Thought Leadership

The UK’s foremost charitable leisure & library social enterprise GLL marked its first 30 years with a special celebration at The House of Commons (2 November) attended by an array of industry, sporting and library leaders alongside politicians and Members of the House of Lords. The staff-owned co-operative, which runs over 350 public facilities including swimming pools,  libraries, sports centres and children’s centres under the ‘Better’ brand, welcomed keynote speakers The Rt Hon Lady Glenys Thornton, former GB track and field championSally Gunnell OBE and CILIP Library Champion and broadcaster Bobby Seagull. Each added their support to GLL’s remarkable three decade journey from a small ‘spin out’ in Greenwich to the largest national provider of public libraries and leisure centres in the UK and providers of the UK’s largest independent athlete support programme – operating from Bromley to Belfast, and from Cumbria to Cardiff. GLL sees itself very much at the heart of community health and wellbeing and works to tackle inequality and protect and modernise essential public services. By prioritising expanding accessible public leisure and cultural facilities, GLL (which returns all surpluses to improving local communities) has devised a model that is self-sustaining and truly for public good. The event also saw GLL present its ambitious 5 Year Corporate Plan ‘Creating our Future’ that will deliver £2bn in social value, get 1m more people more active across 5 years, reduce energy use and see a ground-breaking launch of the GLL Literary Foundation. GLL CEO Peter Bundey said: “GLL is a unique organisation, a staff-owned co-op that shows social enterprises can succeed at national scale. “Over 30 years we have expanded our public service offer, bringing measurable benefit to local communities - while keeping facilities open in challenging circumstances. “As the largest player in our sector we have responsibilities to lead the way and our next 30 years will see us do just that, working closely with our partners and clients to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of the nation. “I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been part of our journey.” In addition to celebrating 30 years, the event also marked 15 years of the GLL Sport Foundation (the largest independent athlete support programme in the UK) and 10 years of running public libraries; GLL operates facilities in Bromley, Dudley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Lincolnshire and has some of the highest borrowing rates in the UK. Long time GLL advocate The Rt Hon Lady Glenys Thornton said: “GLL is a beacon for value –led leisure services and a great supporter of athletics and libraries too.  Happy 30th Birthday GLL.” CILIP Library Champion and broadcaster Bobby Seagull called for more support for libraries: “Libraries are knowledge and the central lynchpin of communities. “We are a nation of readers and we need physical libraries in our communities.” Commenting on her Patronage of the GLL Sport Foundation, former GB track and field championSally Gunnell OBE said: “GLL’s impact has been undeniable - supporting dreams and aspirations, eliminating barriers and acting as a catalyst to release athlete potential. I commend the GSF for its commitment to the future and helping even more people reach greater heights in the world of sport.” GB and Northern Ireland Pentathlon Olympic Gold Medallist Lady Mary Peters DBE also joined the event.  GLL works closely with many sports bodies – including the Mary Peters Trust, SportsAid and Switch The Play Foundation – to widen and deepen athlete support through its GLL Sport Foundation. www.gll.org www.better.org.uk www.gllsportfoundation.org

After prolonged campaigning with and for our members, today the Government has announced the ‘Covid backlog bonus’ in the NHS pay deal will also include social enterprise healthcare providers. Social enterprises form a vital part of the NHS family, delivering over £1bn of services and employing tens of thousands of staff – but were not paid the bonus given to NHS staff earlier this year, despite working under the same pressures and the same contracts. Since early 2023, we’ve worked closely with social enterprises affected by this injustice to push for their inclusion in the pay deal: lobbying Government, partnering with healthcare bodies and trade unions, speaking to media, gathering petition signatures and even taking legal action. Following this campaign, the Government has decided to make funding available to social enterprise staff. The health minister said: “This will ensure hardworking healthcare staff and the organisations they work for are not financially disadvantaged as a result of the NHS pay deal, and means they will receive their backlog bonus for their efforts during the pandemic.” Our chief executive Peter Holbrook CBE commented: “We’re pleased to see the Government acknowledge the critical role of social enterprises in the NHS family, with tens of thousands of staff delivering vital care across the country and services reinvesting profits to help local communities. We have campaigned tirelessly for our members to get the recognition and reward they deserve, and will continue to hold the Department accountable for delivering on the Minister’s promise that crucial healthcare staff won’t be financially disadvantaged by working in social enterprises.” A failure to fund the bonus would have undervalued the hard work of staff and risked the long-term sustainability of the social enterprises themselves, leaving services and patients vulnerable. While this is a fantastic campaigning win, we’ll keep fighting to ensure the importance of social enterprise in the NHS is recognised and supported.   We would like to thank all our healthcare members for their concerted efforts in driving this change, and everyone who joined the movement in support of social enterprises, lending their voices to the collective call for justice. You can read more in this piece on BBC News.

