UK: Raising the profile

Birmingham & Solihull Social Economy Consortium (BSSEC) is a strategic alliance of service providers who support the social economy in one of the most densely populated regions of the UK. Its campaign aims to increase awareness of the social, economic, and environmental benefits that social enterprises offer and encourage public sector purchasing. It also aims to demonstrate how the social enterprise model can be used by voluntary and community organisations to generate sustainable income. ?We want 2006 to mark a step-change in understanding of social enterprise,? says Steve Walker, co-chair of BSSEC and himself the chief executive of a thriving social enterprise, ART, the specialist loan provider for both commercial and social enterprises. ?There are massive opportunities for the sector, but we also need to get the social enterprise message across at all levels ? especially in the public sector and amongst policy-makers and fund-holders at the more local level. The materials we will be producing as part of this campaign will help significantly in this.? www.bssec.org.uk