Share

London Mayor opens social enterprise support centre

London Mayor opens social enterprise support centre
News

London Mayor opens social enterprise support centre

Finance | Adam Martin | 9 Feb 2012

A new headquarters and hub for social enterprise support organisations has officially opened in London this week.

The 'Fire Station' centre, situated in the refurbished Tooley Street Fire Station near London Bridge, is the new headquarters for Social Enterprise UK and the School for Social Entrepreneurs, and also hosts a business club for Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) social entrepreneurs.

London Mayor Boris Johnson, who attended the launch of the Fire Station on Tuesday alongside 150 representatives from London community organisations, charities and social enterprises, declared the centre to be “social enterprise at its best”.

Central to the Fire Station's social output is the Brigade bar and bistro, which provides up to 145 apprenticeships and work experience opportunities for people who have been homeless, supported by the Beyond Food Foundation. Part of the revenue generated by Brigade will be reinvested in nationwide community projects.

Michael Wilson, programme and policy manager of the Homes and Communities Agency, which helped fund the Fire Station, said:

“It’s a place where homeless people and former rough sleepers can access support, develop their skills and gain confidence, helping them to move away from the cycle of homelessness for good. Today’s event is a welcome opportunity to see how our funding of £800,000 is making a real difference to people’s lives.”

A recent PwC survey of 2,000 people revealed that two out of three people believed businesses have a responsibility to help the communities in which they are based. Half of those surveyed believed businesses with a social purpose could be more effective in supporting their local economy than the government.

Social Enterprise UK is the national membership and campaigning body in the sector. It works to find investment from consumers, public sector commissioners and private investors who want to see a social return on their investment. The School for Social Entrepreneurs offers courses to help social entrepreneurs start and sustain projects that aid the community.

Comments

[Cancel] | Reply to:

Close »

Community Standards

The civilsociety.co.uk community and comments board is intended as a platform for informed and civilised debate.

We hope to encourage a broad range of views, however, there are standards that we expect commentators to uphold. We reserve the right to delete or amend any comments that do not adhere to these standards.

We welcome:

  • Robust but respectful debate
  • Strongly held opinions
  • Intelligent relevant discussion
  • The sharing of relevant experiences
  • New participants

We will not publish:

  • Rude, threatening, offensive, obscene or abusive language, or links to such material
  • Links to commercial organisations or spam postings. The comments board is not an advertising platform
  • The posting of contact details for yourself or others
  • Comments intended for malicious purpose or mindless abuse
  • Comments purporting to be from another person or organisation under false pretences
  • Gratuitous criticism, commentary or self-promotion
  • Any material which breaches copyright or privacy laws, or could be considered libellous
  • The use of the comments board for the pursuit or extension of personal disputes

Be aware:

  • Views expressed on the comments board are left at users’ discretion and are in no way views held or supported by Civil Society Media
  • Comments left by others may not be accurate, do not rely on them as fact
  • You may be misunderstood - sarcasm and humour can easily be taken out of context, try to be clear

Please:

  • Enjoy the opportunity to express your opinion and respect the right of others to express theirs
  • Confine your remarks to issues rather than personalities

Together we can keep our community a polite, respectful and intelligent platform for discussion.

emailalert

28 codes of fundraising practice to be condensed into one

23 May 2012

The Institute of Fundraising is to replace its 28 codes of fundraising practice with a single code and...

Royal Shakespeare Company collaborates with war veterans charity

23 May 2012

A theatre company run by war veterans charity Stoll has partnered with the Royal Shakespeare Company Open...

Public thinks volunteers more worthy of honours than charity professionals

23 May 2012

New research released by nfpSynergy claims that almost half the British public think that voluntary sector...

BIS consultation on volunteer-led events criticised

24 May 2012

A consultation launched by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has been criticised for...

Royal Shakespeare Company collaborates with war veterans charity

23 May 2012

A theatre company run by war veterans charity Stoll has partnered with the Royal Shakespeare Company Open...

Risk guide launched for charities going through structural changes

23 May 2012

Charity insurance specialist Ecclesiastical has published a risk guide for charities which are undertaking...

Marie Curie opens national support centre and adds 140 staff

21 May 2012

Marie Curie Cancer Care has officially opened its new national support centre in Pontypool, Wales, creating...

Marketers voice concerns over email conversion rates

21 May 2012

Conversion rates are the biggest concern for nearly half of all email marketers surveyed by the Direct...

Samsung launches Olympics app to fundraise for Kids Company

16 May 2012

Samsung has launched the Hope Relay mobile app to raise money for three charities including Kids Company,...

Join the discussion

 Twitter button

@CSFinance