Welcome

Welcome from Baroness Glenys Thornton

Thank you for interest in the position of Chair of the Social Enterprise Coalition.

I have been chair for the first five exciting years of the Coalition's life and it has been an honour and a source of great inspiration to work with the people and social businesses that we seek to champion.
SEC is leading a quiet revolution – as Gordon Brown put it last year "a new frontier for British business". We are at the heart of a world movement of that is based on a passion for using business to bring about progressive social and environmental change.

I have a firmly held belief that it is healthy for organisations to have a change in their leadership from time to time. And I am even more certain that the "founders" of organisations should not hang around too long once the organisation is up and running. The Social Enterprise Coalition is in fantastic shape, it is hugely influential and will continue to grow and develop. The next stage of development I believe will benefit from fresh eyes and a new input of energy. SEC will have my continuing support.
The Board and Jonathan Bland and the staff of the Coalition are remarkable, and the Coalition's success is testament to their commitment and hard work. They are my friends and colleagues, and I hope will continue to be so.

I am immensely proud of what has been achieved in these first five years, and have really enjoyed being the chair of the Coalition. I am completely confident that the Coalition will continue to go from strength to strength.
I invite you to explore this special website and to consider whether you could be SEC's new Chair.

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Who are we

The Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC) is the UK's national body for social enterprise.

SEC provides a national platform for showcasing the benefits of social enterprise. We share best practice and influence policy in order to create an enabling environment for social enterprise. SEC is committed to representing the whole of the social enterprise movement, working with organisations to ensure they learn from and support each other.

SEC engages at the highest levels to promote social enterprise. In just 5 years SEC has established itself as an authoritative voice working with a range of institutions and at all levels of government to help the movement grow and develop, and has a track record for publishing high quality policy documents, training materials and organising seminars and conferences.

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What is Social Enterprise

Social enterprises are businesses with primarily social or environmental objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders. Their entrepreneurial drive means they are able to provide innovative solutions to social problems.

Social enterprises can take many forms, and pursue a wide range of social and environments aims, often to benefit particular communities of interest or geographical areas. Social enterprises generate more than 50% of their income from trading, or at least 25% for start-ups, and reinvest the majority of their profits to further their social aims.

According to government statistics, there are at least 55,000 social enterprises in the UK with a combined turnover of £27billion per year. Social enterprises account for 5% of all businesses with employees, and contribute £8.4billion per year to the UK economy.

Some well know examples of social enterprise include:

• Fifteen The well known restaurant run by Jamie Oliver that offers opportunities to disadvantaged young people offering them a chance to work and develop their skills.
  
  
• Bulky Bobs: Part of the FRC group, they carry out bulky waste removal and then recycle the items collected. They also hire long-term unemployed and socially excluded people. Bulky Bobs was named as one of the top 50 places to work in the 2007 Annual Financial Times "Great Places to Work" survey.
  
  
• ECT: Ealing Community Transport originally provided a transport services in West London. They have grown and now offer amongst others recycling, engineering and healthcare services. ECT, which works in partnership with a host of other organisations including 16 local authorities, other community organisations and regeneration bodies, provides services in London, the South West and the West Midlands and employs over 1,100 members of staff.
  
  
• Phone Co-op:In the 10 years since it first started, the Phone Co-op has become one of the UK's top investors in the community. The services they provide were recently rated as a 'Best Buy' for both line rental and internet services by Ethical Consumer - the foremost independent ethical research organisation on consumer issues.
  
  
• Sunderland Home Care Associates: Provide high quality care services, and create job opportunities in an area of high unemployment. They were the Enterprising Solutions Awards overall winners in 2006.

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What people say about Social Enterprise and SEC

Gordon Brown, Prime Minister

"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."



David Cameron, Leader of the Conservative Party

"It's not just about helping to tackle social problems at the community level; it's about mainstream businesses delivering public services with a distinctive focus on quality, serving the community, and employee pride. Social enterprises are not just creating social good, but creating jobs and opportunity."