By June O’Sullivan, CEO of London Early Years Foundation I have a vested interest in reviewing this book Vitalising Purpose: The Power of the Social Enterprise Difference in Public Services as I wrote a chapter! But really, I was interested to read the 17 essays from people who are running social enterprises or supporting them at a time when so many business leaders are desperate to shout about their social purpose leadership and green credentials. For those who know little about social enterprises, who are interested in it, or doing a business degree and need to learn about it, then this is a great little book. It is short and readable. but explores some of the big economic and social challenges facing society which are being addressed by social enterprises. You can therefore imagine that the book pulls no punches about poverty and its impact on people’s lives.  It summarises some of the hardships, deprivation and health impacts that results from poverty. And in my world of child poverty, this is not an unfamiliar debate. It certainly pushes back at the argument that poverty is driven by the individual. Some of the statistics are pretty stark such as that 4.7 million households are in arrears to at least one household bill at an average of £1600! It is resonant of the view shared by Mohammed Yunus, that poverty is driven by structures and systems. Just to get this into perspective, social enterprises are driven by social justice and deliver a range of public services including health, social care, children’s services, education, homelessness, housing, domestic abuse, public health, leisure, culture, employment, training, transport, criminal justice, working across local, central government and the NHS.  Some are small and local others are very large with a multi-million-pound turnover employing thousands. Collectively they contribute 60 billion pounds to the UK economy.  They remain active in their communities. Despite their size or location, they all demonstrate a flexible, entrepreneurial, fleet of foot, innovative and collaborative approach. Set that against my pet hate, the patronising stereotype of the social sector doing good things but outside the grown-up economy. The cut price, pound shop, second best sector. This view which I think is often shaped by the traditional corporate social responsibility approach appears to reject our ability to trade and forces some social enterprises to be coy about using the word profit dressing it up as surplus. Profit isn’t a dirty word, it what you do with it that matter. Interestingly, eight out of 10 social enterprises have been successful in delivering services and if you look at the big business disasters, they weren't social enterprises but companies like Carillion and ABC. If we compare social enterprises with the top 100 PLCs over a 30-year period, 41% of the top social ventures were likely to survive compared to 33% of the PLC's. The book emphasises the focus of the social enterprise business model which is to create and deliver public and social value underpinned by the concepts of purpose, values, collaboration, integration and the cultivation and stewardship of community partnerships. It challenges the entrenched, dysfunctional focus by commissioners who continue to use a marketised competitive contracting approach with an emphasis on value for money rather than commissioning being designed 100% for the public benefit, despite having the Social Value Act. The darlings of macroeconomics with social purpose, Mariana Mazzucato and Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics add value to the debate that financial value should not be the sole determinant of public policy.   The resulting value for money contracts often provided by extractive corporates are criticised as failing to deliver public benefit because they must prioritise returns to shareholders. They are therefore more liable to keep costs low by reducing quality, suppressing innovation and extracting resources from local areas of public authorities while not actually contributing to public value. For example, in May 2022, an investigation found half of social care operators are owned by private equity firms based offshore; many of which are registered in countries known for their generous tax regimes! In the world of childcare, we're seeing this more and more. This is against a backdrop of 77% of people who think businesses should maximise their profits, but not to the detriment of workers, customers, communities and the environment.  They are very alert to companies’ ability to green washing. Interestingly, the Welsh Government is looking to eliminate the private profit marketplace for looked after children services because there should not be a market for care for children. Not surprising You Gov found that nine in ten members of public were in favour of social enterprises running public services.  I should imagine that number has consolidated given more recent debacles such as the privatisation of the UK’s water, described as an ATM for investors despite the wide condemnation of mismanagement, pouring live sewage into the rivers and raising household water bills by 40%. It makes a mockery of the discussion on impact and maximising social value and the principle that meeting social needs represents the best financial investment. Every book has a Call to Action and this one is no different. Doing things differently won't necessarily be technically difficult but will involve a paradigm shift in thinking. Business can be a force for progressive change especially when corporate, public organisations and social enterprises all learn from each other. The book makes it clear that social leaders must present an alternative business mindset which strengthens the triple bottom line and ensures economic, social and environmental sustainability is at the heart of the service. Find out more about London Early Years Foundation's groundbreaking work here

Together with the Directory of Social Change, Benefact Group will be hosting a new webinar: 'A Practical Introduction to Social Impact Measurement' on Tuesday 14th November between 10:30am-12:00pm.  We all know that your enterprise does amazing work, day in and day out. However, when it comes to demonstrating the impact of all your excellent work to funders and stakeholders, many organisations struggle, which in turn can negatively impact fundraising efforts.  Join Robert Foster, DSC Associate and Director/Consultant at Red Ochre for this introductory session on social impact measurement. As one of the UK’s leading Social Enterprise experts, Robert will share some simple and practical steps to begin or improve your impact reporting journey.    Simply register online and details will be sent directly to you via email.  About WRS As experienced Social Enterprise Insurance brokers, WRS can help you find the right insurance for your organisation. Get in touch with our team to discuss your organisation’s needs and request a quote. For more information call the team on 01206 760780.  WRS is proudly part of the Benefact Group. 

