A QUIET BUSINESS REVOLUTIONSocial Enterprise in Hastings and Rother

1. In these days of recession and job losses a quiet but encouraging business revolution is happening in Bexhill.  In a redundant garage in London Road Bexhill a thriving Social Enterprise Business Centre has been set up, which has already lead to new jobs created and advertised locally.
2. Social Enterprises are real businesses that aim to make a profit but feed any surpluses back into the community in support of social and environmental well being. Many social enterprises are set up in response to a need in a community, or to fill a gap in services not traditionally provided by main stream businesses or just to provide local services which don’t exist. In the United Kingdom there are an estimated 55000 social enterprises with a combined annual turnover of £27 billion pounds. Locally due to the underdeveloped nature of the sector’s awareness and recognition, it is not possible to estimate the number of social enterprises as many organisations although trading as a social enterprises do not recognise themselves in this light.
3. Rother Voluntary Action  has been working intensively helping to develop the sector in Hastings and Rother for the last four years as part of its remit to help communities to help themselves, a tradition that goes back much longer as it has been recognised that creating opportunities is the best way for people to help themselves. A good example has been the expansion of the Hastings Furniture Service
4. As a well established Social Enterprise that was set up many years ago to fill a service gap, The Hastings Furniture Service saw a business opportunity to expand its service into Bexhill when the garage in London Road became vacant. With the help of Rother District Council and Rother Voluntary Action (RVA) the old garage site has been purchased and a thriving recycled furniture business has been established. Chief Executive Naomi Ridley said ‘although we are a registered charity we operate on a clear business model in that we are always looking to expand and grow the business. The garage site presented a sound business opportunity to have a base in Bexhill and to expand the business where there was a need’. Further HFS has decided to share the site with other social enterprises to form the Social Enterprise Centre.
5. The Hastings and Bexhill Wood Recycling Business is the second social enterprise to locate in the centre. Its hand made products are constructed from wood which would have ended up as land fill are made by people retraining and learning new skills. Director Mark Storr Hoggins said ‘the opportunity to become part of the social enterprise centre in Bexhill is exciting as it gives us a further base from which to display our products and also to advertise our wider recycling services. As a social enterprise our products and services need to be competitive with ordinary business suppliers and there the economies of scale in working with other like minded businesses.
6. Recently, start up funding has been put in place to commence a brand new business in selling and recycling disability aids and stair lifts. This new business will start shortly in the Enterprise Centre.
7. In less than 4 months three new businesses have been created with much needed new jobs on offer. Clive Mills Social Enterprise Development Officer for RVA said ‘social enterprise is a great way of supplying customers with much needed goods and services in a way which benefits not only customers but also employees and the community at large. We are now beginning to see more and more social enterprises starting in the Bexhill and Rother area.’
8. At recent National Conference held in Birmingham it was confirmed by all shades of the political spectrum that the business model as displayed by Social Enterprises is here to stay and is quite possibly part of the solution to the way out of recession in helping to replace the more discredited parts of capitalism and banking with a more ethical, socially and environmentally approach to business.  All sides of the political spectrum recognise social enterprise as a valuable part of the economy.
9. David Cameron Leader of the Conservative Party said ‘ if we want to make capitalism a success again, we need to make it popular again. We need the spirit that drives each social enterprise… not just to create wealth but to do good at the same time - to extend across our whole economy’.  Prime Minister Gordon Brown said when launching the government’s social enterprise strategy last November ‘In my view, social enterprise is the new British business success story, forging a new frontier of enterprise - a quiet revolution involving 55,000 social enterprises in our country from the smallest community groups to larger businesses."
10. East Sussex has been relatively slow to pick up this despite excellent work carried out by organisations like the Hastings Furniture Service and what is needed is tangible support from local authorities and statutory agencies to support local enterprises of all kinds and especially those working with marginalised people, long term unemployed or those needing a helping hand. Locally both Rother District Council (RDC) and the Rother Local Strategic Partnership have recognised the issue and provided tangible support, with other agencies a little slower to pick up on the benefits of social enterprise. I In Bexhill Rother District Council is regenerating the old Sidley Goods Yard, providing affordable business start up units, which will be away to create new jobs and enhance skills. This being said, the full potential of social enterprise has only scratched the surface locally and what is urgently required is sustained investment, help and advice to help social enterprises and entrepreneurs get their ideas off the ground. The new Social Enterprise Centre is good example of what can happen when they do.
11. For more details of how to be supported in setting up or developing a Social Enterprise contact Clive Mills at clive.mills@rothervoluntaryaction.org.uk or phone 07809525828