What is Social Enterprise?

Social Enterprises are businesses that trade and use the wealth they create for social benefit.

They can be community businesses, co-operatives, the trading arms of charities, credit unions, social firms or larger social businesses and are often found in health, care, environmental, childcare and other employment-creation sectors.

Social Enterprises can be started by individuals, groups or even entire communities but the important thing is that while they trade, the wealth they create and the profits they make must be used to benefit the community in some way; they are ‘not for profit’ businesses.