GLL celebrates Social Enterprise Day with launch of new business support programme

Social Enterprise Day 2025 is coming up on 20 November! It's a global day created to raise the profile of the social enterprise movement and show the transformative impact it is having across the world. It's a great chance for you to share your stories, learn more about your fellow social enterprises, and feel part of this community, which is changing lives on pretty much every continent!  Take part in our campaign We know that social enterprises are changing the way business is done, but not enough people do! This needs to change, and this year we've come up with a fun, creative social media campaign to give you the chance to showcase what it is that makes social enterprises so special, and how they are vital to building a more inclusive and sustainable economy.  How to get involved on 20 November We've created an editable social media video graphic on Canva, which not only sets out the definition of a social enterprise (in emoji form!) but also gives you space to talk about what you do in a creative and engaging way. CLICK HERE TO EDIT AND DOWNLOAD YOUR CAMPAIGN GRAPHIC All you need to do is click on the above link and edit the final text block to talk about what you do and your impact! Just enter a short bit of text into the last box on the image to explain what impact your social enterprise creates. You can then download it as a video.For the body of your post, you could say something along the lines of:We're a proud social enterprise and today is #SocialEnterpriseDay - a moment to raise awareness and celebrate the amazing work carried out by these businesses around the world, including [insert company name]. But what is a social enterprise?...If you've not yet got a Business Canva account, and don't want to pay for one, you can use a personal email address to access the editable file for free.Alternatively, you can use this image instead, which isn't editable but sets out what a social enterprise is! (you can of course talk about your impact in the body of your post.)It's a simple action, but if we get enough organisations posting, we'll show the huge diversity of social enterprises in the UK, the problems they're tackling, and the solutions they are bringing! When to post  What's crucial to make this campaign as impactful as possible is that we all post at the same time on Social Enterprise Day. Share your post at 10am on your social media channels such as LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebookand be sure to like and comment on those of friends and colleagues in the sector! Do let us know if you've any Social Enterprise Day plans. Use #SocialEnterpriseDay and let's take over social media with our positive stories of impact, community, and a better way of doing business.If you've any questions about getting involved, please email internalcommunications@socialenterprise.org.uk.We can't wait to see your posts!

Community Dental Services CIC (CDS) is proud to announce the launch of its new green mobile dental unit, designed to deliver essential dental care across communities while dramatically reducing environmental impact.  The state-of-the-art mobile clinic is powered primarily by biofuel - a more sustainable alternative to traditional diesel - ensuring lower emissions on the road. Once on site, the unit operates entirely on solar and battery power, providing a quiet, zero-emission environment for both patients and the dental team. A diesel generator is included only as a backup for extended operations in remote areas, ensuring service continuity without compromising CDS’s commitment to sustainability.  Glen Taylor, Chief Operating Officer for CDS’s East regions said “We are delighted to now have the first of our two brand new green mobiles ready and on the road, delivering dental care more sustainably than ever before. Running off biofuel, with the addition of solar panels reduces our carbon emissions and operational noise. With the introduction of our eco-conscious mobile units, CDS continues to demonstrate our leadership in both community wellbeing and environmental responsibility.”  Nicola Blake, Strategic Mobiles Lead said “Our fleet of eight mobile dental units provide a positive dental experience for many people who have not been able to access this in the past and being on wheels, we are able to get into the heart of those communities who experience barriers to care. Having worked on our new green mobile, the solar energy created by the roof panels has created a much quieter environment on board.”   The mobile dental clinic vehicle, which includes custom body build and internal fit-out has been designed and produced by Torton Bodies Ltd. James Andrews, Torton's Managing Director said "This is a first of its kind for us. Whilst we produce many mobile dentals clinics, this will be our first which predominantly runs on lithium batteries, using solar and generator as a means of back up. To our knowledge there isn't another one like this in the UK and it's been a fantastic project to work with CDS on.”   CDS’s fully equipped mobile dental units deliver exceptional dental care at different locations, including additional needs settings, mental health secure units, child secure units and treating people who are homeless. About CDS  Community Dental Services CIC (CDS) is a 100% employee-owned social enterprise providing community dental services to the NHS and oral health improvement programmes throughout Bedfordshire, Derbyshire, Essex, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk & Waveney and Nottinghamshire.  - Together we will enable our communities to enjoy a better quality of life -  communitydentalservices.co.uk 

