SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
Social enterprises are dynamic businesses with a social purpose working all around the UK and internationally to deliver lasting social and environmental change.

Well known social enterprises include Cafedirect, The Big Issue, The Co-operative Group, Welsh Water (Glas Cymru),the Eden Project and Jamie Oliver's Fifteen, but there are many other social enterprises operating in a wide range of industries from farmers markets and recycling companies to transport providers and childcare.

The social enterprise sector is incredibly diverse, encompassing co-operatives, development trusts, community enterprises, housing associations, football supporter's trusts, Social Firms and leisure trusts, among others. As a result social enterprises use a wide variety of legal forms; some incorporate as companies while others take the form of industrial and provident societies. From July 2005 social enterprises have also been able to register as Community Interest Companies.

According to figures from the Government's Annual Small Business Survey 2005 and existing data for the social enterprise sector, there are at least 55,000 social enterprises in the UK with a combined turnover of £27billion per year. Social enterprises account for 5% of all businesses with employees and contribute £8.4billion per year to the UK economy - almost 1% of annual GDP

Some East Midlands based social enterprises include:

EAST MIDLANDS ECONOMIC NETWORK

CONTACT CULTURES

GARDEN CARE (LEICESTERSHIRE)

SOCIETY for INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING LEICESTER

DERBY MINORITY ENTERPRISES

LEICESTER AFRICAN CARIBBEAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

LEICESTER ASIAN YOUTH ASSOCIATION

RAAJ RADIO