Northern Ireland’s most impactful ​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌social enterprises were celebrated at the 2023 NI Social Enterprise Awards, in partnership with AtkinsRéalis held on Friday 27th October. Winners were announced at the prestigious black tie event in Belfast’s Crowne Plaza, hosted by local radio presenter and Social Enterprise sector ambassador Cate Conway. It was an evening of celebration for the nearly 600 individuals who attended from the private, public, and social enterprise sector. The annual awards recognise talented individuals, teams and organisations for their unique contribution and significant impact to society in Northern Ireland. Over the last 11 years, the awards have promoted the incredible work and achievements of social enterprise businesses, highlighting the active role they play in changing communities, building more inclusive places to live, and making a positive impact on our environment, all while making a profit through their respective business. Radius Housing picked up the top accolade of the night, winning ‘Social Enterprise of the Year’ for their exceptional social impact and ongoing work with local schools and communities. Reflecting on the awards ceremony, Colin Jess, Chief Executive of Social Enterprise Northern Ireland, said: “This year we received the highest level of entries, and our judges were impressed by the quality of the entries. Applications reflected the incredible resilience, entrepreneurial spirit, passion, and dedication of those working in the sector. It was clear to see the unwavering commitment to impact the lives of those hardest to reach, change communities and create social change. “These awards not only celebrate talent and innovation but also brings together everyone in one room who work at the heart of the social enterprise movement. It is truly inspirational to witness the impact that these Social Enterprise winners and finalists have made to society and the local Northern Ireland economy. “Well done to all our winners, keep up the great work. I would also like to thank our sponsors for their support in making the awards possible.” Winners of 2023 Social Enterprise NI Awards: Best New Start Up Winner: Active Youth NI Community Wealth Building Award Joint Winner: Derry Credit Union Joint Winner: The Workspace Group Rural Social Enterprise Award Winner: Clanrye Group Credit Union Award - 10-25m Turnover Winner: Ardboe Credit Union Credit Union Award - Over 25m Turnover Winner: Derry Credit Union Co-Operative Award Winner: Belfast Cleaning Cooperative Best Use of Social Media Winner: High Rise Highly Commended: Harp and Crown Credit Union Limited Consumer Facing Award (via public vote) · Winner: Naturally North Coast & Glens Social Impact Award Winner: Via Wings Highly Commended: Habitat for Humanity Northern Ireland Young Person of the Year Winner: Claire Mooney, Moneydarragh Community Hub Ltd Highly Commended: Robert Campbell, Aspire Media CIC Emerging Leader of the Year Winner: Gareth Little, Harry's Place CIC Highly Commended: Rachel McIlgorm, Storybox NI CIC Leader of the Year Winner: Janet Schofield, Compass Advocacy Network (CAN) Council of the Year Winner: Belfast City Council Best Cross Sector Collaboration of the Year Winner: CTS Projects Ltd, Womenstec & Bolster Community Outstanding Voluntary Team Winner: Carrick Greengrocers Outstanding Staff Team Winner: Bolster Community Highly Commended: Compass Advocacy Network (CAN) & Oasis Caring in Action Outstanding Joint Volunteer & Staff Team Winner: Harry's Place CIC Highly Commended: Centred Soul CIC Social Enterprise of the Year Winner: Radius Housing Individual category sponsors included AtkinsRéalis, Ulster Bank, Rapid Agency, NI Housing Executive, Department for the Economy, H&J Martin, Evolv IT, Social Enterprise Academy, VIable Corporate Services, Lockton, AtkinsRéalis, Hays, NI Support Service, Department for Communities, Firmus Energy, Irish League of Credit Unions, Lockton, Edwards & Co, ProAptivity, Community Finance Ireland and the Construction Employers Federation. On winning their awards Radius Housing, Via Wings and Janet Schofield have also been automatically shortlisted for their respective categories at the UK Social Enterprise Awards taking place in London on the evening of 30 November.

