SENS,
as the trade association for social enterprises in Suffolk, supports
the UK Government definition of social enterprise:
"A
social enterprise is a business with primarily social objectives
whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in
the business or in the community, rather than being driven by
the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners.
"Social
enterprises tackle a wide range of social and environmental issues
and operate in all parts of the economy. By using business solutions
to achieve public good, the Government believes that social enterprises
have a distinct and valuable role to play in a helping create
a strong, sustainable and socially inclusive economy
Social
enterprises are diverse. They include local community enterprises,
social firms, mutual organizations such as co-operatives and large
scale organizations operating nationally or internationally. There
is no single legal model for social enterprise. They include companies
limited by guarantee, industrial and provident societies and companies
limited by shares; some organisations are unincorporated and others
are registered charities.”
Social
Enterprise - a strategy for success DTI, 2004.
The
social enterprise sector is incredibly diverse, encompassing co-operatives,
development trusts, community enterprises, housing associations,
football supporter's trusts, Social Firms and leisure trusts,
among others. As a result social enterprises use a wide variety
of legal forms; some incorporate as companies while others take
the form of industrial and provident societies. From July 2005
social enterprises have also been able to register as Community
Interest Companies..
According
to figures from the Government's Annual Small Business Survey
2005 and existing data for the social enterprise sector, there
are at least 55,000 social enterprises in the UK with a combined
turnover of £27billion per year. Social enterprises account
for 5% of all businesses with employees and contribute £8.4billion
per year to the UK economy - almost 1% of annual GDP.
"Crucially,
social enterprises compete in the marketplace like any other business,
but they use their business skills to achieve social aims. Social
enterprises are part of the broader social economy, but whereas
many voluntary organisations and community groups may be involved
in some kind of trading activity for goods and services, social
enterprises see trading as a significant and defining part of
their business. Although some commentators like to use the term
non-profit' when referring to social enterprises, this is misleading.
Social enterprises aim to sustain their business and make profits
it is what they do with these profits that is different."
"There’s
more to business than you think - A guide to social enterprise".
Social Enterprise Coalition, 2003.
Speaking of
Sicial Enterprises...
If our economy is to
flourish, if our communities are to become more closely knit,
and if we are to take care of the natural environment and the
resources on which our economic activity depends, we must find
new and more equitable ways of doing business. As social entrepreneurs,
you are at the forefront of the changes that we need to make.
George Brown, Prime Minister 27/2/08
"You embody my
kind of politics not Whitehall trying to guess what people's
problems are and giving them a solution, but local people coming
together, finding their own solutions and having a real say over
the future of the places where they live. Hazel Blears,
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
27/2/08
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