Ed Miliband, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

"The Chair and Chief Executive of the Social Enterprise Coalition are a driving force behind the growing social enterprise movement. The role of chair is one that recognises the importance of campaigning to raise the profile of social enterprise as well as strong infrastructure to support the work of the sector".



Tim Smith, CEO, Eden project

"I think social enterprise is the model for the future organising of our collective state assets."



Campbell Robb, Director General, Office of the Third Sector

"The Social Enterprise Coalition is a highly valued partner of the Office of the Third Sector, providing a coherent voice for the rich diversity of social enterprises across the UK. In seeking to fill this essential and high profile role, I'm confident the organisation will attract excellent candidates that can lead it through an exciting new phase of its development."



Patrick Butler, The Guardian

"The guest list [at the annual social enterprise conference] was a sign that social enterprise has arrived."



Oliver Letwin, Chairman of the Conservative Party Policy Review

"As we see it, social enterprise has a colossal role to play in a government agenda that is dominated by social responsibility. It's central - not peripheral - to the social economy, to the public services and to our whole programme of government."

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The History of the SEC

SEC emerged from discussions across a group of social enterprises and their support networks during the year 2000. There was a real frustration that Government wasn't doing enough to support the growth of social enterprise in the UK and that individual social enterprises across the country were having to "reinvent the wheel" in their efforts to start up and grow.

In January 2001 Baroness Glenys Thornton convened a meeting at the House of Lords of potential members including the Big Issue, Furniture Resource Centre and the Co-operative Group, Social Enterprise London, The Development Trust Association, Social Firms UK, Co-operatives UK, Community Action Network, the new economics foundation and Natwest Bank. Later that year a charter for social enterprise was jointly launched at the conference 'Social Enterprise, Social Economy: Moving Forward' which called on social enterprises to join together and establish a national voice and on Government to develop a more coherent approach to this way of doing business.

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Key dates and achievements

2000 – 2001

• Social enterprises and their networks discuss establishing a national voice
  
  
• Baroness Glenys Thornton hosts an initial meeting of founding members
  
  
• A national charter for social enterprise calls for the creation of a national voice

• The Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC) is legally constituted as a Company Limited by Guarantee
  
  
• The All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Enterprise is established
  
  
• SEC website is launched
  
  
• Jonathan Bland is appointed as SEC's first Chief Executive and a staff team is recruited
  
  
• SEC consults on how the Community Interest Company should be established

• SEC takes on the Enterprising Solutions Award, the national awards for social enterprise
  
  
• SEC holds the first national conference for social enterprise, Voice, which sells out with 800 delegates and is addressed by three government ministers
  
  
• SEC launches a manifesto for social enterprise
  
  
• Social enterprise appears in both the Labour and Liberal Democrat election manifestos
  
  
• SEC helps to create and promote 'Social Enterprise Day' as part of 'Enterprise Week'

• SEC organizes a social enterprise tour for David Cameron MP and the Conservative Shadow Cabinet
  
  
• Voice06 sells out for a second time and is opened by former Prime Minister, Tony Blair
  
  
• Successful lobbying ensures social enterprise is included in the Health White Paper
  
  
• A social enterprise unit is established at the Department of Health
  
  
• SEC mounts a major campaign promoting social enterprise as a business model
  
  
• SEC coordinates input into the HM Treasury 'Third Sector Review' and into a new social enterprise action plan with the Cabinet Office
  
  
• 300 people attend the Enterprising Solutions Awards
  
  
• The former Prime Minister hosts a social enterprise roundtable discussion
  
  
• Gordon Brown MP hails social enterprise as the "new frontier for British business"
  
  
• Voice07 features the competition "New Ideas New Business" and sells out for a third time
  
  
• Ivan Lewis MP announces the creation of a £73m investment fund to support social enterprise in the health and social care sector

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Moving Forward

SEC is now poised to move forward to a new phase of development in its leadership role for the UK social enterprise movement. Over the next year SEC will focus on working with its members to define the next big ideas for social enterprise and to raise the profile of social enterprise as a mainstream way of doing business.