The annual Social Enterprise Awards Scotland saw nine social enterprises and social entrepreneurs from across the country presented as the best of the best at an Awards Reception at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 26th October. The Awards recognise the unique economic and social contribution made by the sector across Scotland. The top prize, Social Enterprise of the Year 2023, was awarded to the Isle of Skye Ferry, a social enterprise from the Scottish islands. The Isle of Skye Ferry Community Interest Company owns and operates the last manually operated turntable ferry in existence, from Glenelg on the mainland to Kylerhea on the Isle of Skye, across an ancient drover’s route from the Hebrides. All profits are reinvested into preserving the historic vessel, ensuring the sustainability of the ferry service, and supporting other local community groups and events. Chris Martin, CEO, Social Enterprise Scotland said: “From tackling the climate emergency to reducing homelessness, social enterprises are taking on some of the biggest challenges we face, using trade to change lives and protect the planet.” “The quality, variety, and mix of social enterprises who applied for this year’s Awards were of a high standard making it a very difficult judging process.  Thank you to all the previous winners and sponsors who methodically looked at every application.  We were delighted by the volume of applications which were almost back to pre-pandemic levels, showing that social enterprises are weathering the storms of Covid and a Cost-of-Living Crisis to deliver impact in their local communities.”  The winners were: Social Enterprise of the Year Award  Supported by Gold Sponsor Keegan and Pennykid This award is for a social enterprise that has demonstrated a clear vision, excellence in impact, customer service, and management, plus that little something extra in terms of creativity and innovation. Isle of Skye Ferry Community Interest Company  A social enterprise which owns and operates the last manually operated turntable ferry in existence, from Glenelg on the mainland to Kylerhea on the Isle of Skye, across an ancient drover’s route from the Hebrides. All profits are reinvested into preserving the historic vessel, ensuring the sustainability of the ferry service, and supporting other local community groups and events. One to Watch Award   Supported by Bold Studio Àban  A social enterprise which provides innovative and adventurous learning experiences in schools and communities in Inverness. They help get the community out on positive adventures right on their doorstep meaning every penny raised goes to support their local charitable work. Environmental Social Enterprise Award  Supported by Circular Communities Scotland The Social Enterprise Environmental Award is for a social enterprise that is making strides towards creating a better world for people and the planet with their social and environmental sustainability credentials and has demonstrated a clear, evidenced environmental impact. Merry-go-round A one stop shop and the first choice for families in Glasgow shopping second-hand. In 2022-2023 they rehomed 19 tonnes of goods, supporting 16,502 families to make sustainable choices. The shop is also a thriving and nurturing community hub for families to meet, learn, exchange ideas, and be supported. Last year 3,400 people attended 560 events. They run wellbeing and support events as well as discussion groups, a sling library (promoting rental over new), nappucino’s (communicating benefits of reusable nappies), and more. They are partnered with 175 agencies in Glasgow to provide an average of 100 free packs of essential items per month to those facing hardships. Building Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, & Justice Award Supported by Social Investment Scotland  This new award recognises that social justice is fundamental to the social enterprise movement. This category considers those social enterprises that are addressing issues around diversity, inclusion, and equity. Resilience Learning Partnership An Education and Training provider with a dual purpose, they support the health, social care, education, housing & criminal justice sectors in Trauma Informed Practice. They inform learning and development through their work, ensuring that lived experience is considered in service design and public policy decision making areas in an authentic and meaningful way. As a lived experience led organisation, they influence positive changes across Scotland enabling services to better engage and support people with lived experience. Health and Social Care Award Supported by Gold sponsor The ALLIANCE: The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland This award recognises organisations that deliver excellent support to their users and customers around a health and social care mission, including physical and mental health as well as wellbeing. Macaulay College CIC  Located on Macaulay Farm just outside Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. Macaulay College provides people with additional social and educational requirements with a programme of activities that encourages them to have meaningful and fulfilling working and social lives. Macaulay College helps people to reach their potential by supporting them at the earliest possible stage.  