The basic idea behind social enterprise is quite simple:

A social enterprise is a business, which often focuses on community benefit as well as the bottom line.

The important factor is that profits are reinvested into the business or for the benefit of the community. Social enterprises can help to improve local communities.

Lewes Farmers Market is organised through the Common Cause Co-operative, a co-operative which promotes environmentally sustainable development including farmers markets and supporting local food links.It takes place one morning a month with about 30 – 40 stalls depending upon the time of year. Producers have to sell produce from Sussex and use as much local primary ingredients if they are secondary producers, for example of pies or jams...

Netherfield and Mountfield Pre School was set up in 2003 in response to a need identified by parents within the toddler group for a group that children could move on to before starting school...

Village shops are one example of how a social enterprise can meet a need within a community, and contribute to its continuing vitality. Here are two examples in East Sussex, Laughton and Etchingham. Others include the Winchelsea Little shop association and Iden shop...