The Coalition will continue to build on its own enterprise activity, building on the high profile Voice conference (due to take place in Liverpool in February 08) and the Enterprising Solutions Award and is currently developing a range of new member services.

Significant additional resources have been secured from the Government's Office of the Third Sector under its strategic partners programme to boost SEC's capacity to work on policy, and research team has been created to shape a national research programme on social enterprise and to undertake regular state of national survey on social enterprise. New OTS resources will also facilitate work on social enterprise with Black and Minority Ethnic Communities to work to raise the profile of social enterprise. In addition SEC has recently won a contract to run the Social Enterprise Ambassador's Programme. This is high profile three year communications project to encourage people to consider social enterprise as a career option.

On the appointment of the new Chair work will begin on a new strategic plan, a review of SEC's Governance and will take the steps to move social enterprise to a new level of success.

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The Membership

SEC has four categories of members: national umbrella bodies of social enterprise, special networks for the English regions and devolved nationals, national social enterprises and partners who have an interest in the growth of social enterprises. Each category of membership is represented on SECs Board. Through its membership SEC brings together over 240 members, 46 member networks, bringing together over 10,000 social enterprises.

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Governance

The Board

SEC's full board meets on a quarterly basis. It sets the strategy for the organisations, and approves annual work plans and budgets. It receives quarterly financial and progress reports

Board members

Chair: Baroness Glenys Thornton

Vice-Chair: Steve Wyler, DTA (Development Trusts Association)

Adele Blakebrough, Community Action Network
John Goodman, Co-operatives UK
Nigel Kershaw, The Big Issue
Mark Powell, Social Enterprise Yorkshire and Humber
Evan Rees, Social Enterprise East Midlands
Sally Reynolds, Social Firms UK
Lisa Sanfilippo, New Economics Foundation
Mark Sesnan, SpoRTA (Sports and Recreation Trusts Association)
Mal Williams, Cylch (Wales Community Recycling Network)
Emma Wilson, Local Care Direct
Richard Williams, NCVO (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations)
Alastair Wilson, School of Social Entrepreneurs
Allison Ogden-Newton, Social Enterprise London
Antonia Swinson, Social Enterprise Scotland
Audrey Murray, Social Economy Network Northern Ireland
Claire Dove, Blackburne House Group
Dave Ahlquist, UnLtd
Dave Boyle, Supporters Director
John Mawson, Warwick Business School
Lucy Findlay, Rise
Mark Heskett-Saddington, North-East Social Enterprise Partnership
Michelle Rigby, Social Enterprise East of England
Nigel Kershaw, Big Life Group
Simon Harris, Co-operative Wales

Resources Committee

Between Board meetings a Resources Committee (made up of the Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and 5 other board members) meets to scrutinise the financial accounts in more detail, sets the annual budget, deals with HR issues and where necessary provides strategic guidance between Board meetings.

Members:

• Evan Rees
  
  
• Glenys Thornton
  
  
• Steve Wyler
  
  
• Nigel Kershaw
  
  
• Mal Williams
  
  
• Lucy Findlay
  
  
• John Goodman
  
  
• Emma Wilson

• Steve Wyler
  
  
• Claire Dove
  
  
• Allison Ogden-Newton
  
  
• Celia Hodson
  
  
• Sally Reynolds
  
  
• Richard Williams
  
  
• Alastair Wilson
  
  
• Lucy Findlay
  
  
• Lisa Sanfilippo

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The Staff team

Please click here to see our organisational structure

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Management Team

Jonathan Bland, Chief Executive

Jonathan Bland is the Chief Executive of the Social Enterprise Coalition, the national body for businesses that trade with a social purpose. From April 2003, under Jonathan's leadership, SEC has become a powerful voice for Social Enterprise in the UK, championing social enterprise as a successful business model and pushing for greater recognition and understanding of the solutions provided by this way of doing business.

