GOOD DEALS 09: Social enterprises grow faster than UK's other top companies

The fastest-growing UK social enterprises are growing at double the rate of other fast-growing UK companies, according to new statistics which will be released today.

The statistics, gathered from the RBS SE100 Index (www.se100.co.uk), will be discussed at Good Deals 2009, the national social investment conference run by Social Enterprise magazine.

The index, which is compiled by Social Enterprise, shows the average annual turnover growth for the top 40 social enterprises is 78 per cent, almost double the turnover growth posted by a similar index last month. The Business XL Rising Stars listing of the UK's fastest growing enterprises showed an average turnover growth of only 38.9 per cent for its top 40 companies.

At today's event, RBS managing director of business and commercial banking Paul Lynam will say: 'So far, over 400 social businesses have registered to take part in the RBS SE100 Index and the list is growing every month.

'Our top 100 social businesses so far boast a total annual turnover of more than £390m, with an average annual growth figure of 35 per cent.'

The RBS SE100 Index measures both growth and the sector's commitment to social impact reporting. And Lynam plans to emphasise to the 250-strong conference crowd the importance of proving social impact.

'Ten social businesses score five out of five for the effectiveness with which they measure and communicate their social impact, and another 16 are close behind with scores of four out of five,' he will say.

'In a world where people care even more about what they are investing in, social business has a great story to tell - but a story that must be backed up by robust information on both financial and social returns.'

Social enterprises that enter the index have a chance to win £50,000-worth of prizes and feature in our annual report on the sector's top 100 performers. Each month the top five performers in terms of growth and the top five leaders in impact reporting from a selected sector of social enterprise, are featured in Social Enterprise.

To enter the index visit www.se100.co.uk