After the success of the last series of roundtable event, we are back with more this October!
Please visit the Events section for more details.
What social enterprise means to us
Our firm provides support services in the emerging field of social enterprises. We take a broad view of what is a social enterprise
Social enterprises come in all shapes and sizes, and operate in fields from social care to community cohesion and renewable energy to recycling and fair trade. Official statistics put the total number of social enterprises at 55,000 with a combined turnover of £27 billion in the UK - and even this probably understates the industry's scale.
Social enterprises include charities, co-operatives, community groups, NGOs, fair trade organisations, housing associations even local authorities and some businesses. Even though most of our clients today are charities they will frequently generate over 80% of their income from trading services and goods including delivering public services.
Social enterprise, therefore, is not as many people believe, simply about setting up community companies such as a furniture recycling enterprise or a community cafe. Although there are many superb and inspirational social enterprises that achieve great things doing just this, the term has a much wider and deeper meaning for us.
Social enterprise is any activity where a business approach is used to find a solution to a social problem. Profit will not be the primary purpose for any of our clients or partners, however, profits are a crucial means to an end. How else can organisations continue to create sustainable social impact?
The social enterprise sector, for too long, has spent time trying to pigeon hole who is and who is not a social enterprise rather than focusing its attention on increasing its reach and outcomes. Read more about how we believe the debate on definitions has stifled the growth of the industry [LINK]
We are passionate about working with organisations, irrespective of legal structure, to fulfill their social potential. This is done by working closely with senior management teams and trustees so that we understand deeply the culture of each of our clients.
We have a particular interest in supporting organisations in the fields of health and social care, disability, homelessness, housing, criminal justice and youth services.
Eastside is a social enterprise itself, owned by its management and staff, and reinvests 50% of profits back into social projects. The firm is a values-led business and has a strong collegiate culture. Read about the Eastside Edge to learn about our values and why we think this stuff is important.