What are Social Enterprises?
Have you ever bought the Big Issue?
Read it over a bar of Divine chocolate with a cup of Cafe Direct coffee? Watched Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen? Visited the Eden Project? Shopped at the Co-op?
Well, then you already know a bit about social enterprises: businesses that are changing the world for the better.
Social enterprises are businesses that trade to tackle social problems, improve communities, people’s life chances, or the environment. They make their money from selling goods and services in the open market, but they reinvest their profits back into the business or the local community. And so when they profit, society profits.
Social enterprises are in our communities and on our high streets – from coffee shops and cinemas, to pubs and leisure centres, Credit Unions and bus companies.
What makes a Social Enterprise a Social Enterprise?
The term ‘social enterprise’ came about from recognition that in the UK and across the world, there were organisations using the power of business to bring about social and environmental change without a single term to unite them.
Examples of Social Enterprises in your Towns
Did you know that on Caerphilly High Street alone we have 3 Social Enterprises, Smart Money Credit Union, Samye Foundation Wales and Tyfu Café.
Here are a few of our Social Enterprises located in your Towns:
- Smart Money Credit Union – http://www.smartmoneycreditunion.co.uk/
- By joining Smart Money Cymru you will become part of a fast growing community who can access SMART products and services via their local credit union.
- Tyfu Café – http://tyfucommunity.com/
- Community Café serving healthy tasty food located near Caerphilly Train Station
- Samye Foundation Wales – www.sfwales.org/
- The Mindfulness and Well-Being Centre for South Wales is a compassion-based mindfulness training centre in Wales.
- Care and Repair Caerphilly – www.caerphillycr.co.uk
- An independent home improvement agency whose aim is to help older and vulnerable people live independently in their own homes for as long as possible.
- Sirhowy Valley Honeybee Company – www.sirhowyvalleyhoney.wales
Social Enterprise Mark
Some social enterprises might have a “Social Enterprise Mark”:
Find out more about the Social Enterprise Mark.
Everything you wanted to know about Social Enterprises
For more information on legal structures, funding where to go for help check out the Social Enterprise UK website:
http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/about/about-social-enterprise