Over 50 social enterprise leaders have come together in calling on the Mayor of South Yorkshire to formulate an ambitious strategy and framework for growth of the region’s social economy.
In an Open Letter, launched on International Social Enterprise Day, social enterprises, social entrepreneurs and sector stakeholders called for measures to support existing social enterprises and to encourage new ones, with the aim to at least double the size of South Yorkshire’s social economy over the next ten years.
The Open Letter highlights the vital role social enterprises can play in addressing pressing challenges, such as the cost of living crisis, health and social care, and the climate emergency, as well as creating jobs, empowering communities and promoting a more sustainable and inclusive economy.
South Yorkshire has a rich tradition of co-operatives, community businesses and social enterprises, and signatories to the Open Letter represent multiple sectors of the region’s social economy.