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On New Year’s Day, the social enterprise community woke up to the news that Nobel Laureate, Professor Muhammad Yunus was to be sentenced to six months in jail on charges of violating labour laws in his home country of Bangladesh. He is currently on bail pending an appeal. Professor Yunus is one of the true pioneers of the social enterprise movement crediting with lifting millions out of poverty through the innovative use of micro-finance, something which earned him the title of ‘banker to the poor’. The harassment and now sentencing of Professor Yunus has been condemned by fellow Nobel Laureates, global leaders and concerned citizens from around the world as being politically motivated. Amnesty International stated that the Bangladeshi Governments’ actions are “emblematic of the beleaguered state of human rights in Bangladesh, where the authorities have eroded freedoms and bulldozed critics into submission.” Not only is Professor Yunus an inspiration to social entrepreneurs around the world he is also a real friend of Social Enterprise UK, having spoken with and met some of our members at a reception in Parliament and also taken part in our online Social Enterprise Futures conference in 2021. Our Chief Executive, Peter Holbrook believes that not only is the persecution of Professor Yunus politically motivated but also point towards the real dangers faced by those who dare challenge the status quo, telling Pioneers Post that “if you really get close to achieving your mission [of] positively changing the world in a structural and systemic way, then existing sources of power will come after you.” Show your support and solidarity We’re encouraging our members to show that they stand in solidarity with Professor Yunus through sharing a picture of them holding a sign stating ‘I Stand with Yunus’ and then posting this on social media using #IStandWithYunus. Whilst work proceeds behind the scenes to fight for the overturning of this unjust sentence, showing that Professor Yunus is supported and appreciated by the movement he did so much to inspire will keep his case on the radar and hopefully help keep his spirits up. His team at the Yunus Centre are encouraging everyone to get involved and are in direct contact with him passing on messages of support. Please do show your support by taking this simple online campaign action.   You can also still add your name to this open letter signed by 188 global leaders created when the Bangladeshi Government’s harassment of Professor Yunus became apparent. Signatories include over 100 Nobel laureates, Barack Obama, and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. To add you name email protectmdyunus@gmail.com.

We are proud to announce that pioneering social entrepreneur Joanne Anderson has joined us as an Associate Director leading our Social Value 2032 Programme. As the first female Mayor of Liverpool, Joanne spearheaded efforts to deliver social value for local communities, introducing and monitoring targets across local government contracts to make sure that procurement benefitted people and planet. Her achievements include setting up the first Black social enterprise community consultancy, Innervision, as well as leading community engagement policy work in the Crown Prosecution Service. She is also the founder of BlaST, a Black social traders network set up in 2021 as part of her work with the Kindred social enterprise community across the Liverpool City Region. Joanne brings nearly three decades of experience as an equality, diversity and inclusion practitioner to Social Enterprise UK, as well as a great passion for businesses that consider their social and environmental impact. Her new role will see Joanne helping us make the ambitious vision behind our Social Value Roadmap a reality, working to embed this pioneering approach to procurement across the public sector and in the UK’s largest companies. As well as driving forward the research and lobbying work of our Social Value 2032 programme, Joanne will host our next Social Value Leaders Summit in March 2024 for key cross-sector stakeholders to explore how this growing business movement can shape markets and organisational behaviour. Commenting on joining the Social Enterprise UK team, Joanne said: “This is going to show the nerd in me – I was completely excited and delighted to read the Roadmap! Every frustration I had around social value was labelled nicely in a report with a roadmap of what to do about it. Between my unique social enterprise and local government perspective, I’ve seen that there's just not enough understanding around social value. “Social value means ‘extra’; If you're a business that does something ‘extra', that has a positive impact on people, that's social value. You’re going to have an impact as a business and you can decide whether it's good or bad. Having a positive social impact on the communities and people around you are what makes the difference. “What's important is to get some standards around how we measure impact. I couldn't have been given a better Christmas present, really, than to get stuck in to try and lobby the next government about the real opportunities in using the Social Value Act - tackling our social problems at a local level and creating community wealth building. As a bit of a purist, I think all businesses can be good businesses. That's my vision, my utopia.” Find out more about our Social Value 2032 programme at socialenterprise.org.uk/evidence-policy/social-value-2032-shaping-the-future-of-social-value.

