Back in 1991, when The Big Issue was set up, the idea of a ‘social entrepreneur’ was completely foreign to most people. There were a few pioneers out there involved in ‘ethical business’, such as The Body Shop, and one or two you might call ‘social innovators’, like Lord Michael Young, who helped create the Open University and the Consumers Association. But social entrepreneurship itself was largely uncharted territory.

Now, in 2012, the term social entrepreneur is much more widely used, and we are seeing many social enterprises doing business in ways that create a positive social impact.  

IT'S SIMPLE: IF you challenge nothing, nothing changes. So I’m asking you to change and join the 6.30 Club, a club for those interested in extending the boundaries of traditional philanthropy and investment.

I’m not against philanthropy, nor am I anti-business. But there is an imperative in these times to find business solutions to social problems that deliver both a financial and social return.

The venture capital arm of the Big Issue – a self-styled “social merchant bank” – has taken a leap forward with a £4m contribution towards its latest £10m fund from HSBC.

Big Issue Invest, which directs funding to socially responsible businesses, now has total committed capital of £8m, with Deutsche Bank also among the fund’s backers, alongside more traditional supporters.

Deloitte Social Innovation Pioneers is an exciting new support programme for innovative businesses and entrepreneurs in the UK that can demonstrate real potential for growth and have an ambition to deliver a large-scale, sustainable and positive impact in society. Up to 50 social enterprises and social innovations will be chosen to receive a bespoke package of support from a broad range of Deloitte employees, in addition to social business experts with the aim to help them mainstream, achieve scale and become investment-ready. Applications open 23rd November and close on 27th January. To apply and find out more about this exciting programme please visit www.deloitte.co.uk/pioneers

Big Issue Invest (BII), part of The Big Issue group of companies, has announced a pioneering £200,000 investment in shares of the award winning My Time CIC – a Community Interest Company.  

Historically, investing equity into Community Interest Companies (CICs) or social enterprises has been extremely difficult. However, BII and Birmingham based My Time have worked together to develop the first redeemable preference share investment into a CIC or social enterprise, investing 200,000, £1 social shares in return for a 35% stakeholding.
 

Click here to read the article in Social Enterprise Live

As the world gears up for the London 2012 Olympics, BP and Deloitte, two of the official partners of the Games, have today joined forces with business-led charity Business in the Community to launch arc, a new campaign to create a lasting social legacy for the Olympic host boroughs by stimulating the creation and growth of financially sustainable social enterprises – enabling them to provide employment opportunities for 1,000 local people.

A survey, commissioned by Big Issue Invest, suggests that government plans to pay housing benefit straight to tenants as part of the introduction of Universal Credit are opposed by most tenants as well as landlords and lenders.

Ed Siegel BII director of investments, has been invited to speak at the Good Deals social investment conference 2011.

On Thursday 24 November, London, Ed will be taking part in a session to explore how social entrepreneurs can get under the skin of social investors to increase the chances of a successful pitch. Also featuring in the session is BII investee Phil Conway, Cool2Care.

To find out more about Good Deals 2011, including how to get discounted early bird tickets, visit the website www.good-dealsuk.com.
 

PM guest edits the Big Issue.  

Cool2Care, an enterprise supporting under-funded families with disabled children has secured a deal from a cleverly constructed social investment consortium. See Big Issue Invest's Director of Investments Ed Siegel discuss the details of the deal.

Click here to read the article in Social Enterprise Live>

Nigel Kershaw, OBE speaks at the Management & Leadership Conference 2011

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Social investment that reflects social entrepreneurs: Big Issue Invest has bold plans for the future

It is a common misconception that The Big Issue is a charity; in fact, it is a social enterprise. The vendors first have to raise the cash to buy the magazine and then persuade people to part with their cash, the classic model for entrepreneurship. The people behind The Big Issue are highly focused entrepreneurs with a social conscience.

Big Issue Invest has now launched its report presenting the findings of a ‘proof of concept’ study to determine whether including social housing rent payment would increase the ability of mainstream lenders to better assess the creditworthiness of low-income consumers - and thereby increase access to affordable mainstream credit and other financial services. The study, carried out with Experian, shows that credit decisions for over 1.5 million social housing tenants could be improved if rent data were shared.

The recent past has shown that businesses can no longer be seen to be contributing (or indeed causing) the ills of the world. What effect do events such as the recession, climate change and increased consumer influence have on the future of industry.

Big Issue Invest has now raised £3 million for its pioneering Social Enterprise Investment Fund and is looking to invest in more successful social enterprises looking to scale-up their social impact.

The Trading Places awards are designed to recognise inspiring people who have overcome adversity and are now successful in business.

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The financial crisis and economic recession have led many to ask whether investors will seize the opportunity to think differently.

Recruit3 has know been launched in Wales. Recruit 3 is unique in that it is the first bilingual job website dedicated to the third sector. It has been produced in Wales by the WCVA and TBIC and will offer the third sector a cost effective way to advertise their jobs. This is a very important step in the development of TBIC.

www.recruit3.org.uk

Structuring a really good deal - Social return targets integrated into investments.

"Nigel Kershaw wants to create a new asset class with Big Issue Invest, investing ethically and providing a return.

Article for Westminster & Whitehall's Conference — "Transformation, Innovation and Delivery in the UK Public Sector." 

"The Big Issue became one of the most successful social enterprises in the UK. Then its former managing director launched an investment fund to help others emulate its success.    

"Community connections are central to the success of a small services company. Maisha Frost expalins how this works . . ."

"As chair of The Big Issue, Nigel Kershaw used to manage the magazine's publishing operations and has developed several social businesses, As CEO of one of those intitiatives, Big Issue Invest, he's now . . ."

"Alison Benjamin meets the boss of Big Invest, whose groundbreaking buyout fund will transform private firms into socially focused businesses . . ."

"From a bottled water company and Barnardo’s to an industrial railway specialist, Big Invest has lent money to a variety of social businesses . . .

"Led by a top team of business brains, BIG invest is a Big Issue spin-off that lends money to the social enterprises other financiers won't touch . . ."