School for Social Entrepreneurs

Charity Awards

Putting the social into enterprise'

When the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) started life in 1997, the term ‘social entrepreneurship’ was a new and largely misunderstood concept. Thanks in part to the SEE’s pioneering educational initiatives, however, social enterprises are now a firmly established force in the UK economy.

When the SSE introduced a bespoke learning programme for newly recognised social entrepreneurs, it drew on the private sector’s success with action learning. Over the past seven years, the SSE has tested and refined its approach with 16 cohorts of students, a fellowship of approximately 215 social entrepreneurs.

‘We created a fit-for-purpose programme and gave real thought to support,’ says Rowena Young, chief executive of the SSE. ‘We have all the challenges of a small, growing charity, but we also have a really solid product in place.’ Recent independent evaluation shows that the SEE learning programme has helped 88 per cent of its students to find useful contacts and 72 per cent to spot and judge new opportunities.

Perhaps the greatest impact is the influence these social entrepreneurs will have on the economy. Over an average of three years, the SSE reports its students generate ten times the investment in their learning through jobs and volunteering – with 81 per cent creating between one and ten jobs, and 8 per cent creating more than 21 jobs. This learning programme has also been rolled out nationally.

Rowena Young
Chief executive officer
18 Victoria Park Square
London
E2 9PF
020 8981 0300
Reg no. 1085465
www.sse.org.uk

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