Dan Gregory, Associate Director at Social Enterprise UK, reflects upon a trip to Plymouth - a hotspot of social enterprise activity with social enterprises running everything from generating energy and delivering dental care to running cherished local assets and driving innovation, including an idea for a new social enterprise fishfinger. Plymouth was the UK’s first official Social Enterprise City. While I hadn’t visited for ten years, I had followed progress and been in contact with Gareth Hart, Chair of the Plymouth Social Enterprise Network. Gareth is a fantastic advocate for the movement, both locally and more widely, and generously hosted a visit for four members of the Social Enterprise UK team to the city. What an absolute privilege to see such energetic social enterprises in action. A refreshing break from my usual trudge and drudge of drawing up policy briefings or government consultation responses, and being roundly ignored by NHS officials, to see real, actual social enterprise getting on with it. Let’s retread our steps! Here we are at Moments café, run by Memory Matters, a social enterprise that provides dedicated support to those affected by dementia. This is a warm and welcoming place, serving homemade comfort food, and at the same time, successfully competing with Costa just around the corner. Off to Union Street, where Nudge Community Builders’ dizzying ambition is renovating and unlocking empty buildings. The Plot hosts 18 small businesses, and hosts support for women starting their own enterprise - a SHE Plymouth programme delivered by Iridescent. The old Clipper pub is now home to Plymouth Jollof Kitchen CIC. We visited a mushroom farm in the basement of the old nightclub at C103. Space in Union Corner can be booked for £6 an hour. The Millennium building is opening up for young people and CNC machines to fit out new homes. By this time next week, Nudge will probably be turning half of Cornwall into a workshop for 3D printed specialist Korean salad leaves, creating jobs for ex-offenders in a hexagonal greenhouse literally made out of hope. Then we walked to Plymouth Energy Community, which combines a mix of fuel poverty alleviation and retrofit advice, powered by community shares and cross-subsidy from solar energy generation. A local power plan before the Local Power Plan. Over the bridge to Peninsula Dental, training the next generation of dental professionals, and treating vulnerable people in partnership with Plymouth University. Then to see old friends at Real Ideas Organisation in Devonport Market Hall, brought back from the dead to house the best immersive 360 degree auditorium in Europe, co-working spaces, a cafe and more. Here we heard from the diverse social enterprise community and two of the largest anchor organisations in the city. Plymouth Community Homes manages over 16,000 homes, while Livewell Southwest provides health and social care services for people across the city and beyond, employing 3,000 staff. Among old friends and established powerhouses, we also encountered start-ups and new ideas. Plymouth Fishing & Seafood Association and the University have “co-designed a Plymouth fishfinger” which is nearing production and sets out to solve about four local problems all at once. Making use of low-value fish, reducing waste, reopening the old fishing auction hall, generating income for the local fishing community, and healthier food in schools. The social enterprise fishfinger could be the answer! While the vibrancy of this Social Enterprise Place is first and foremost thanks to the hard work of each local social entrepreneur, of course, the enabling environment also helps. We explored how Rank Foundation has invested millions in this area. Status as the world’s first Social Enterprise City has helped attract attention and resources. The Council are onside. And the long-term commitment and expertise of local experts and enablers such as Gareth, and Lindsey and Ed from RIO are undeniable factors. Together, we discussed the challenges of business rates and the availability of appropriate funding and finance. Meanwhile, billions of pounds of investment is coming to the city over the next few decades, with Plymouth harbouring Britain’s continuous at sea nuclear deterrent. What is the relationship between investment in defence and social value? What are the ethics of working with defence companies? And more widely, how can we ensure social value isn’t just an accounting game to be played by corporates? The Government’s Pride in Place money is also coming to Plymouth. How do we ensure social enterprises, co-operatives and mutuals, community businesses (or even the impact economy or IDBMs if we really must) harness these opportunities to deliver change that communities feel? Finally, we get back on the train, more aware than ever of the importance of the fight for national changes that make this incredible local work more possible, everywhere. Thank you, Plymouth, for the inspiration.