Liam Black is the co-founder of Wavelength
What is happening at Jude’s place is just one example of the torching of social capital and crumbling of social enterprise infrastructure and assets which is going on right now in the increasingly surreal gap between Big Society rhetoric and the brute realities confronting grassroots social entrepreneurs all over the country.
Years of hard work in poor communities is being wiped out while the policy intelligentsia sip white wine and the social enterprise movement works out which way to swim. In his latest column, Liam Black says its time for the leaders to lead
Been talking to an old social enterprise chum about the gruesome financial realities he faces, which will mean job losses and probable closure. Let’s call him Jude.
Based in one of the nation’s poorest areas, Jude has, for over ten years, enabled hundreds of people escape the crushing dead end of long-term unemployment and supported thousands of poor families. Last month, he made himself redundant to help safeguard the jobs of his lower paid colleagues doing manual work.
Multi-award-winning Jude has seen numerous overpaid princes of the Regenerati come and go. He has hosted many delegations of oh so brainy, talented civil servants and think-tankers tasked with thinking the unthinkable (but who never do). He has negotiated his way through and around umpteen government schemes, pilots, pathfinders, partnerships and new deals. His is not a sexy enterprise, it is not digital, he doesn’t get invites to drink white wine at Nesta or Big Society Network love-ins with the social innovation intelligentsia.
Jude’s is a real, messy, hard slog social business embedded in a community which has found cunning ways of dealing with a state – which despite the good intentions of politicians in far away Whitehall – has always made life more difficult.
The causes of this social enterprise demise are complex and interlocking, partly to do with changes in its marketplaces and the difficulty of getting capital. The abrupt termination of the Future Jobs Fund was a punch in the throat. What is happening at Jude’s place is just one example of the torching of social capital and crumbling of social enterprise infrastructure and assets which is going on right now in the increasingly surreal gap between Big Society rhetoric and the brute realities confronting grassroots social entrepreneurs all over the country.
There is a social entrepreneur cult of the new, the metropolitan, the digital, the middle class, the white. Initiatives such as the Nexters are to be supported of course. But are they creating jobs or homes for the poor? How many are committed to the year on year slog of business building and creating the culture and disciplines which are needed to give impoverished people a fighting chance? Is faffing about with the interweb in a trendy part of town going to assist the poor in getting what they need – money and a fair crack of the whip?
And where the bloody hell are the leaders of the so-called ‘social enterprise movement’ whilst all the hard won gains made over many years are being wiped out on the ground? They appear naive and way, way out of their depth. Dare they publically take on a government which still pays most of their bills? Seriously, they need to before they have no-one to lead.
Liam Black is co-founder of Wavelength. Contact him via thesamewavelength.com or via Twitter @LiamABlack
...as Susan Boyle might have sung. On SocialEnterpriselive.com this week:
Like what you read? Sign up for our weekly news bulletin and follow us on Twitter.
Roots HR cic is a vibrant social enterprise providing human resources services to charities, voluntary and community sector organisations and of course other social enterprises. We are passionate about great people management and offer practical, cost-effective solutions tailored to your workforce, the culture and values of your organisation. Our services are designed to help organisations to comply with employment law and to perform through great people management.
Contact:
Jan Golding, Chief Executive
t: 0845 543 8429
e: info@rootshr.org.uk
w: www.rootshr.org.uk
Comments
Challenging government
I'm for that. In fact it's been a matter of policy to do so for us, with multiple governments. But where is the solidarity? For example in this relatively minor issue, where about 4 years ago I'm challenging government as a self-sustaining social enterprise to do something about all of us being paid for our services.
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/PayonTime/
When the US government was challenged about the Covenant on Social Economic on Cultural Rights, it led to a 'Center on Poverty Work and Opportunity'
It could happen here, were there a little more solidarity.
Jeff Mowatt
People-Centered Economic Development
p-ced.com
people-centered.net
Good challenge...and what next
A good challenge to practitioners + infrastructure bodies alike. Like David above, I'm interested in the actions, next steps, solutions...My take / response is over on my blog: http://nicktemple1.wordpress.com/2011/06/05/start-pedalling-while-rome-turns/
Why call for leaders?
We've seen that people at grassroots can mobilise, why can't intelligent front line type SE's step up?
I agree, more talk than walk going on, but then that's happening everywhere...
What are you going to do about it? That's right, nothing, you're too busy walking to talk...
On sustainabilty
While I'm on this topic. Have others noticed how the Guardian distinguishes between sustainability and social enterprise, as if totally unrelated, on their professional network. As it does also in Poverty Matters.
The determination with which my participation is igmored serves again of evidence of a debating elite, unable to come to terms with someone applying the JFDI approach. They're talking the walk, perhaps?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/sustainability-with-john-elkington/corporate-social-resposibility-creating-shared-value
Jeff Mowatt
People-Centered Economic Development
p-ced.com
people-centered.net
A familiar tune
When I read June use the word hijack, I'm at least assured that if I'm suffering from paranoia, there's at least one person to share it with.
It's ironic really, reading back what I wrote to Baroness Thornton of the SEC in 2005. I was talking about poverty relief, sustainability and scalability, human rights and international development.
She may well have decided that I came from another planet. I'm left to presume I was interrupting plans for a comfortable niche. She didn't asnwer because these were alien concepts based upon an insight of the developing economic crisis, having seen laissez-faire capitalism collapse in another country 10 years before it hit us.
http://www.box.net/shared/9c3x229hll
Jeff Mowatt
People-Centered Economic Development
p-ced.com
people-centered.net
Stop fiddling while Rome burns
Hear hear Liam
You are right and I am glad not to be alone with the fear that we are wasting our 15 minutes opportunity and also allowing it to be hijacked by those who understand and can play the system. As SE leaders we have a duty to make the most of this time to get our business models out there, to shift thinking and to get SE a place on the customer shelf as familiar as baked beans. So far, we have heard warm words but no real changes so we must push harder and shout louder. Right now Rome may be burning but SE is sitting on a deckchair thinking the heat is the sun shining on them. Its not guys, its the flames burning at our heels and if we don't do something we will end up like ancient Rome. Take heed, take action.