Q.What is a Social Enterprise?
A. Jonathan Bland as Chief Executive of the Social Enterprise Coalition gave a very good explanation of what social enterprises are. He said ‘The founders and leaders of social enterprises are passionate about achieving explicit social or environmental aims and this motivates them as much, if not more, than the challenge of running a profitable business. Many companies would consider themselves to have social objectives, but social enterprises are distinctive because their social or environmental purpose is central to what they do’.
Q. Is it correct to say that Empowering-Communities is not in it for the money?
A.That’s correct, but obviously as a non funded organisation we have to generate an income. I like the fact that social enterprises compete in the market like any other business but do not exist to serve the interests of shareholders. I am not motivated by personal gain and like the concept of continually reinvesting any profits back into the organisation or as in the case of our Survivors Programme directly into the community.
Q. You have described Empowering-Communities as ‘mould-breakers’ – why?
A.At Empowering-Communities we have a proven track record of achieving what people say couldn’t be done. Our Count Me Out Gambling Self Exclusion scheme is an excellent example of this. Advisors to the Government said it wasn’t possible to have a national self exclusion scheme that wouldn’t be cost prohibitive to smaller gambling operators. Our scheme runs very well on a voluntary contribution basis.
Q. How do people react to your business ethos?
A.The vast majority of people and businesses we speak to understand how we work. Empowering-Communities often breaks with conventional business models to find new, innovative and more sustainable ways of improving services to the victims, communities and vulnerable people we set out to help. For example we identified a lack of service delivery to the victims of domestic abuse coupled with a heavy reliance on funding. Our Domestic and Sexual Abuse Reduction Partnership addresses these problems and is going from strength to strength. However as we’ve become more successful and our user-base has grown, doing what’s right for society and especially the business sector has upset some commercial companies.
Q. Would you say you are meeting a need?
A.Yes. As a social enterprise we are not constrained by conventional thinking in relation to delivering a service or product. Within reason where we identify a social need, we start working on a solution – whether that’s helping business crime reduction partnerships through SIRCS, reducing repeat victimisation through our Survivors Programme or helping vulnerable people and their families with our gambling or alcohol self exclusion schemes.
Q. Describe yourself in one sentence?
A.I am a social entrepreneur with a clear vision and a strong belief that being part of a competitive and well-run organisation is the best way of achieving our social aims.
Q. When was Empowering-Communities formed?
A.Empowering-Communities was formed in 2007 and is registered as N.S.E.P Community Interest Company number 6265613.
Q. Is a Community Interest Company and a Social Enterprise the same thing?
A.A Community Interest Company or CIC was recently introduced by the Government as an entirely new type of legal structure that makes it easier to set up a businesses designed for the public good.
Q. What are your aims?
A.As a not for profit Social Enterprise our social purpose remains central to our operation. We specialise in maximising citizen participation to solve community problems and as an organisation with primary social objectives any surpluses are reinvested to help and empower victims, local communities, vulnerable people and their families.
Q. How is a social enterprise formed, do you need a constitution or have certain powers?
A. Yes, it is actually quite strict. We are administered and managed in accordance with a Constitution by the members of a Management Committee who may exercise the following powers:
- To create and manage sustainable projects to help and empower victims, local communities, vulnerable people and their families.
- To advise and support local and national initiatives throughout the UK, sharing information and good practice. To maximise citizen participation to solve community problems.
- To improve the skills and knowledge of individuals and other organisations working in the fields that Empowering-Communities supply services to.
- To buy, take on lease or exchange any property necessary for the achievement of the objects and to maintain and equip it for use.
- To employ such staff including volunteers and paid workers as are necessary for the efficient pursuits of the objectives.
- To raise funds by any means which may appear to be expedient and consistent with the objectives of the Organisation.
Q. Do you have any examples?
A. Well yes, many in fact. Everything that we do can be shown to demonstrate how we help vulnerable people. As a not-for-profit organisation we plough all of our resources back in to the development of existing projects, products & services and new initiatives.
Our first project was to introduce a National Self Exclusion scheme for problem gamblers. The ‘Count Me Out’ Gambling Self Exclusion scheme went live in August 2007 and since then we have developed the only independent, international self exclusion database for problem gamblers who use the internet to gamble.
In 2008 we developed and launched the first ever community based Alcohol Self Exclusion scheme. The ‘Count Me Out’ schemes provide effective self exclusion which empowers the vulnerable and their families to improve their lives and participate more fully in society.
To help local communities tackle crime, disorder, anti-social behaviour and environmental issues such as fly tipping and graffiti we have developed and introduced SIRCS (Secure Incident Reporting & Community Engagement System).
We launched a Rural-SIRCS scheme with all profits being invested into the Domestic and Sexual Abuse Reduction Partnership.
The Empowering-Communities Inclusion and Neighbourhood management System (E-CINS) went live in January 2011 and is creating an environment where everyone knows what everyone else is doing. This is an incredibly powerful tool and it goes along way to helping us achieve our overall goal of helping to empower victims, local communities, vulnerable people and their families.
Q. What do you think are your organisation’s key qualities?
A. As a not for profit social enterprise we are innovative, creative, pioneering and have the strength of character to make things happen.
Empowering-Communities provides services and builds social action networks that help communities and vulnerable people.
We have an ethos of continuous improvement and are always striving to provide the best possible service to our customers and communities.