Social Firms UK

 Executive Summary

This report presents research conducted with London South Bank University to evidence the social impact being created by RNIB and Action for Blind People's two social firms, Concept Conferencing Centre and Viewpoint. These are social enterprises that provide employment and training opportunities to blind and partially sighted people.

The research methodology involved interviewing ten current and past employees and trainees at both organisations to gather evidence of how employment had changed their lives. In addition five interviews were held with the social firm managers and commercial clients, and a short questionnaire with three of the employees' families.

The ‘vital role’ of Social Firms UK

Government cuts and more jobs under threat? Social Firms UK has a history of rising to the challenge.

A recent review by the New Economics Foundation (nef) said the work tells “a remarkable story” of how Social Firms UK is able to maintain a strategic view of how it wants to create change in the world whilst constantly striving to meet its members’ needs.

Social Firms UK’s vision is that everyone has the opportunity to be employed and its main purpose is to support meaningful job creation in market-led social enterprises for people that most employers won’t even consider taking on. The review concluded that since many Social Firms are small and do business locally there is a need for an umbrella body like Social Firms UK to bring them together to represent a unified voice that is able to make a ‘noise’ on a national scale.