social enterprise: July 2008 Archives

A representative group of social enterprise ambassadors wrote into the Guardian the other week, to respond to a government committee's findings that the third sector's added value for public services was difficult to see currently ("The assumption that charities and social enterprises will provide distinctive services is far from proven" etc). The full text of the letter can be read here, and includes the following:

"For those of us at the frontline, it is already clear that commissioners are voting with their feet. Ultimately, social enterprises offer more for their money. This is no soft or woolly promise"

before giving examples (Sunlight Development Trust, Novas Scarman), and ending with:

"Maybe the Commons public administration select committee should wake up and smell the fair-trade coffee?"

Quite, and the ambassadors' credibility (and good evaluative data) lends strength to their case here.

Meanwhile, in broadcast news, Ambassador Matt Kepple appeared on Dragon's Den on BBC2 this week, pitching for an idea related to a graduates social networking project. Very edited highlights only, unfortunately, but Matt looked cool under pressure, if disappointed at not getting the investment he wanted.