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Social enterprises thrive in tough economic times

New research reveals that social enterprises are bucking all the trends, with over half having increased their annual turnover since the start of the recession.

The research, from the Social Enterprise Coalition survey was published today to celebrate Social Enterprise Day. It also reveals that there are more women leaders of social enterprises than any other sector.

Angela Smith, Minister for the Third Sector, said: “ am delighted that Social Enterprises are thriving even in these tough economic times and Social Enterprise Day is a great way of celebrating their success.

“Social enterprises have a key role in society, they contribute to the economy like any other business while at the same time bringing together and empowering communities. We have invested well over £100 million in promoting social enterprise, developing the skills of social entrepreneurs, and supporting social enterprises to access appropriate investment.”

While the social enterprise sector is growing, the government feels that there is still a lack of awareness around what a social enterprise is and how they operate.

Angela Smith said: “ am particularly pleased that we are supporting the sector to create a ‘Social Enterprise Identifier’ and I am very much looking forward to the launch early in the New Year. The identifier will enable social enterprises to market themselves better to customers and investors.“

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .