• To link social enterprises to funding and development opportunities available to social enterprises within the EU Convergence Programme
• To raise awareness of social enterprise activity in Cornwall and drive forward the strategic development of social enterprise within the county
• To raise standards and build capacity of social enterprises and groups embarking on the development of social enterprise
• To research the scale of social enterprise activity within the county and identify the needs and aspirations of social enterprises
• Influence the development of policy and practice in relation to social enterprise

We will achieve these aims through:

• Meeting groups for one to one support
• Providing information, advice to existing and prospective social enterprises and signposting to other specific support
• Influence social enterprise development in Cornwall through influencing and working with the national ‘Action with Communities in Rural England’ network and the regional South West network (SWAN) and other bodies such as the Regional Infrastructure for Social Enterprise (RISE)

The social enterprise concept is one of combining business trade with social benefit.

Social enterprises are profit-making businesses set up to tackle a social or environmental need; they are ‘more than profit’ organisations.

Co-active Ltd – define a social enterprise as ‘Businesses that aim not only to make money, but also to have a positive effect on the communities they serve, the people with whom they work and their own employees. (Co-active Ltd)

Instead of being run in the interests of a private owner or shareholders social enterprises produce profits that are re-invested in a social aim, provide local employment and spend money in the local economy.

Social enterprises can employ and pay wages like a private sector business but it is the focus on the social or environmental aim that differs from the private sector.

Community enterprise may offer a more fundamentally sustainable basis for Cornish communities in the future.

Community-based social enterprises can be broadly defined as a business or organisation established and owned with community involvement that trades in goods or services and whose surpluses are put back into the local community.

Local communities are increasingly taking the lead in controlling the facilities, services and businesses that affect the quality of life in their own local area – a self help approach that is financially sustainable.

Community enterprises can fill a niche or need in their community such as providing a service where non-exists or stepping in where the private sector is unable to deliver.

Here are just a few:

Community plans – for example a group of parents wanting to set up a child care facility or a community working together to re-open its village shop

Building and land – the community develops a plan of action to regenerate a redundant building or disused land

From grants to trade – a voluntary organisation which evolves from grant dependence to deriving income generated through paid for services, contracts and other forms of trading.

Employee buyout – where a group of employees of an existing business buy-out the company, for example to run it as a cooperative.

Local authority services – where a local authority transfers a service (for example waste collection and recycling) to be run by an independent organisation.

In short – yes.

• With increased pressure on public spending and the continued decline in traditional grant funding, many community-based organisations are confronted by the challenge of survival at a time of stiff competition for grant support.
• In light of these circumstances there is a growing appetite to explore ways of moving away from traditional grant dependence in favour of income generation and financial independence through social enterprise.

Sometimes it is easier to understand a concept through example and there are many different types of social enterprises in Cornwall delivering a range of services benefiting the Cornish community and its environment.

Community Enterprises

• Community owned shops or post offices
• Multi-use community centres and cafes
• Childcare facilities
• Vegetable box schemes
• Community Transport schemes
• Furniture and waste recycling centres
• Credit Unions

Some prime examples of highly successful social enterprises that you might have heard of:

• Jamie Oliver’s ‘Fifteen’
• The Eden Project
• The Big Issue
• Cafedirect
• Penwith Community Development Trust
• Blisland Community Owned Shop & Amenity Centre

‘Social Enterprise in Cornwall’ is a 30 page guide published by Cornwall Rural Community Council with 14 local case studies and an explanation of what social enterprises are, how to go about establishing one and where to get more help.

Request a hard copy by emailing communityenterprise @cornwallrcc.co.uk with your name, organisation and full contact details.

Free download – Social Enterprise in Cornwall (3.4 MB Download)

What is Convergence?

Convergence is the new European economic regeneration programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly that runs until 2013.

Convergence is investing in activities that will have a long-term impact on the economy of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. It will help to build a stronger more diverse economy by supporting businesses and helping people into employment and those in work gain new and up to date skills. This will include work with higher education to promote business friendly research and innovation.

Convergence and Social Enterprise

The latest round of investment for Cornwall’s business infrastructure includes programmes that are targeting Cornish social enterprises through developing their capacity and encouraging their growth through a selection of projects and funding.

Please contact us to find out more.

Business Link through its partners RISE and Co-Active are continuing to run a number of free development workshops for established and prospective social enterprises in Cornwall.

These workshops are suitable for voluntary groups, community projects and social enterprises that want to develop their skills and learn more and are a great opportunity to share ideas and experiences with others.

Starting in Social Enterprise

• Individuals or groups with an enterprising idea to benefit their community
• Those already thinking of starting a new voluntary organisation or social enterprise
• Those in the early stages of developing an enterprise and wanting to consider social enterprise models

If you have an idea, but don’t know where to start, or if you’d like to learn more about the processes involved in running a successful enterprise, then this workshop will help you turn your plans into reality.

Moving Away from Grants

• Does your organisation need to become less reliant on grants?
• Are you planning to develop trading activities as a means to sustainability?
• Would you like to diversify and explore the benefits of doing so?

Governance and Legal Structures

• Are you involved with a charity or community group that needs to develop a trading arm?
• Does your steering group or committee need to move from unincorporated status to that of a Company?
• Do you want to learn how to choose the right legal structure?

Access to Finance and Managing Risk

This workshop looks at financial issues for social enterprises in a wide-ranging way; how to assess the financial needs of the enterprise, different sources of finance and their implications, and how to build a sustainable financial future.

• social enterprises that have been trading for at least one year
• social enterprises looking to develop and grow
• existing organisations wishing to develop skills and learn more

Measuring Social Impact

This workshop takes a holistic view of the social purposes of your enterprise – from defining what they are, to how you might measure success in their achievement. Social purpose is what defines the unique role of social enterprises, and this workshop will help you achieve and improve the social value of your business.

• social enterprises that have been trading for at least one year
• social enterprises looking to develop and grow
• existing organisations wishing to develop skills and learn more

Please click on the links below for more information, dates and venues.

Business Link - Starting in Social Enterprise (240 Kb Download)

Business Link - Developing your Social Enterprise (250 Kb Download)

Business Link - Growing your Social Enterprise (250 Kb Download)

Social enterprises across Cornwall are proudly displaying their ethical credentials, by using the Social Enterprise Mark. The Social Enterprise Mark is a label of trust, which proves to customers that an organisation is in business to benefit people or the environment, rather than shareholders or owners. More and more organisations are signing up to the Mark to benefit from the growing trend in ethical consumerism, including the Eden Project, Bosence Farm, National Lobster Hatchery and Coast. Have you applied yet?

Find out more by visiting www.socialenterprisemark.co.uk