Social Entrepreneurship in the UK

In Great Britain, the term “social entrepreneurship” was first used by entrepreneur Freer Spreckley in 1978. And in 1981, this concept was used in an article by the College of Beachwood, "Social Audit - Mechanisms for Cooperative Management."

In March 1997, the first organizations supporting social entrepreneurs appeared in the country.

In 2012, David Cameron formally established the company engaged in "wholesale" social investments - Big Society Capital . Her initial capital amounted to 600 million pounds. The company sells these funds to solve social problems and invests in the development of social enterprises and charitable organizations.

Freer Spreckley called social enterprises in which "labor hires capital" for social, environmental and financial benefits ("non-social" enterprises, according to Spreckley, live by the opposite laws - "capital buys labor"). Later, these social principles were reformed by the creation of the Triple Criteria Concept .

Social entrepreneurship is understood in the UK as a special type of trading activity that can be carried out by various companies in their structure. But at the same time, important characteristics are highlighted:

• self-sufficiency orientation;
• social goals;
• social responsibility, which implies that the organization is managed by a group of interested parties, the distribution of profit is carried out evenly among the participants, or income is reinvested in the development of the company.

Every two years, the country counts social enterprises ^[2] .

In 2002, the British government took the initiative to develop a unified strategy for the development of social entrepreneurship. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Social Entrepreneurs Association (SEnU) was created, initially including only those from Wales and England. This document expanded the list of enterprises that fell under the concept of social. If earlier the term was applied to private companies with liability limited by guarantees and production and savings societies , then at present various social organizations - charitable, public, credit unions, labor ownership funds - can be related to social entrepreneurship in the UK , cooperatives, development organizations Housing Associations , social firms leisure organizations. The company also operates in the country of the company interests of the community (CIC), this form was introduced in 2005. Over the course of 10 years, about 10,000 businesses have registered as community interest companies. Any company can undergo re-registration and obtain such a status. Often, as a new company, the interests of the community after changes in the charter, private companies with limited liability are asserted (these include student associations, sports associations, some cooperatives and even political parties, in particular the United Kingdom Independence Party ^[3] ). In contrast, production and savings companies, as a rule, are created in the presence of authorized capital. The members of production and savings companies equally divide losses and revenues.

In 1998, the first organization supporting social entrepreneurs appeared in Great Britain - Social Enterprise London . Its appearance was the result of cooperation between various cooperatives and government agencies. The organization not only helped new enterprises financially and supported them in legal matters, but also with its support, the University of East London began to train specialists in the field of social entrepreneurship. The launch of a specialized magazine also began. Over time, the organization went international, and its representatives appeared in Vietnam, South Korea, and Croatia. Later, Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) appeared, bringing together social entrepreneurs across the country. Local organizations also emerged that became the natural successors of Social Enterprise London, for example, Social Enterprise East Midlands focused on specific regions of the UK ^[4] .

There are four main banking organizations lending to social entrepreneurs. These are Triodos Bank , Charity Bank , Unity Trust Bank and Futurebuilders England . The last of these is the official loan fund under the UK government, which provides support to organizations focused on contracts with government agencies. The company finances several smaller government funds supporting social entrepreneurship under the Ministry of Health, the secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers, and the Ministry of Communities and Local Government.

According to 2004 surveys, 15,000 social enterprises were registered in the UK, representing 1.2% of the total number of enterprises, with an average turnover of £ 285,000 a year and a total annual turnover of £ 18 billion. They employed 450,000 people and 300,000 provided a site for volunteer work. In 2006, according to the government, there were already 55,000 social enterprises operating in the country (5%), and according to 2013 there were about 70,000, and the contribution to the economy was approximately 24 billion a year ^[5] . Some researchers rate their contribution much higher, believing that they bring nearly 100 billion annually to the budget.

England

In 1984, the British public and religious leader, chaplain of the United Reformed Church , Andrew Moson, founded and led the Bromley-by-Bow-Center , based on the principles of social entrepreneurship, in London, on the East End, to transform local territories and communities. Later, Moson established a number of organizations, companies and projects combining entrepreneurship with the solution of social problems, as well as the company Andrew Mawson and Partners ( English Andrew Mawson Partnerships ), spreading his experience ^[6] . For his services in the social sphere, in 2000, Moson was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE), and in 2007 - a lifetime peer with the title of Baron , and entered the House of Lords ^{[7] [6] [8] [9]} . Moson’s book, The Social Entrepreneur: Making Communities Work , 2008, which is a practical guide, has become a bestseller.

Blackburne House Liverpool was once a girls' school, but in 1994 a training and resource center for women was opened on its basis. The building has a cafe, a small kindergarten, a conference room, a graphic design company, and a women's center exists for their income. Local residents study in it ^[10] .

• socialenterprise.org.uk