Over 100 social enterprise leaders have come together in an open letter to the South Yorkshire Mayor published on International Social Enterprise Day 2023. We are calling for a regional strategy and framework for action to grow the social economy in South Yorkshire and to support the work of social enterprises, cooperatives and community businesses in delivering social and environmental impact. You can join our campaign by following the link below:

Join our campaign to build the social economy in South Yorkshire

 

Dear Mr Coppard

We are writing to you, on the occasion of International Social Enterprise Day, as social enterprises, social entrepreneurs and social enterprise stakeholders.

Social enterprises play a vital role in creating jobs, delivering positive social and environmental impacts and contributing to a sustainable and inclusive economy.

According to Social Enterprise UK there are over 100,000 social enterprises in the UK contributing £60 billion to UK GDP, and providing 2 million jobs.

South Yorkshire has a rich social economic tradition, including cooperatives, community businesses and social enterprises, working across multiple economic sectors.

A robust and thriving social economy can help address some of our region’s most pressing challenges including the cost of living crisis, health and social care, economic inequalities and the climate emergency.

We are calling on you and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to adopt a comprehensive and ambitious strategy and framework for growth of the region’s social economy.

This strategy should adopt measures, including specialist support, funding and investment, to support existing social enterprises, to encourage new ones and to develop the social economy infrastructure, with a view to at least doubling the size of the region’s social economy over the next 10 years.

By adopting a strategy to stimulate overall growth in the size of the social economy, you can help ensure that social and economic development in South Yorkshire is inclusive, sustainable and to the benefit of all.

Yours sincerely

Signatories

Tom Austen, Editor, Rotherham Business News
Rod Auton, Secretary, Chesterfield Canal Trust
Kingsley Avagah, Head, Paradigm Impact Network
Sangita Basudev, Chief Executive, Sheffield Live!
Brioni Ball, Director, Sojourn Doncaster CIC
Charlotte Barnes, Creative Director, Dead Earnest
Natalie Beard, Director, Live Core Events
Vicki Beevers, CEO, The Sleep Charity
Nicky Birkenshaw, Director, Aspiring2 CIC
Steph Birkenshaw, Director, Fun-Filled Days CIC
Katherine Blessan, Director and Project Manager, Kaleido Arts for Wellbeing
Stephen Booth, CIO, Essentials Media Limited
Steve Buckley, Director, Community Made Solutions
Susie Casson, Artistic Director, Cry Havoc!
Paul Casson, Associate Director, Cry Havoc!
Kurtis-Jay Castle, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Youth Enterprise and Employability Academy
Jude Chan, Director, My Network for Women
Cath Chirgwin, Operations Manager, Who Is Your Neighbour?
Clare Clifton, Director, Bright Iris CIC
Rob Cotterell, Chair, SADDACA
Geoff Cox, Chair, South Yorkshire Climate Alliance (SYCA)
Chris Croome, Director, Web Architects Co-operative
Wayne Cubitt, Managing Director, Rotherham Broadcasting CIC
Kayleigh Cruickshank, Director, Art Works South Yorkshire
Joseph David, Chief Executive Officer, Crossroads (Barnsley) Limited
Anne Davies, Director, Twin Cafe Ltd
Colin Davies, Chief Executive, Hope City Foundation
Matt Dean, Chief Executive, Zest
Jaqui Devereux, Director, Community Made Solutions
Warren Draper, Managing Director, Bentley Urban Farm / Executive Creative Director, Doncoplitan Studio Limited
Sabreen Eidaroos, Self-Employed
Dale Le Fevre, Director, New Games Ltd
Simon Flynn, Director, 90minutemusic CIC
Paulina Francis, CEO/Director, Blessone’s Kitchen
Lisa Fraser, General Manager, Manor Community Transport
David Garlovsky, Teacher Trainer, Schools & Homes Energy Education Project/Solar-Active
Brian George, Director, Percy Street CIC
Julie Grant, Receptionist, The Foot Health Practice
David Gray, Director, Riverlution by RSC
Maxine Greaves, Activities Programme and Operations Manager, Sheffield Environmental Movement
Sara Hawkins, CEO, Projekt42 and Ipanera
Laura Hickey, Development Officer, Kiveton Park and Wales CDT
Chris Hill, CEO, Element Society
Victoria Hilton, Creative Director, Artful Make It Happen
Shane Horne, Engineer
Wayne Hoyle, Chair, Sheffield Arts Lab
Morgan Killick, Director, Level Up Solutions Ltd
Mick King, Business and Partnerships Development, Kiveton Park and Wales CDT
Nisha Lall, Managing Director, ASHAY Dance CIC
Andy Jackson, Trust Manager, Heeley Trust
Baillor Jalloh, CEO, African Voices Platform
James Lock, Managing Director, Opus
Joanne Lowe, Founder/Director, Kettle and Co. Ltd
Jon Maiden, Founder, Panjango
Clare Mappin, Managing Director, Burton Street Foundation Ltd
Gareth McCormick, Managing Director, Coaching Communities
Alex McLean, Research Fellow, Then Try This
Cleo Metcalf, Business Development Manager, Element Society
Ahmed Mohamed, Director/Co-Founder, Infinite Skills CIC
Ann Monk, Trustee, BrightLife
Richard Motley, Economic Development Specialist
Steph Mullen, Co-founder and Director, Kids Plant Trees
Cath Muller, Founder Member, A Commune in the North
Steven Mundin, CEO, Higher Rhythm
Ursula Myrie, CEO, Adira
Hayley Nelson, Director, Learn for Life Enterprise
Janet Parkin, Chief Executive, Appletree Childcare (Sheffield) Ltd
Nick Partridge, Chief Executive, Sheffield Home of Football
Lesley Pollard, CEO, Chillypep
Mark Powell, Founder Director, Yes2Ventures Ltd
Aaron Probert, Director, Labre’s Hope
Simon Redding, Director, Monkey Park CIC
Gareth Roberts, Co-founder and Director, Regather Co-operative
Christian Sait, Director, Technology for Society Company
Adam Seymour, Director, Rite Trax CIC
Sarah Sharp, Director, The Montgomery Theatre and Arts Centre
Bev Shephard, Finance Director, Growing Me CIC
Jane Shields, Director, Bloom Sheffield
Ellen Shipley, CEO, Live Inclusive
Rebecca Sills, Filmmaker
Chris Sissons, Marketing Coach, Marketing Together
Mark Smith, CEO, Make Your Mark UK
Amina Souleiman, Director, Globalmama Enterprises Limited
Alex Swallow, The Influence Expert
Helen Thompson, CEO, Connect and Thrive
Dave Thornett, Business Development Manager, Key Fund Investments
Annalisa Toccara-Jones, CEO, Family Narratives
Lindsey Turner, Chair of Trustees, Kiveton Park and Wales CDT
Craig Turton, Senior Project Officer, Sheffield City Council
Rose Tran, Enterprise Coach
Patricia Twigg, Director, Servatius Healthcare CIC
Jamie Veitch, Consultant
Zoe Walton, Director, Community Made Solutions
Joanne Ward, Director, Collective Change
Kim Warner, Social Prescribing Officer, Kiveton Park and Wales CDT
Philip Watson, Branch Secretary, Barnsley Co-operative Party
Kate West, Co-Director, Family Voice Sheffield
Charlotte Williams, Chief Executive, Station House Community Association
Steve Williams, Chairman/Centre Manager, Oasis Community Centre
Emma Wilson, Project Leader, Artistic Spectrum Ltd
Jason Woodruff, Founder, Spongl Ltd
Toyah Wordsworth, Owner, Equal Equality
…and others