Monday 19 April 2010
Wednesday 14 April 2010
What does being a Social Entreprenuer mean to you? Interview with Schools Plus CEO
What does being a Social Entrepreneur mean to you?
6 years ago, whilst sitting at “his boring desk, on a boring day, in a boring job”, James Woods was contemplating how private enterprises could benefit schools. A lot of hard work and three loans from London Rebuilding Society down the line, his company ‘Schools Plus’, is now a nationwide operation. The idea is simple; Schools Plus manages and lets school premises to the local community during evenings, weekends and holidays. The local community is provided with cheap and accessible facilities and the school is gains extra income. As the Times Educational Supplement says ‘Everyone’s a winner”.
London Rebuilding Society likes to keep up to date with our borrowers. We wanted to know what being social entrepreneur meant to James.
Does social entrepreneurship require any specific skills?
Same as for entrepreneurship: integrity, commitment, reliability, people skills.
What are the greatest challenges when setting a social or ethical enterprise as opposed to a regular business?
I believe in what I do, and so do the people who honour me by carrying my brand. This is many ways has made it a bit easier - or should I say fractionally less difficult - to set up this business. If you believe in what you do, it shines out of you, and encourages people to work with you, either as customers, suppliers, staff, or in some other capacity.
There’s much talk about social enterprise going ‘mainstream’, that is, being accepted as an element of the private sector. As a social entrepreneur, do you consider what you do to be distinct from private enterprise?
No! I think that most businesses are social enterprises. They create jobs and they provide something of value to the communities they serve. I include supermarkets, clothes manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and banks. If your product is basically good for people; and you do business in an ethical way, then I think you are a "social" enterprise. Rather, the emphasis should be on restricting the small minority of businesses which are not social - e.g. they create a noxious product like cigarettes; or they abuse some of their stakeholders.
Do you think that social enterprise offers an alternative model of doing business or can at best supplement traditional for profit trading activities?
I hope that we are moving towards an environment where social enterprise is the only legitimate way of doing business. I believe that all business should be transacted ethically; I believe that everyone should be confident that the end goal of their business is something that benefits the human condition; I believe that all stakeholders should be treated correctly. Any business that fails to meet these standards is barely tolerable.
What single policy change would be greatest benefit to the social enterprise sector?
A wholesale commitment by government to contract intelligently with numerous businesses to deliver services. We live in an immensely privileged time, when we all benefit from the provision of education, healthcare and other services to us. This is great. But the delivery mechanisms still fall short of where they could be. This is an ideal space for social enterprise to engage by coming up with innovate solutions, that provide a better service at a lower cost (both financial and environmental).
Schools Plus has recently become involved with the Charity ‘Crisis’. With the blessing of the head teacher and the local council Islington Arts and Media School opened up their doors to the homeless during the Christmas period.
The school was opened from 6.00am till 10pm providing hot meals and warmth to 180 customers who were looked after by a band of volunteers. The school classrooms were converted in to medical and dental clinics, hairdressing salons, workshop spaces and advice centres. A cinema was available and the school’s sports hall used on a daily basis. The school children had left a wall of welcome letters and the customers responded by leaving a thank you board of letters and pictures. Crisis was so pleased that they are working with School Plus to find additional sites for future programmes.
To find out more about Schools Plus or their Crisis project visit their website www.schools-plus.org/
6 years ago, whilst sitting at “his boring desk, on a boring day, in a boring job”, James Woods was contemplating how private enterprises could benefit schools. A lot of hard work and three loans from London Rebuilding Society down the line, his company ‘Schools Plus’, is now a nationwide operation. The idea is simple; Schools Plus manages and lets school premises to the local community during evenings, weekends and holidays. The local community is provided with cheap and accessible facilities and the school is gains extra income. As the Times Educational Supplement says ‘Everyone’s a winner”.
London Rebuilding Society likes to keep up to date with our borrowers. We wanted to know what being social entrepreneur meant to James.
Does social entrepreneurship require any specific skills?
Same as for entrepreneurship: integrity, commitment, reliability, people skills.
What are the greatest challenges when setting a social or ethical enterprise as opposed to a regular business?
I believe in what I do, and so do the people who honour me by carrying my brand. This is many ways has made it a bit easier - or should I say fractionally less difficult - to set up this business. If you believe in what you do, it shines out of you, and encourages people to work with you, either as customers, suppliers, staff, or in some other capacity.
There’s much talk about social enterprise going ‘mainstream’, that is, being accepted as an element of the private sector. As a social entrepreneur, do you consider what you do to be distinct from private enterprise?
No! I think that most businesses are social enterprises. They create jobs and they provide something of value to the communities they serve. I include supermarkets, clothes manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and banks. If your product is basically good for people; and you do business in an ethical way, then I think you are a "social" enterprise. Rather, the emphasis should be on restricting the small minority of businesses which are not social - e.g. they create a noxious product like cigarettes; or they abuse some of their stakeholders.
Do you think that social enterprise offers an alternative model of doing business or can at best supplement traditional for profit trading activities?
I hope that we are moving towards an environment where social enterprise is the only legitimate way of doing business. I believe that all business should be transacted ethically; I believe that everyone should be confident that the end goal of their business is something that benefits the human condition; I believe that all stakeholders should be treated correctly. Any business that fails to meet these standards is barely tolerable.
What single policy change would be greatest benefit to the social enterprise sector?
A wholesale commitment by government to contract intelligently with numerous businesses to deliver services. We live in an immensely privileged time, when we all benefit from the provision of education, healthcare and other services to us. This is great. But the delivery mechanisms still fall short of where they could be. This is an ideal space for social enterprise to engage by coming up with innovate solutions, that provide a better service at a lower cost (both financial and environmental).
Schools Plus has recently become involved with the Charity ‘Crisis’. With the blessing of the head teacher and the local council Islington Arts and Media School opened up their doors to the homeless during the Christmas period.
The school was opened from 6.00am till 10pm providing hot meals and warmth to 180 customers who were looked after by a band of volunteers. The school classrooms were converted in to medical and dental clinics, hairdressing salons, workshop spaces and advice centres. A cinema was available and the school’s sports hall used on a daily basis. The school children had left a wall of welcome letters and the customers responded by leaving a thank you board of letters and pictures. Crisis was so pleased that they are working with School Plus to find additional sites for future programmes.
To find out more about Schools Plus or their Crisis project visit their website www.schools-plus.org/
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