[Menai-LUG] [Northwales] Social Enterprise

[Kevin Donnelly]

On Wednesday 11 March 2009 23:00, Oli wrote:
> A totally honest question - why is this a third sector enterprise
> rather than a proper for profit project?

The "third sector" has a variety of flavours, which the first and second 
sectors (private and public) have had an unholy alliance for many years in 
covering up, for their own vested interests.  It runs from small charities or 
community groups, through larger trading fund-type groups, to first-sector 
type businesses in all but name, with a wider remit than purely monetary 
bottom line (social enterprises) - most co-ops and credit unions would come 
in here, and I would even count The Co-op and perhaps John Lewis and similar 
groups as third sector rather than first sector.  We are encouraged to think 
of the third sector as the "voluntary sector" (Mrs Jones in the Oxfam shop), 
because it suits larger PLCs and local and central government not to have too 
many questions asked about their own business models.  I think after the 
recent economic fiasco that there will be a recalibration towards more 
attention to the social and environmental impacts of the greed-based, 
scratch-my-back model ... :-)

-- 
Pob hwyl / Best wishes

Kevin Donnelly

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