The Social Enterprise Support Centre's vision is a growing and sustainable community in the region...
The Social Enterprise Support Centre for West Yorkshire Limited (SESC) is registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts 1965 - 1978 since February 2004. We support the development and growth of small and large businesses with a social aim, right across West Yorkshire.
A growing and sustainable social enterprise community in the region, which recognises our role as a support agency.
To support social enterprises through:
We will also seek to support entrepreneurship in individuals through skills development, mentoring and befriending.
The objects of the Society shall be to carry on any trade, industry or business for the benefit of the community in particular by:
Assisting the prevention of and relief of poverty through the creation and continuing development of social enterprises.
The advancement of education and lifelong learning through research and investigation into topics relevant to social enterprise and the offering of education and development opportunities.
The advancement of health through the recognition of the role of work in the positive health of individuals
Supporting social and community advancement through focusing on the creation and continuing development of social enterprises.
Such other purposes as the Committee think fit that are beneficial to the community.
As detailed in rule 57 of the society any surplus generated shall be applied to (a) the continuation and development of the society or (b) to making payments for social and charitable purposes.
Our strategic aims for the coming 2 years are:
This ties in to our social aims by enabling us to provide more services to our target community of social enterprises and generate a bigger surplus for reinvestment.
Growth of social enterprises
Impact on local economy
Improved social inclusion
Creation of jobs
Assisting with joined up working of government agencies LA, YF, DoH etc, helping to maximise resources, pool knowledge and share results.
To offer value for money in our contracts
A surplus generated to use for the benefit of the social enterprise community.
Social enterprises exist primarily to achieve social objectives. They are viable businesses, selling goods and services at a profit. They are structured to allow for 'social ownership' - so that any profits that are made are used to benefit stakeholders, such as the community that they serve - instead of private shareholders. Examples are the housing association that employs and trains young homeless people to renovate properties, then allows them to become tenants; the environmental business that employs adults with learning disabilities; and the childcare social enterprise that trains and employs local people and enables other local people to go out to work. These businesses need to generate a surplus in order to cover running costs and expand the breadth and quality of services, but the surplus they generate is reinvested in the business, not distributed to owners or shareholders as with a private company.
Social enterprises have often evolved from voluntary and community sector groups which have developed valuable services for disadvantaged people. Other social enterprises have grown from the availability of European funding over the past twenty years. Historically, such organisations have been grant funded from various sources, including grants from local authorities. Some generate income through trading their products and services direct to their customers, others tender for contracts for public service provision. The European funding allocation for Britain is set to decrease sharply in 2006, and the many existing sources of grant funding will be stretched even further than they are presently. There is therefore a need to ensure that these businesses do not disappear, but grow stronger and more sustainable.
In an economic and political climate where state provision of many services is being rolled back in order to keep public spending under control, the contribution of social enterprises is valued and supported by government. Private sector companies also compete for public sector contracts, and social enterprises are therefore competing with the private sector, and in some cases are partnering private sector organisations to deliver goods and services. Social enterprises are now using the best of the business growth techniques traditionally the province of the private sector, such as marketing and personnel management, and are therefore moving towards becoming businesses that resemble private sector efficiency. Social enterprises are not being asked to replace their passion for their cause with a desire for profit, as a passion for helping others, and the dedication that comes with it, is the most important driver for social enterprise success.
SESC's role is to help the directors, managers and staff of social enterprises to develop their capacity to serve the particular groups of disadvantaged people who make up their market. SESC supports social enterprises to become financially sustainable, deliver quality services, and where appropriate, supports their efforts to gain and deliver on public service contracts. Not all social enterprises are interested in contributing to public service delivery, either because their particular service isn't appropriate, or because they do not want to grow beyond an optimum size for their customers. SESC respects these organisational views and will seek to support their particular business and social aims.
To find out who we are and our partners please please click on the links.