Over the past 8 years Jonathan has worked with a number of government departments on social enterprise related issues, going back to HM Treasury's report on Enterprise in Disadvantaged Areas in 1999. He advised on the creation of the Government's "Social Enterprise Strategy for Success" and was a member of the Cabinet Office committee that oversaw the inception of the Community Interest Company in 2001 and advised on its development, leading to the introduction of the new legal form in 2005. Jonathan is a member of the Department of Health's Ministerial Task Force on Third Sector Commissioning of Health and Social Care Services.

Previously he was the Director of Social Enterprise London, where he expanded the organisation from a start-up in 1998 to one of the leading strategic sources of expertise and support for the sector. Jonathan has over 20 years experience working in this field.



Celia Hodson, Deputy Chief Executive

As the Deputy Chief Executive and part of the Management Team at the Social Enterprise Coalition, Celia is responsible for the operations, sustainability and diversity of SEC, instigating an annual events programme and a range of member benefits. Celia brings a wealth of experience from the business community and high end retailing sector, providing a turning point of organisational change.

Previously the Chief Executive Officer at Cambridge Co-operative Development Agency and its networking group The Social Enterprise People. She had responsibility for providing leadership, direction, business planning and policy development. She successfully introduced a fresh set of strategic, high impact, aims and objectives for the organisation including the newly launched 'Commissioning Access Programme' aimed at enabling Social enterprises to tender for Local Authority Commissions and the Social Accounting Pilot measuring the impact of funding through programmes such as Investing in Communities and Capacitybuilders.



Cherry Read, Head of Policy and Communications

Cherry has overall responsibility for the organisation's programme of policy and communications work, with hands-on involvement in key areas of activity such as the current HM Treasury and Cabinet Office review into the Third Sector's contribution to social and economic regeneration. She heads the strategic direction and delivery of a national mainstreaming programme funded by Equal and the Cabinet Office and provides high-level advice to a wide range of groups led by government, the third sector and mainstream business, including the Mark Your Mark: Changes Lives programme run by Enterprise Insight.

Cherry previously headed up the communications function at European Metal Recycling and worked as a policy adviser to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on secondment. She started her career in the media, working for organisations including the Press Association and Emap.



George Leahy, Head of Research

George worked in the NHS for over 20 years. The majority of that time was spent working in Public Health in Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Newham. From 2001-2006 George was Director of Public Health & Health Improvement for Tower Hamlets, based in the Primary Care Trust. George joined the Department of Health in March 2006 as the Head of Public Health Development. George trained as a Health Economist by background. He has worked on a variety subjects and projects including HIV services, development of community orientated diabetes services and bilingual advocacy services.



David Shannon, Head of Finance

David has overall responsibility for the finance and accounting function within the Coalition encompassing the financial reporting and direction across the various funding streams. He is also responsible for the strategic direction of the Coalition to give it financial sustainability in the long term. David also acts as the company secretary.

David has held a number of senior accounting and management positions within the Co-operative movement, has served on the boards of several organisations and worked as an independent consultant in the social enterprise sector. He is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

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Job Description

Overview

The Chair will provide leadership to the Board and support the Chief Executive in leading the Social Enterprise Coalition and achieving its strategic goals. The Chair will focus on strategy, communication, performance, values, and effective governance and development of the board.

Time commitment - average of two days per month

The primary duties of the Chair will be:

• To lead the Coalition as a driver of change, maximizing opportunities for growth and impact through representing the coalition at the highest levels, as a spokesperson and advocate.
  
  
• Act in partnership with the Chief Executive to ensure that the coalition has a clear vision and a strategic direction in line with its core values and principles.
  
  
• Ensure that the organisation engages the involvement of all key stakeholders including the full range of social enterprises, government and financial institutions
  
  
• Ensure that board members fulfil an effective ambassadorial role for the Coalition
  
  
• Ensure that any conflicts of interest of board members are known and managed.
  
  
• Ensure the coalition has an effective corporate governance structure that is appropriate to its size, complexity and stage of development.
  
  
• Ensure that the Chief Executive reports regularly to the Board on progress towards the strategic objectives, business plans and annual targets.
  
  
• Hold regular one-to-one meetings with the Chief Executive and lead the process of appraising their performance ensuring that this is reviewed annually.