Our latest State of Social Enterprise report shows a growing sector that is not only profitable and productive but truly pioneering in its impact for people and planet. This year’s report titled ‘Mission Critical’ estimates that there are 131,000 social enterprises across the country, representing almost one in 42 of all UK businesses. Overall, the research shows a movement creating huge impact, despite complex challenges restricting its potential. Not only are social enterprises doing right by society and the environment, they are performing well in economic terms, with a collective turnover of approximately £78 billion or around 3.4% of GDP. Only 17% reported a decrease in turnover, compared with 30% of businesses as a whole. In the last financial year, social enterprises made £1.2 billion in profit, re-investing £1 billion to drive progress on their vital social and environmental missions. By comparison, FTSE 100 companies were on track to spend a record amount on share buy-backs, alongside nearly half of their expected net-profit of £170 billion going to paying dividends. Social enterprises are also major employers, creating jobs for around 2.3 million people, with 84% paying the real Living Wage. They are continuing to break down employment barriers around gender, race and class through workforce diversity; 22% of social enterprises operate in the most deprived areas of the UK, compared to 14% of wider businesses, while 58% have leadership teams that are at least half female and 43% have at least one leader from Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic backgrounds. As well as tackling social inequalities, social enterprises are actively addressing environmental issues, with almost a fifth fighting climate change as their core mission and 65% having a plan in place to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Given the growing crises in our natural world, we need to harness the power of social enterprise now more than ever. However, the report also showed that social enterprises are increasingly under strain, with complex economic barriers meaning that the full potential of this pioneering business model is not being realised. Beyond the general economic instability and uncertainty facing all businesses, many social enterprises struggle to access sufficient or suitable finance, and often report lacking the skills to obtain much-needed investment.   Commenting on the research findings, our chair Lord Victor Adebowale CBE said: “While social enterprises continue to start up and grow, despite the obstacles, the scale of our ambition should not be to keep things going. We cannot take for granted the sector’s ongoing contributions to our economy, our environment and wider society. Social enterprises are surviving but they should be thriving. “Given the sector’s impact despite present challenges, its potential in a more supportive ecosystem could be transformative.  ‘Business as usual’ isn’t working and this mission-led model must become the new normal. As we look ahead to a general election year, social enterprise solutions must be front and centre of a British economy that drives fair growth for all.” The State of Social Enterprise report, published every two years, is the most comprehensive piece of research looking at the key trends and issues affecting our movement. It will form the basis of our continued research and policy work, and is a key resource in raising the profile of our sector amongst decision makers. You can read the full report on our Social Enterprise Knowledge Centre, which houses all our research evidence: socialenterprise.org.uk/social-enterprise-knowledge-centre/the-state-of-social-enterprise If you’d like to contribute to future Social Enterprise UK research, please register to be part of the Social Enterprise Advisory Panel by emailing research@socialenterprise.org.uk

Last night we celebrated the winners of our UK Social Enterprise Awards at the iconic Roundhouse in London. The Roundhouse has witnessed music history and on 30 November 2023 that same stage was graced by the brightest lights in the social enterprise sector. Across 15 categories, the Awards shone a spotlight on the  innovation and impact of the UK’s diverse social enterprise community, as well as those organisations that support social enterprises develop and grow. The winner of the overall UK Social Enterprise of the Year award was the Isle of Skye Ferry CIC – a social enterprise that owns and operates the last manually operated turntable ferry in existence, running from Glenelg on the Scottish mainland to the Isle of Skye. It connects rural communities, provides training opportunities and creates living wage jobs,  as well as helping to grow the surrounding economy by sourcing goods and services from local businesses. From employing people who are homeless  to nurturing artisan makers and supporting carers to running community laundrettes, all our award winners really showcased the dynamism inherent within the social enterprise movement. View the full list of winners here The Awards ceremony was hosted by comedian, author and TV star Shaparak Khorsandi. Guests also enjoyed performances from a host of social enterprises that use music to empower young people and marginalised communities. Commenting on the Awards, our Chief Executive Peter Holbrook, said: “The last year has been a difficult one for businesses across the UK, and it has been no different for social enterprises. The Awards were a real evening of hope and inspiration and brought home the sheer ingenuity, adaptability and determination of the social enterprise community, which has continued to deliver for the people and communities they work with and support. “The winners include businesses breaking down barriers for groups marginalised in the workforce, organisations at the heart of local economies, and those finding innovative ways to tackle the climate crisis. The ever-growing movement of social enterprise truly represents business at its best. Congratulations to all of our winners.” As well as celebrating the successes of the social enterprise movement, the Awards also used a social enterprise supply chain. Trophies from The Workshop Aberfeldy will not only reward the winners but also support young and disadvantaged people to gain employment, skills and confidence. A fantastic three-course meal was provided by the Clink, a business working in prisons. Social enterprises also provided the refreshments, photography, printing services and event management. The Awards were delivered in partnership with Cwmpas, Social Enterprise Northern Ireland and Social Enterprise Scotland. The Awards were sponsored by:

