Social Enterprise

Case Studies

• Jamie's computer club. Jamie's provides training, employment and transferable skills in warehousing, recycling and rehabilitation of electrical equipment, forklift and van driving, customer services. An eminently replicable social enterprise model.

• Aspire Bristol. The Bristol branch of the Aspire Support network provides work placements and employment within their social enterprise initiatives of book selling, painting and decorating, landscape gardening and window cleaning. Something for everyone!

• First Fruit East London. The First Fruit group of social enterprises provide formal and supported employment for local people, and residents of the First Fruit hostels.

Other social enterprises supporting homeless people into work

• STRIDE in Leicester is the SHARP Training, Recycling & Income Development Enterprise and the trading arm of the Leicester based Charity SHARP. STRIDE provide training courses in basic skills, volunteering and training opportunities in gardening, decorating, furniture refurbishment and retail. They sell furniture in 5 outlets, and deliver a range of vocational training courses as part of the Entry 2 Employment or E2E programme. STRIDE are also available on a consultancy basis to provide support to organisations interested in setting up a social enterprise - contact Phill Saunders, Managing Director for more information.

Support for social enterprise: Links

• SPARK CLG (Communities and local government), in conjunction with other partners including Eastside Consulting, suggest 10 steps for successful social enterprise on their new SPARK website. The SPARK programme is an innovative project developed by Communities and Local Government, The TREES Group, Big Issue Invest (part of The Big Issue group) and Eastside Consulting to build and inspire social enterprise to prevent homelessness.

• The Social Enterprise Coalition is the UK's national body for social enterprises. It aims to promote social enterprise, share good practice, including 'how to' guides, case studies etc, to inform the policy agenda, and to undertake research.

• The Cat’s Pyjama’s website for support, advice and thought provoking debate on social enterprise.

• Network 2012 is a business and social networking site for social enterprises. It currently offers free membership, but aims to become fee-paying and to use this income to offer bursaries to those wanting to set up social enterprises.