• Ensure the coalition's compliance with all relevant company law as well as any other statutory and regulatory requirements.
  
  
• Ensure the coalition's financial stability through a credible financial management system together with a business plan and annual budgets to implement the strategic plan with probity.
  
  
• Ensure the coalition takes a robust and appropriate approach to risk management and systems are in place for staff recruitment and management.
  
  
• Ensure that all members of the Board receive appropriate induction, advice, support, information and training (both individual and collective), set their objectives and review their performance annually

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Person Specification

You should be able to demonstrate and provide evidence of as many as possible of the following criteria listed under Part One within your written application. These will be further explored at the preliminary interview stage, along with the criteria listed under Part Two:

Part One - The successful Chair will be able to give evidence of:

• Confident and highly effective communication skills with a range of audiences and a track record of brand building and profile raising
  
  
• Demonstrable experience of building and sustaining relationships with a wide range of stakeholders
  
  
• Successfully advocating for change in public policy
  
  
• A proven track record of strategic leadership and significant achievement in their own field
  
  
• Chairing meetings and building trust with a large group of board of members
  
  
• Clearly demonstrable knowledge of and affinity with social enterprise

• Have the conviction that social enterprise should become a significant business model for the 21st Century
  
  
• Be someone willing to get to know and to champion the whole spectrum of social enterprise
  
  
• Significant experience and awareness of the political sensitivities and the workings of Government
  
  
• Should not get in way of cross party support
  
  
• Have successfully led an organisation through a period of growth
  
  
• Drive, passion and energy
  
  
• A sophisticated understanding of the respective roles of the Chair, Board Members and Chief Executive
  
  
• A high level of emotional intelligence, empathy and commitment to the principles of inclusivity
  
  
• An understanding of and commitment to the values of the Social Enterprise Coalition

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Terms and Conditions

Time Commitment

It is expected that the time commitment will be about 2 days a month.

Duration of Appointment

Whilst there isn't a fixed term, it is envisaged that the person will be in post for at least three years.

Remuneration

This role is not remunerated but reasonable expenses will be paid for expenses incurred carrying out the role.

Appointment

The appointment as Chair will be made by the Board.

This appointment is not classed as employment and does not create any contract of service or contract for services between the Social Enterprise Coalition and yourself. There is no entitlement for compensation for loss of office through employment law and no pension entitlement is attached to the role.

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Timetable

The closing date for applications is 10 September 2007

Please also note the following dates:

Preliminary interviews (you will be notified on 27 September if successful) - 4 October 2007

Informal meetings - 11-29 October 2007

Final panel interviews - 29 October 2007

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How to apply

To apply for this post, please complete the online application form on this site and ensure you provide the following:

• a supporting statement, explaining how you believe your skills and experience match the requirements of the role, directly addressing the criteria in Part One of the person specification and
  
  
• a comprehensive CV.

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Accessibility

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We have made every effort to ensure that all pages within this site conform to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0 Double-A (AA) standards.

If you are having difficulty accessing any of the information on this site, please contact us at samuel.dorne@rockpools.co.uk

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Site Map

Welcome

Who are we?

What is social enterprise?

What people say about SEC

The History of the SEC

Key dates and achievements

SEC's business plan

Moving forward

The membership

Governance

The Staff team

Management team

Job description

Person specification

Terms and conditions

Timetable

How to Apply

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SEC’s strategy and Business Plan

SEC has developed from a start up 5 years ago and has helped to shape a rapidly changing environment for social enterprise. In 2004 the Board agreed a strategic framework for the organisation.

SEC is currently in the second year of a two year business plan from 2006 -2008. In that plan the Board agreed that SEC should concentrate on its mission to be the voice of social enterprise, focus our policy and campaigning work and place a greater emphasis on developing a credible evidence base to support SEC's key messages. It was also agreed that SEC would work to four high level guiding principles (in addition to the values and operating principles set out in the strategic framework. These are:

• Having a high profile;
  
  
• Working through networks;
  
  
• Developing and using an evidence base;
  
  
• Achieving independence – financial and political.

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Help

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