The students mostly come through Social Work/Education department referrals.  Education strategies are developed with students to achieve their full potential and reach person specific targets that aim to enrich their working and social life. They support people with a range of additional support needs including Autism, Down’s syndrome, and mental health issues. Tech for Good  Supported by  Breeze Digital (a Community Enterprise Group social enterprise) This new award recognises a social enterprise that is using technology to achieve its social impact. This could be through developing a new product or service or enhancing their service delivery. Red Chair Highland Ltd  A social enterprise which focuses on digital inclusion services across the Highlands. They aim to improve Digital Inclusion, and overall wellbeing and reduce isolation for vulnerable individuals including older adults, those on benefits, those recently released from prison, those suffering from substance misuse, refugees, and those experiencing homelessness. By distributing devices and offering support, they hope to improve people’s online access and strengthen their abilities. Their work is proudly underpinned by a sustainable ethos, contributing to the circular economy by utilising refurbished devices. Market Builder Award Supported by Social Enterprise Academy This Award is for a social enterprise, public sector body, or private sector organisation that has demonstrably made efforts to create opportunities for social enterprises to grow their revenues and impact by tapping into supply chains and larger networks purchasing power. Circular Communities Scotland Reuse Consortium  The Consortium offers local authorities, housing associations, and other public sector organisations easy access to a range of quality assured reuse furniture and white goods from local social enterprises, removing the need to go through a tendering process. Reuse Consortium members are circular charities and social enterprises that save quality furniture from landfill and create a more circular economy in Scotland. They provide social and environmental benefits through their work and make a difference in their local communities. By buying from the Reuse Consortium, customers support a fairer, more circular, and sustainable Scotland. The Consortium’s vision is for reuse to be at the heart of procurement decisions across Scotland. Social Enterprise Champion This Award celebrates an individual working in a social enterprise who goes above and beyond to make a difference, support the mission of the organisation and deliver impact. Lisa Gemmell, Community and Relationship Mentor, Be-inn Unity CIC Lisa joined Be-inn Unity as an employee in June 2022 to grow a new initiative with a new partner, Labert High School, as a Community and Relationship Mentor. Lisa works with several groups of children and young people from the most deprived and challenging backgrounds. Lisa has embodied the values of the organisation of curiosity, authenticity, respect, and empathy, meeting young people she works with consistently with these values, at their developmental stages and offering complete safety in a relationship. Lisa quickly identified that the young people need more than just one relationship in the school community and quickly established other meaningful connections in their community, building a wider network that also offered the young people a deeper sense of purpose, connection, and belonging. Lisa has now created a space within the school for young people and staff to connect called The Bothy. A social space for teachers and pupils to learn about and support their mental health. Social Enterprise Volunteer Champion Supported by Volunteer Scotland This new Award celebrates an individual volunteering in a social enterprise who goes above and beyond to make a difference, support the mission of the organisation and deliver impact. Janie Conlon, Tartan Volunteer, Grassmarket Community Project Janie is an incredible young woman who works so hard at Grassmarket Community Project (GCP), becoming an inspiration to their staff, members, and volunteers, through her drive and commitment to build what is now their successful, profit-making Tartan Social Enterprise. Working with their Members and other volunteers, many of whom are vulnerable adults who have no previous experience of sewing, she teaches, encourages, and supports them to craft the range of quality items that are now in demand through their shop, online, Visit Scotland and Edinburgh Castle. If it were not for Janie being so committed to the project, the Grassmarket Community Project would not have been able to open the Tartan Shop and Workshop which, after 10 months is now a profitable social enterprise. More information can be found at www.socialenterprise.scot/awards Isle of Skye Ferry CIC, Àban, Circular Communities Scotland Resuse Consortium, Merry-go-round and Resilience Learning Partnership, and Red Chair Highland Ltd  have now been added to the shortlist for their respective categories at the UK Social Enterprise Awards which will take place in London on the evening of 30 November.

