Social Firms UK

 This highly dynamic small charity (see www.socialfirmsuk.co.uk) and respected umbrella support organisation for Social Firms and Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs) across the UK needs a new Chief Executive.

Positive and strategic thinkers required in this ever challenging environment. Social Firms and Work Integration Social Enterprises are rooted in the rapidly growing social enterprise sector and as one of the national support agencies we have a huge and vital job to do.

Apply if you’ve got the right attitude, skills and the flair of an entrepreneur and a leader and if you believe in the principle that everyone should have the opportunity to be employed, irrespective of their disability or disadvantage.

Social Firms UK is an equal opportunities employer and particularly welcomes applications from individuals from under-represented groups.

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.

 Social enterprises are outperforming the rest of the UK economy in terms of growth, according to the RBS SE1001 Index unveiled at an event in London this week.

According to the index, which was set up to track the performance of the sector in the UK, the top 100 social enterprises in the index grew on average by 91% (compared to 79% last year).

Meanwhile, the total combined revenue of the top 100 enterprises on the index grew by 51% and the revenue growth of all those on the index who submitted figures was 14%. This compares well with revenue growth of the FTSE 100 in 20103, which was around 5%. It also compares well against the fastest recorded growth period of UK SMEs4 (in 2006) when their revenue growth was 8.4%.

This year a total of 409 social enterprises entered the RBS SE100 Index and 18 organisations were shortlisted across three awards.

Social Enterprise Manager at Pluss Guy Eatherington is gearing up to cycle the length of Britain in support of the Big Society, and he is hoping to recruit the Prime Minister to lend his support along the way.

Guy’s ambition, when he sets off from John O`Groats on July 29th, will be to cycle 125 miles a day, completing his solo marathon ride all the way to Lands End, weather permitting, in 8 days. But before the big day comes the big practice, and the opportunity this week to drop off a personal invite for the Prime Minister….

Not content with regular training rides of up to 200 miles with other members of his local Cycle Touring Club, 40 year old Guy will be attending a professional conference in Blackpool this week – only to then cycle 303 miles all the way back home to Devon.