Social enterprises still viable vows network organisation

FUNDING cuts will not cause the demise of a business network representing social enterprises in the West Midlands, the organisation’s director has vowed.

Kevin Maton, network director of Social Enterprise West Midlands, said SEs were playing a vital role in the delivery of public services and would continue to do so.

Announcing his organisation’s official launch as a newly-formed community interest company (SEWM CIC), Mr Maton said: “Social enterprise offers the chance to do real business, for real customers, paying for a service that they want…they then get the added assurance that the profit made is reinvested.

“Our model is about ‘doing business’ with added community benefit rather than working for just shareholder returns.

“We believe we need to create our own solutions to the Government’s ‘Big Society’ opportunities; nobody has all the answers but the launch of SEWM CIC can demonstrate how this idea can become a reality.”

He said private businesses, social enterprises, voluntary and public sector organisations and individuals all had to work together if the Big Society was going to work.

“It should be about giving people the power to make a difference and one of the first opportunities could arrive quickly with local authorities looking to transfer key services to social enterprises, including libraries, leisure centres and care homes,” added Mr Maton.

He said he believed that for this to happen there needed to be greater skills support for the sector, with access to experienced advisers who could find the right social investment finance.

“Money has to be available for social enterprises, but I’m not sure the Big Society bank, as it stands, is the answer,” said Mr Maton.

“A large chunk of that money will be operated on a commercial basis and run with a high street bank ethos. What social enterprises need is a mix of small ‘feasibility’ grants coupled with low cost, easy access loans – something not on offer from the Big Society bank.”

SEWM CIC has already secured the backing of some of the region’s leading social enterprises and private sector companies, with Halo Leisure, Unity Trust Bank, Sandwell Community Caring Trust, Citizen Enterprises, West Midlands Chambers of Commerce, Concept Conferences Centre,  Rubus Services and Q3 Academy all agreeing to be founder members.