Exchange Supplies: a social enterprise
We were a social enterprise before they had a name, and long before it was fashionable to be one! – Now an established part of the '3rd sector' social enterprises are part of a movement of organisations that tackle a wide range of social, health, and environmental issues, and operate in all parts of the economy.
Social Enterprises like Exchange Supplies are different from other companies in that they use business solutions to achieve social or health objectives, and the surpluses of a Social Enterprise are principally reinvested in the furtherance of those objectives.
Our mission means that we invest all we can in product development, conferences and educational events, drug user involvement, free availability of information online, including a huge range of harm reduction and drug information films on our youtube channel.
Social enterprises have a distinct and valuable role to play in helping create a strong, sustainable and socially inclusive economy, and it is acknowledged by the DTI that successful social enterprises can play an important role in helping to:
- Drive up productivity and competitiveness;
- contribute to socially inclusive wealth creation;
- enable individuals and communities to work towards regenerating their local neighbourhoods;
- show new ways to deliver public services; and
- help to develop an inclusive society and active citizenship.
...A crucial differentiator is that social enterprises are not driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners. The best known example of a social enterprise is perhaps 'The Big Issue'.
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