The latest Barometer in our Social Enterprise Knowledge Centre depicts a sector weathering economic storms, resilient in the face of growing pressures but also showing real signs of strain. Our Barometer reports are published quarterly to provide a snapshot of social enterprise performance across the UK. This latest survey looked into the key issues and trends facing the sector, from reserves and profit making to staff numbers. The proportion of social enterprises that have increased their reserves has gone up in the last quarter, with 33% reporting an increase compared to just 18% in the previous three months. However, 31% reported a decrease in reserves. Profitability levels and the proportion of social enterprises breaking even has dropped by 10% since January, but most respondents managed to at least maintain their profits over the past three months. A positive in this quarter’s report is that the downward trend of social enterprises reporting a reduction in staff has continued, and more social enterprises are starting to grow staff numbers. When asked what the main challenges have been in the last three to six months, more than a quarter cited access to finance as a major issue, with inflation and skills shortages also being identified as major challenges. The picture painted in the November 2023 Barometer is a mixed one – social enterprises are succeeding against the odds, but many are seeing incomes decline and reserves depleted. More needs to be done to support them as they continue drive growth for people and planet. Click here to read the full report

Jeremy Hunt described his Autumn Statement as “the biggest business tax cut in modern British history” by making permanent a tax break that allows businesses to offset investment in machinery, IT and equipment against corporation tax. Although some businesses will welcome this news, it doesn’t help their employees or customers in the spiralling cost of living crisis – and the research and development incentives it promotes have repeatedly failed to deliver the investment and growth our economy needs. The UK has more than 100,000 social enterprises, with missions to support people and planet embedded in their operations. Taxes can be used to encourage this way of working in the wider business world, but corporation tax breaks announced today reflect a system focused on extracting profit above all else. Our chief executive Peter Holbrook CBE said: “It’s disappointing to see the Autumn Statement using tax cuts to reward those who already have wealth and power, instead of creating shared prosperity across our society. Tax should be a policy lever to encourage better business and drive growth for good – not growth at all costs, lining shareholders’ pockets while workers and customers are struggling. ‘Business as usual’ isn’t working anymore, and with a General Election approaching, our next Government must recognise the need for change.”

New research published on Social Enterprise Day (16 November) shows that UK social enterprises created £1.2bn in profit over the last year, and re-invested £1bn to drive progress on their vital social and environmental missions* Social Enterprise Day is a global day recognising the huge contribution our sector makes to communities, the economy and the environment. Our latest research shows the power of social enterprise, not only socially and environmentally but economically, making a significant profit and then using this to benefit people and planet. In contrast, 2022 saw FTSE 100 companies hand out over £80bn in dividends against an expected net profit of £170bn, and spend a record amount buying back their own shares to increase their value.** Social enterprises show us a fundamentally different way of doing business – one where profits are used to support vulnerable communities and protect the natural world, not just handed out to shareholders while social inequalities deepen and the climate crisis grows. Commenting on the findings, our CEO Peter Holbrook said: “Social enterprise can all too often be overlooked in British business, but this new research demonstrates the immense impact of our innovative and resilient sector – not only boosting our hard-hit national economy, but supporting wider society and protecting the environment. “We face huge and complex challenges, but social enterprise can offer solutions. Business can and must work in a way that actively benefits people and planet, sharing profit and power to drive real progress on the most pressing issues of our time. With a general election approaching, I urge all our political party leaders to consider social enterprise as the future of business.” Social Enterprise Day is a chance to raise awareness of the brilliant work happening in our sector  and encourage support for our growing movement. Check out #SocialEnterpriseDay on social media to get involved and be inspired! * These figures are part of the State of Social Enterprise report, produced by Social Enterprise UK every other year, which provides the most comprehensive and representative analysis of national sector performance. The full report is in production and will be published on 6 December 2023. **www.ajbell.co.uk/sites/default/files/AJBYI_Q1-2022_Dividend_dashboard.pdf

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.