Examples of BAME social enterprises
Examples of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic social enterprises
Ummah is a food production company with a social conscience, combining the creation of Halal chocolate products with philanthropy. By 2012, the worldwide Halal food market will be worth £500bn. Mainstream food manufacturers have failed to respond to this huge opportunity - leaving the way clear for young entrepreneurs to satisfy demand.
Khalid Sharif started Ummah Foods three years ago, and since then has persuaded retailers including Tesco and Asda to stock his halal chocolate products. Ummah food is bought by more non-Muslims than Muslims, and vegetarians in particular are loyal customers. Khalid understands that sometimes the only way to market a new idea is to open up a new market.
Ummah also uses its business processes to give something back to the community, whether it is through challenging young artists to come up with wrapper designs, using marketing material to support helplines, or creating commercials which address the misrepresentation of Muslims in the media.
Future Health and Social Care (FHSCA)
Birmingham-based FHSCA supports vulnerable members of the community by providing training, homes, care facilities and education. Launched in 1996, FHSCA now has a turnover exceeding £3.8m while retaining its primary focus - a company led by black people, and working mainly for black and ethnic minority communities.
The key to the company's success has been to take a hard-nosed, sustainable business approach and not to rely on public funding. FHSCA has been able to expand quickly, without having the spectre of short-term funds. Being a black-led enterprise has given FHSCA advantages over its competitors - it understands the needs of its service users because about 70% of its staff are members of the communities where they work.
Catch 22 Magazine Community Interest Company (CIC) is a social enterprise that champions, trains and showcases aspiring media professionals who want experience but cannot get any due to their lack of experience - hence the name.
Catch 22 is a dynamic social enterprise comprising a journalism training academy, a youth culture magazine and website and a communications agency. The magazine editorially embraces a wider definition of youth culture, including the obvious - music, fashion and sports alongside politics, travel and social commentary, catering for the diverse melting pot of young London.
Its chief executive is experienced print journalist Tokunbo Ajasa-Oluwa who is one of the Social Enterprise Ambassadors.
Trescom is a community regeneration company based in West Yorkshire working to improve economic, social and civic inclusion for the most marginalised groups in society. It achieves its social objectives through innovative training and community engagement projects, policy work and research.
Trescom has the inside experience of the social enterprise sector: they have been through the hurdles, the challenges and all the stages of setting up and developing a social enterprise. As a result of their own experience, they offer a holistic package of credible and practical support to individuals and emerging social enterprises.
Trescom chief executive Saeeda Ahmed is a Social Enterprise Ambassador.