Every social enterprise faces a dual task of running a business in a competitive environment and addressing the core social or environmental mission at the heart of their operation. To succeed, it is vital that social enterprises are working as efficiently and effectively as possible. However, we need to better understand the challenges facing distinctive social enterprise models if we are to provide relevant support, guidance, and advice, so that they may improve their operational capacity. To build our understanding of this issue, Social Enterprise UK (SEUK) is collaborating with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) to collect evidence. We will do this through Balance, a performance diagnostic & strategic management toolkit, designed and overseen by MMU, that asks social enterprises – ‘what capabilities do you have?’ Balance provides an opportunity to respond across 7 key areas from stakeholder perspectives, multi-bottom line, internal activities, learning, income diversification, governance and visioning to questions tailored to understanding your organisation's capabilities. It can then identify areas of strength and weakness and offer an appropriate strategy on how to improve – using an Action Plan to support change. You can learn more about Balance here. We will then work with MMU to collate the findings and identify the most common challenges facing social enterprises when it comes to boosting their capacity. This will inform a short report mapping out what can be done to support social enterprises reach their potential. We are asking our members who are interest to participate by completing the Balance toolkit questionnaire. All data collected will be confidentially held by MMU and SEUK, with anonymised findings informing the report. If you would like to complete the Balance toolkit, or hear more about this project, please contact the MMU team at balance@mmu.ac.uk

At the Social Enterprise World Forum in Amsterdam this month, we hosted a fringe event in partnership with our member The Ubele Initiative to explore how community wealth building can be used to empower racially minoritised communities. Community wealth building is an economic development model based on communities having control and ownership of assets. It is designed to challenge traditional neoliberal approaches to areas such as housing and work, which tend to exacerbate rather than reduce inequalities. The team at Ubele are pioneers in the community wealth building space, working to empower Black and minoritised communities in the UK. 55% of Black-owned community assets have insecure futures due to issues with funding, leases or succession planning – so Ubele works to ensure racially minoritised communities are empowered to manage their buildings and spaces. For example, the Gida Housing Co-operative aims to address poor housing outcomes and their impact on health. Ubele described it as “an affordable housing provider that enables people to have ownership and a say in the management of their own homes”, using a model where tenants control the co-operative that owns the homes. Gida is looking to take on 56 homes and has around 100 prospective tenants. Given the links between racial inequality and housing inequality, and the increasing unaffordability of cities like London, initiatives like this are vital. As part of the National Strategic Alliance, Ubele looks at community wealth building in specific communities to better design interventions and support. Ubele is also involved in the shaping and delivery of the Enterprise Development Programme, supporting Black and minority-led organisations to grow their financial resilience and impact via grants and learning. Event attendees also discussed community wealth building in a global context, analysing some of the key barriers to racial equality in the social enterprise and social impact space. Our panel of inspiring speakers included Democracy Collaborative leader Ted Howard, social entrepreneur and politician Joanne Anderson, economist Najah Aouaki and our chair Lord Victor Adebowale. Ted gave us a whistlestop tour of the history of community wealth building, including his own work on the Cleveland model, creating worker owned co-operatives in a predominantly Black city where many people live below the poverty line. He also spoke about the growing impact of co-operatives in India and the pioneering work of Mondragon in the Basque Country, which has helped the region have the greatest wealth equality in the European Union. Ted’s work now focuses on New West Amsterdam, which is home to 20% of the city’s population and most of its migrant communities but only receives around 5% of the city’s procurement spend. Racial inequality in the Netherlands was also the focus of Nadja Aouaki’s contribution to the discussion. She described rising inequality in Amsterdam since 2018, made more evident by Covid, and how it is organised racially. She stressed the importance of “alternative economic paradigms based around municipalism” and acknowledged that “in the Netherlands we still find it hard to talk about race”. Former mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson spoke about how the city’s growth from fishing port to industrial powerhouse was “built on the back of the slave trade” and how racial inequality still permeates the city. Joanne helped set up a pioneering social investment fund through social enterprise community Kindred; 25% of the £6.5 million pot went to Black-owned organisations and the goal is to reach £50 million, always having 25% earmarked to reduce racial inequality. Access to finance was also core to Lord Victor’s contribution, as The Adebowale Commission into social investment found that “Black social entrepreneurs get less funding, and funders are not led by Black people”. He mentioned that things are changing and we have moved into the “shame stage” where organisations are realising there is a problem and starting to act – but he made clear that what now needs to happen is a move “from the shame stage to the power stage” where Black-led social enterprises have truly equal investment opportunities. From Cleveland to Liverpool and Amsterdam to Spain, we heard how community wealth building empowers communities and offers an alternative to the neoliberal approach to economic development, giving communities real ownership over their futures. This fringe event was an energising start to a busy conference schedule, so we hope many others will be inspired by lessons learned and connections made.