A newly-launched Yorkshire organisation – which supports construction businesses to devise and deliver social responsibility programmes – is to compile the region’s first Construction Social Enterprise Register.
Construction Yorkshire, an arm of regeneration charity re’new, is now asking Harrogate businesses who fall under this banner to get in touch to be included.
Social Enterprises – which include Seagulls in Leeds and SOARBuild in Sheffield, together with well-known examples such as The Big Issue and Jamie Oliver’s restaurant Fifteen – are businesses with “primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community”.
Rob Wolfe, Construction Yorkshire Project Director said: “Our aim is to compile an A- to Z of all the social enterprises operating across Yorkshire and The Humber.
“These are organisations that bring a wide range of benefits to local communities, and the work they do is very much complimentary to the services we are offering businesses in the region.
“We get asked by major contractors in the construction industry if we can recommend a social enterprise for them to work with. Because there isn’t a comprehensive list we can’t always point them in the right direction.
“All the major players we liaise with have comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility policies in place, and our expertise is in helping them achieve their aims.
“Our register will be a single point of reference that will be of huge benefit to all concerned.”
Phil Wright from SOARBuild said: “This is a superb idea and one that all social enterprises should sign up to. From our point of view we can see three benefits. The first is to alert potential customers to our activities.
“The second is to find out who else is out there so we can share best practice and the third is to attract volunteers and funding.”
Social Enterprises wanting to be included in the register should contact the Construction Yorkshire team on 0113 881 4810.
This is a great idea, we are a socialenterprise and have been working alongside a corporate company for some years, it works well, good luck