The Social Enterprise Coalition has unveiled its new visual identity and has started trading under its new name, Social Enterprise UK.
The organisation changed its name and identity to better reflect its role as the national body for social enterprise and better represent the UK’s social enterprise movement. The team, based in London’s Old Street, worked with creative brand agency Spencer Dubois to create the new brand, which will be gradually rolled out over the summer, starting with the release of Fightback Britain – a report on the largest analysis of the UK’s social enterprise sector.
The identity will come to life on Social Enterprise UK’s forthcoming new website, and will be used in the design creative for an awareness campaign launching in the Autumn that will encourage the nation to ‘choose social enterprise’.
Peter Holbrook, Chief Executive of Social Enterprise UK, said of the relaunch:
“We’re delighted with the new look and feel. Putting real people and our members at the centre of our logo was an idea that really captured our enthusiasm and we haven’t seen anyone do it before. We want the new brand to attract like-minded people and organisations to us.”
On the same day, Social Enterprise UK released research that uncovered an emerging generation of businesses that are both starting up and operating in Britain’s most deprived communities. 39% of all social enterprises are based and working in the most deprived communities in the UK, compared to 13% of all SMEs. A third of all social enterprise start-ups have originated in the UK's poorest areas .
Across Britain, 1 in 7 of all social enterprises is a start-up, more than three times the proportion of start-ups in mainstream small businesses (14% compared to 4%). London is home to an even greater number, where 1 in 5 social enterprises is a start-up. There are an estimated 62,000 social enterprises in the UK.
The findings are detailed in Fightback Britain, a report based on the largest analysis of the social enterprise sector in the UK, supported by the Co-operative Bank. It reveals that social enterprises, which exist to benefit society and reinvest their profits, are twice as likely as mainstream businesses to have reported growth in the last year. They are also more likely to be led by women, young people, and those from minority ethnic groups.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said:
"It is hugely encouraging to see so many social enterprises starting and expanding, and creating jobs in local communities. My department is working with the Office for Civil Society to establish how government can continue to support social enterprise and remove barriers to their growth."
Whilst Holbrook said:
“We are very excited by what the research has uncovered – a thriving social enterprise community in Britain that is outperforming mainstream business. The findings show that it is social enterprises, not private sector businesses that are starting up in Britain’s deprived communities, boosting local economies and creating jobs whilst remedying the country’s social and environmental problems."
Click here to read the report . Printed copies to order.