Social Firms UK is well connected, nationally and internationally, with other relevant and like-minded organisations/networks. Below are the organisations we are currently members of:
Social Firms Europe CEFEC (www.socialfirmseurope.org)
Social Firms Europe CEFEC is the only Europe-wide network of Social Firms. It has members from more than 15 member states and holds an annual conference which facilitates networking and learning opportunities for Social Firms. In 2010 this conference will be combined with the Social Firms UK annual national conference, offering a truly international event. Sally Reynolds, CEO of Social Firms UK, is currently Secretary General of Social Firms Europe CEFEC and the Secretariat for the network is operated from within her staff team.
ENSIE - European Network of Social Integration Enterprises (www.ensie.org)
Social Firms UK is on the steering group of ENSIE and feeds into policy work at an EU level to do with employment issues.
SEC - Social Enterprise Coalition (www.socialenterprise.org.uk)
The national Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC) is the umbrella body for all of social enterprise in the UK. Social Firms UK was a founder member of the Coalition in 2002 and, until recently, Sally Reynolds was on the board; she is now on the Council instead following a restructure at board level and reduction from 29 board members to just 12. Social Firms UK liaises and co-operates almost constantly with SEC staff, in order to ensure that the Social Firms voice is not lost in the vast agenda that is social enterprise. In the spirit of joint working, all Social Firms UK members can access membership benefits of SEC (e.g. member rates at events), but are not counted as voting members.
DTA - Development Trusts Association (www.dta.org.uk)
The DTA is the leading network of community enterprise practitioners dedicated to helping people set up development trusts and helping existing development trusts learn from each other and work effectively. It is the equivalent support body for development trusts at a national level, as Social Firms UK is for Social Firms around the country, and the organisations share and support each others' ventures and endeavours to develop their members particular types of social enterprise.
Co-operatives UK (www.cooperatives-uk.coop)
Co-operatives UK is the equivalent of Social Firms UK for the co-operative sector within social enterprise. Several members of Social Firms UK are also co-operatives, and the organisations link together strategically at a national level to share learning and expertise.
BASE - British Association of Supported Employment (www.base-uk.org)
BASE is a membership organisation for supported employment agencies, as well as supported businesses, around the country. As supported employment operates in synergy with the Social Firm model, we feel it's important to stay abreast of developments in that field and several of our members are also members of BASE due to operating either supported employment agencies or supported businesses.
In addition to the organisations of which Social Firms UK is a member, Sally Reynolds as CEO is also member of the following:
- RSA (Royal Society of encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce)
- IoD (Institute of Directors)
- ACEVO (Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations)
- BAP (British American Project)
ClearlySo (www.clearlyso.com)
Social Firms UK is a Full Member of ClearlySo, and has facilitated membership also for all of its London-based Social Firm members until March 2011 as part of its London Capacitybuilders ‘Working Together’ network. ClearlySo is an online marketplace and business hub exclusively for social business and enterprise, commerce and investment. It is a unique environment where members can engage investors, professional service vendors, customers and each other to do better business, more easily.
