The Coalition successfully held its first ever conference connecting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities with social enterprise on 9 July.

The all-day event, hosted at the London Chamber of Commerce, saw the release of a five-year study into social enterprise in the UK, carried out by research think tank Delta Economics.

The study found that almost 1.3 million people (3.4 per cent of the working population) are employed in social enterprise.More significantly, the research found that there are higher levels of social entrepreneurship in BAME communities than in white communities.

The Coalition’s chief executive, Jonathan Bland, said: ''This data shows the prevalence of social entrepreneurship across the population and re-affirms that social enterprise is a sustainable business model essential not only for positive social change, but for the UK's economy.'' The survey also found that while women are only half as likely as men to be mainstream entrepreneurs, they are equally or more likely than men to be social entrepreneurs.

 To read the study, please visit: www.deltaeconomics.com