Today is Social Enterprise Day, and we’re proud to support the growth of Social Enterprises across Greater Manchester.
Social enterprises are businesses that trade for a social or environmental purpose. They look to make a profit, but it is what they do with that profit that sets them apart: re-investing the majority to further vital, social missions.
Together with Bolton CVS, Sector 3, Upturn and Wigan and Leigh Community Charity, we host the Proper Good programme to provide free-to-access business support, networking, training, investment-readiness support and social investment to help social businesses establish and grow. We deliver the Enterprising Communities Fund across Greater Manchester in a unique partnership with the Greater Manchester Credit Union Consortium, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Access – The Foundation for Social Investment and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to deliver local investment with real impact.
Our social enterprises, St Thomas Centre, is an accessible, unique conference and meeting venue offering exceptional customer service, that reinvests profits into GMCVO.
As part of the social enterprise community, we like to ‘buy social’ and support others in the sector, so we encourage you to do the same. With the festive season approaching, why not get presents with purpose from Social Enterprise UK’s Gift Guide and eBay shop?
To mark Social Enterprise Day this year, with funding from GMCA, we hosted the GM Social Enterprise Summit 2024. We are also hosting a 'what's on guide' on our website to share other events happening across the region to mark the day.
New research from Social Enterprise UK shows the difference we make, not just in local communities but around the country, often despite complex challenges. Given the crisis in our economy, not to mention our environment and wider society, social enterprise is needed now more than ever – so we’re proud to be part of the movement at such a critical time.
