Social Firms UK WISEs up
At an EGM yesterday, members of Social Firms UK passed a special resolution that enables the national support agency to represent all employability-focused social enterprises across the UK, including Social Firms. In European speak, these social enterprises are termed ‘WISEs’ (Work Integration Social Enterprises) and, recognising that there is not significant awareness of this terminology, Social Firms UK will also refer to them as ‘employability-focused social enterprises’ which explains more succinctly what they are. All Full Members already fall into this category and many Associate Members are more broadly engaged with work integration activities of disadvantaged people (their activities might include intermediate labour market, vocational training, job placement, volunteering and, in the case of Social Firms, job creation). This strategic shift means that they and many other employability-focused social enterprises around the UK not currently in membership will now directly benefit from the concerted efforts of Social Firms UK.
New members will enjoy a whole raft of benefits; including help and advice on becoming/running a WISE or Social Firm, access to a significant range of contacts and network members with expertise, reduced delegate fees at the Social Firms UK national conference (and other events held through the year), free DIY Feasibility Toolkit, free Performance Dashboard, reduced rates for other useful toolkits, templates and resources and regular news updates on the sector. On top of all that, as Social Firms UK has an ethical purchasing policy, there is a direct financial benefit – in Q3 of this year, 65% of our non-pay spend was placed within the third sector.