emotional needs.

 

Set in an enviable un-overlooked rural location, we have a large garden and fantastic outdoor equipment, funded by our early years department inEssex.  Working pro-actively with 7 local schools and our local parish, borough and county councils for the last 8 years, our service is now firmly bedded into the fabric of the community, is respected, loved by all and most of all trusted to be the next best place to home, hopefully leaving happy memories for hundreds of children who come through our doors!

 

Based in Bicknacre, Essex, www.jesterskidsclub.org, T - 01245 222 384

 

Keystone Development Trust

 

I am Alan Flack, the Finance Director at Keystone Development Trust, which is a charity that was set up in 2003 to regenerate the town ofThetfordinNorfolk.  Keystone has three key focus areas:

• The community projects that directly effect the residents of the town
• The property Keystone owns helps fund the above and allows the core team of the trust to remain at a significant level
• Its social enterprises help people into work and provide opportunities to volunteer and help in engaging with the community

The social mission is to improve the quality of life of people living in the Keystone area through providing opportunities such as employment and training.

 

Keystone trades in the following areas; furniture and bike recycling, café and external catering, conference facilities and property rental.  The furniture project relies on donations of furniture from the public, the bike recycling project collects bikes from household waste sites before they go to landfill, and the local food group uses local, seasonal and fair-trade food reducing food miles.

 

The surpluses on the activities are re-invested into the Trust's community projects such as activities for children and creating jobs in the social enterprises.  The charity allocates specific money raised from its trading activities to its community projects, this year £5000 has been allocated to a local grant scheme.

 

Working for a social enterprise is rewarding knowing that you are having a direct effect in the local community by aiding those in need.  It also changes the way you work knowing that surpluses you create will have a direct effect in the community and not to shareholders who don't know the community.

 

Thurrock Re-use Project

 

I am David Lawrence from Thurrock Re-use Project, whose mission is "To enable people to benefit from the green economy", based around the four main themes: environmental - preventing landfill, eliminating poverty - providing low cost quality re-used items, training - back to working and skills updating, volunteering - quality experiences, for a wide range of people, and these activities deliver our vision.  By sharing opportunities people improve lives and transform communities.

 

Working from our 6000 sq ft base, Thurrock Re-use Project sells good quality furniture, appliances, office equipment and paint.  In general items have been donated by private individuals or local companies, and the operation is split, providing a showroom, and a warehouse and workshop.  Donated items are collected, refurbished, checked for safety then sold at low cost, with people on low income benefits receiving a 20% discount.

 

A team of volunteers from different parts of the community work together to carry out the refurbishment activities, so you find an unemployed 18 year old working with a retired fireman learning how to put furniture back together, or a person with learning difficulties being encouraged to steam clean a sofa by a local house wife.

 

All income is reinvested back into operations to secure sustainability.  After working for a large food retailer for 25 years it's great to be able to bring those skills to ensure the success of a business that provides a service to so many people.

 

Based in Tilbury, Essex, www.2ndgen.co.uk, T - 01375 846 702

 

Lighthouse Furniture

 

I am Brian Darwood from Lighthouse Furniture, which is a registered charity and a 'not for profit' organisation established to provide practical support to homeless people or those in some form of housing crisis, though the provision of quality used furniture and electrical items, generously donated by the public.

 

We collect free of charge, however, items must be clean and meet Trading Standards requirements, and we display them at our warehouse.  Everybody is welcome to come and buy from us and those on means tested benefits get a discount on most items.

 

We work closely with a number of agencies and partners including Social Services, Women's Aid, CAB, Connexions, Homestart, Family Mosaic, British Legion, local housing associations and many more.  We provide volunteering opportunities for a wide variety of people, including long term unemployed, the disadvantaged, retired folk and others.

 

We also distribute vouchers to the agencies which they give to their most needy clients so that they are able to obtain help from us whilst retaining their dignity.  Any supply funds at the end of the year are re-invested to help the project continue to grow.

 

As a social enterprise we employ staff with a range of abilities and through training, support and encouragement we help them to realise their potential.  Its great to be able to help people, whilst at the same time diverting tonnes of furniture from landfill and making a real difference to the local community.

 

Based in Brentwood, Essex, www.lighthousefurniture.org, T - 01277 222 050

 

Citylife

 

My name is Martin Clark and I work for Citylife inCambridge.  We are a special kind of charitable society that can offer financial products to the public - in our case charitable bonds which enable people to invest in the communities and causes they care about.  We also run workspace centres for social and charitable businesses - affordable units with business support.

 

Our big idea is to transform both the way people and companies invest spare capital, and to develop the social enterprise sector so it can solve some of the pressing problems facing our society, local problems of unemployment, homelessness and community cohesion; and global problems of inequality and environmental stress.

 

We are hoping to make our way towards self sufficiency, away from the charitable mentality of gifts and grants, to earning our own income from selling our bonds and renting space.

 

That's why I'm excited about social enterprise - it's the new way of delivering business that is capable of changing the world!

Based in Cambridge, www.citylifeltd.org, T - 01223 323481

 

Opportunities Without Limits (OWL)

 

My name is Gill Riley and I was the manager of OWL for 10 years.

 

OWL is a charity, based in Sawston,South Cambridgeshire.  Our aim is to provide a wide range of vocational training, work experience and volunteering opportunities for those who need extra support in their lives; for example people with learning disabilities, mental health or other long term illnesses. We enable people to progress, become independent and live happy normal lives within the community.

 

To fulfil our mission, and not be too dependent on local authorities and grant making trusts, in 2003 we built our own community café in the village to provide catering training for adults with learning disabilities.  The café also runs a local 'meals on wheels' type service.  The café is a business with social aims - training, a community meeting place, and a hot meals service for the frail elderly and housebound. 

 

The café covers its costs, but not everyone wants to be Jamie Oliver, so in 2006 we decided to extend our passion for recycling into an area that was particularly suitable forCambridgeand started a bicycle recycle and re-use social enterprise - OWL Bikes.  The social aims are training, work experience and recycle re-use.

 

Over 500 bikes a month go to landfill inCambridgeso it's a challenge and great fun.  We haven't quite made a profit yet, but when we do it will go back into the charity to help us continue to provide opportunities for people who need our help.

 

Why do I love social enterprise? Because it's a challenge, its fun, you can be creative, and most of all you are trading for a purpose - to help change people's lives and help the planet.

 

Based in Sawston, Cambridge, www.owlgroup.org.uk, T - 01223 835329

 

Furniture Link

 

I am Marcus Pheasant, Chief Officer of Furniture Link for last 5 years, and I love social enterprise.  We make a difference.  All revenue we get is fed back to help realise core aims, which benefits local people, the local economy and helps achieve environmental best practice.

 

The profits get put directly back to help employ local people who need a hand to engage.  This enables us to start or initiate new community lead projects.  We have just started Community Repaint Bedfordshire and are planning to start Scrapstore Bedford.

 

Our social mission is to provide goods and service to those most in need in Bedfordshire, we also provide a myriad of support services to other third sector organisations to help build and develop the local sector.  These services are partially provided by volunteers who get training and are helped to develop so that they can move on to employment.  This improves the local economy which benefits all.

 

Based in Bedford, www.flb.org.uk, T - 01234 353578

 

Big Barn

 

My name is Anthony Davison and I am a fifth generation farmer from Bedfordshire.  I set up BigBarn.co.uk 10 years ago to help people find great food that is fresh and accountable and help farmers get a better deal.  When on average farmers only get 9p in the £1 spent on food in the supermarket, selling direct can mean more for the farmer and cheaper for the consumer.

 

www.bigbarn.co.uk now gets thousands of visitors a day and lists over 6,900 local producers.  All you have to do is type in your postcode to see a map of your local area with icons representing local producers.  You can then click to see more or buy online.  If you want to be kept up to date with food news and local special offers simply register with your email and postcode for the BigBarn emailed newsletter.

 

BigBarn is now a Community Interest Company sustained by those on our map paying for promotion and advertising on the website, all our income is reinvested in the business for the good of our communities of producers and consumers.

 

Our team at BigBarn are passionate about what we do, as a social enterprise we can focus on doing the right thing for communities over the long term, rather than focus on short term profit like many other companies.

 

Based in Great Barford, Bedfordshire, www.bigbarn.co.uk, T - 01480 890 970