The benefits of social enterprise

I went to a very interesting discussion about the future of social enterprise, arranged by the Young Foundation. I am ever optimistic, and would like to see social enterprise as the foundation for all business in the future. Let’s face it, corporate social responsibility is merely public relations for most companies and unbridled capitalism will destroy our planet, so we have to think of new ways of running the economy.

Social enterprise is business for people. Our social enterprise inside a prison was an attempt to extend the civil rights of employment to the only people in this country who are outside the law – prisoners. It seems to me to be bizarre for the government to claim that it wants to teach people who have committed crimes that they must obey the law and then for the Prison Service to flout it. You show people how to behave well by behaving well.

We are about to publish an independent evaluation of the social enterprise and it is strong stuff.