Social Enterprise Day: New generation of social entrepreneurs gear up to inspire the nation
Written on 2-Feb-2009 by Nick Micinski
Originally published: 15 November 2007
Ministers across Government are joining forces with social entrepreneurs up and down the country in a day of events to inspire a new generation to work for or set up businesses with social or environmental goals.
Hundreds of pupils and young people across England are taking part in events celebrating the achievements of social entrepreneurs, and in keeping with the youth theme of this year’s Social Enterprise Day the Government is announcing that GCSE business studies students will study social enterprise as a core part of the syllabus from September 2008.
In addition, thousands of aspiring and existing social enterprises will benefit from a new guide offering specialist business information and advice, being launched today on Businesslink.gov.uk.
As part of other activities happening on Social Enterprise Day, thousands of votes are expected to be cast online today as young people choose their favourite idea to change the world, expressed in just one minute, in Make Your Mark in 60 Seconds – a competition led by the Government-backed Make Your Mark campaign to promote enterprise to young people and hosted by the social networking site Bebo. The winner, to be announced at 18.00 today by Cabinet Office Minister Phil Hope and Enterprise Minister Stephen Timms, will receive a £5,000 Award from UnLtd to make their idea happen. The second phase of the competition will then start – challenging young people all over the country to come up with their own 60-second pitch to change lives.
Another exciting initiative – a Commission for Youth Social Entrepreneurship, the first ever youth-led organisation to represent social enterprise – is also due to be launched today at a Treasury-hosted event attended by Cabinet Office Ministers Ed Miliband and Phil Hope and Treasury Minister Jane Kennedy.
Cabinet Office Minister Ed Miliband said:
“The enthusiasm with which social enterprise is being embraced around the country reflects the desire among many – especially young people – to be more ethical in their choices and actions. I want to see a new generation of social entrepreneurs inspired to dedicate themselves to a way of doing business that combines making money with having a significant positive impact on our communities and environment.
“Just one year on from the launch of the Government’s Social Enterprise Action Plan, I am delighted with the progress we’ve made – from getting social enterprise onto the GCSE business studies syllabus, to appointing ambassadors like The Apprentice’s Tim Campbell to champion social enterprise in classrooms and boardrooms alike.
“We are in the foothills of what the social enterprise movement can achieve, and I welcome the progress being made by departments across Government to embrace social enterprises and their capacity to profoundly change society for the better.”
Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, including social enterprise, said:
“As Minister responsible for social enterprise it is my mission to see today’s social enterprises turn into a wave of businesses which are changing lives and society while turning a profit. The Government is working to achieve that by raising awareness of what social enterprises can achieve, inspiring young people to seek a career in social enterprise and equipping them with relevant knowledge and skills, while providing better access to finance and information for the current and would-be social entrepreneurs already out there.”
Exactly one year on from the launch of the Government’s social enterprise action plan, the Cabinet Office also published today a series of ‘think pieces’ written by five leading social and business thinkers including Charles Leadbeater. The authors assess the long-term role of social enterprise in the context of ethical markets, social value innovation and employment with the aim of generating debate and ideas for future government policy.