Hidden Social Enterprises

Delta Economics and IFF Research

Goodenough College,
Mecklenburgh Square
London WC1N 2AB

Delta Economics and IFF Research launched their first report looking at the social enterprise sector in the UK.  The research isolates the companies within a sample of 2,120 for-profit, growth-oriented entrepreneurs who conform to a broad and a narrow definition of social enterprise.  They are the "Hidden Social Enterprises" in the UK who create economic, social and environmental value simultaneously.  The report compares them with "mainstream" enterprises in terms of their economic and social/environmental performance, their motivations and the challenges they face.

Speakers at the event included Rebecca Harding (Managing Director, Delta Economics), Steve Lomax (Director, IFF Research), Vicky Pryce (Joint Head of UK Government Economic Services and Chief Economic Adviser, BIS), Renate Hornung-Draus (Managing Director, German Employers' Federation), John Elkington (Founder, Volans), Andrea Coleman, Founder, Riders for Health, Duncan Grossart (Founder and former CEO of Image Source), Jonathan Jenkins (Director of Ventures, UnLtd), RichardLitchfield, (MD, Eastside Consulting), Ceri Jones (Head of Policy, Social Enterprise Coalition), and Allison Ogden-Newton (CEO Social Enterprise London)

The AGENDA included:

Identifying and Benchmarking social enterprises: the measurement challenges led by Steve Lomax and Rebecca Harding, this will be a technical workshop on the challenges of definition, data collection and measurement

Report launch: Rebecca Harding with responses from Renate Hornung-Draus, John Elkington and Duncan Grossart, chaired by Vicky Pryce. Q&A

Social Enterprise at the coal face: Panel discussion on the support needs and growth challenges of social entrepreneurs led by Richard Litchfield, Ceri Jones, Allison Ogden-Newton and Jonathan Jenkins chaired by Vicky Pryce

Social Enterprise in Action: Andrea Coleman, Founder, Riders for Health