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se2 partnership - social enterprise south east

London 2012

Opportunities for social enterprise

Synergies between social enterprise and London 2012

The South East Partnership, which is the group leading  the Regional Consortium for 2012 in the South East, has published the South East offer for London 2012. This publication is called Compete, Create, Collaborate.

The aims of the South East offer are to leave a lasting legacy either economical, social or environmental. Delivering even some of the activities via a ‘triple bottom line’ social enterprise approach has the potential to combine all three and leave a legacy of sustainable community based business.

What can social enterprise contribute?

  • Many social enterprises already aspire to a ‘triple bottom line’ (financial, social and environmental). There are several who are in the environment business and well placed to deliver on environmental technology.
  • Similarly there are several businesses that offer positive employment and opportunities for disabled people and who would make natural delivery partners for the Paralympic games.
  • Social Enterprises contribute to the creation of healthy, active and diverse communities: addressing pockets of deprivation, unemployment and low achievement through entrepreneurship
  • Social Enterprise is a great vehicle for bringing people into the employment market through on the job training and enterprise inspiration. London 2012 is a great opportunity to do this in areas such as tourism and sustainable construction, cultural, sports and leisure industries.

The Culture and Communities sub-group of SEP have put forward a programme for young people called Create, Compete, Collaborate - We should also invite social entrepreneurs to do the same; positively engaging competition (social enterprises trade in the market), creativity (social enterprises are innovative) and collaboration (social enterprises are about partnership work and mutuality).

Next steps

SEL and SEC (the national ‘umbrella’) are leading on a programme called Social Enterprise: winning with 2012 to support social enterprises to take advantage of tendering opportunities. Visit www.sel.org.uk/2012.

The se2partnership will shortly be hosting an event in the South East which will aim to inspire and inform social enterprises who may have suitable offers. Contact Dave Alquist at dave@se2partnership.org.uk for details.

More information

Read the London 2012 pages on SECO

Read about the Cultural Olympiad and the Be Inspired! campaign

Read  About Social Enterprise: Winning with 2012 and its April 08 update