Communities Minister Rhona Brankin is today launching the
Executive’s first ever social enterprise strategy, which aims to
improve business support and finance options for social enterprise, as
well as opening up public procurement markets for the sector and
raising its profile.
Brankin, who also announced £1.5 million in resources
to help these objectives, said: “Social enterprise has a vital role to
play in helping the Executive with some of its main commitments for
Scotland – growing the economy, delivering excellent public services
and supporting stronger communities together with developing a vibrant
third sector.
“Because social enterprises use the business model to
deliver their social aims they can bring real benefits to Scotland’s
health and community care, education and transport, and deliver
excellent services to deprived communities in urban and rural Scotland.
“The time has come for social enterprise to take a much
more central role in our society and the strategy launched today will
be a key driver in helping to do this.”
Brankin launched the strategy at McSence, a
social enterprise that was started with £5-a-week donations from local
businesses, but which has grown into a major employer and has
reinvested millions of pounds in a Midlothian community devastated by
high unemployment and the loss of traditional industries.
Ian Mitchell, regeneration director of Communities
Scotland, which developed the strategy following a parliamentary debate
in May 2005, said the result stemmed from close partnership working
between the Executive, Communities Scotland, Scottish Enterprise,
Highland and Islands Enterprise, and the social enterprise sector
itself.
“We expect the combined efforts of the group, with the
backing of the strategy, to act as a launch pad to make social
enterprise a core consideration for those people responsible for buying
goods and services in both the public and private sectors.
“The social enterprise sector deserves recognition and
development support, but has the potential to expand on its own merit.”
Antonia Swinson, chief executive of the Scottish Social Enterprise
Coalition, welcomed the publication of Scotland’s first dedicated
social enterprise strategy. “Social enterprises are vibrant businesses,
able to transform communities and drive lasting social change. But
they need support to help them grow and prosper.
“This strategy should be the first step in a long-term commitment to
developing this country’s social enterprise sector. It needs to be
backed up with significant resources, and championed across the
Scottish Executive so social enterprise is supported to grow in key
policy areas like health, recycling and job creation.”
Social enterprises are defined as “businesses with
primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally re-invested
for that purpose in the business or the community rather than driven by
the need to maximise profits for shareholders or owners”.
There are around 3,000 social enterprises in Scotland,
with turnover calculated at more than £1.25 billion a year. The sector
employs around 21,000 with an additional 18,500 volunteers.
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