Social enterprises

Social enterprises have grown in importance for the British economy in recent years.

What are social enterprises?

• A social enterprise is a business created to address a social problem

• Profits are reinvested for one or more social purposes in the community, rather than the need to satisfy investors

• In 2013, research found that there were 70,000 social enterprises in the UK contributing over £18bn to the economy and employing almost 1m people.

• Examples include Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant chain and The Big Issue magazine