Social Firms UK

Social Firms UK called for a range of actions to help existing Social Firms to survive the recession; to help new Social Firms start up and remain sustainable; and to help the Social Firms sector scale up.

Social Firms UK strongly supports the Report’s recommendation for greater partnership between the public, private and third sectors. There is great scope for social value to be added to commercial relationships when Social Firms supply goods and services to the public and private sectors and when there is an exchange of expertise between the sectors.

Social Firms UK welcomed the Government’s proposals for a Social Investment Wholesale Bank that could support investors and lenders with a social purpose. There is clearly a need for a wholesaler to support the long-term growth of the third sector by working with investors and lenders at the “retail” level, and its mission should make this focus clear. We do not agree with the proposal that the Bank might carry out advice services, because this would just duplicate or displace existing services.

Social Firms UK welcomed the Government’s proposals for a Social Investment Wholesale Bank that could support investors and lenders with a social purpose. There is clearly a need for a wholesaler to support the long-term growth of the third sector by working with investors and lenders at the “retail” level, and its mission should make this focus clear. We do not agree with the proposal that the Bank might carry out advice services, because this would just duplicate or displace existing services.

Presentation from the  2008 Social Firms UK annual conference.