What is a social enterprise?
The idea behind social enterprise is simple. They are businesses which trade in order to
fulfil social aims and objectives.
For a sports social enterprise these social aims could be:
• To make sport accessible to people on low or fixed incomes
• To provide coaching qualifications for unemployed people to assist them into work
• To encourage people who do not usually exercise into physical activity
A sports social enterprise might generate income from renting facilities, providing coaching, running a bar or managing a leisure service. Any profit is put back into the business to achieve its social aims. Whereas for some businesses, owner profits and shareholder value are the top priorities, for social enterprises, long-term benefits to employees, customers and the local community are the major consideration.
As well as their social aims, they are also distinguished by their management structure. This means that staff, members and the community can have a say as to how the business is run.
What is a Social Enterprise? -
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