Interserve and ASDA Back BITC Social Enterprise Programme

A social enterprise support programme run by HRH the Prince of Wales's charity Business in the Community (BITC) and supported by Interserve and Asda, which has created almost 3,000 jobs in London and the South East, launched in Yorkshire on Tuesday.

BITC set up its social enterprise programme - arc - to create a lasting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic Games in the host boroughs*, and later expanded it to West London. Following the creation of almost 3,000 jobs in London and the South East, the programme now launches in Yorkshire with a target of creating 1,000 jobs across the region.

The programme gives social entrepreneurs free access to tailored, practical support from businesses. With the support of Interserve, a business with major involvement in the region, the programme has already been piloted this year in Yorkshire, supporting three social enterprises:

• Legacy Sport CIC in Huddersfield promotes healthy and active lifestyles by delivering PE, sport and health programmes that have a positive impact in school and community settings. www.legacysport.co.uk
• Paperworks, a print production company in Leeds providing work preparation training and support to adults with learning, physical and mental health related disabilities. www.paperworks.org.uk
• The Shine Nail Bar in Beeston provides training and volunteer opportunities to local girls and women in beauty and customer service. It is receiving marketing advice from Interserve as it looks to grow its trading activity in Leeds City Centre through its mobile nail bar service. www.theshineproject.org.uk/nail-bar

Tim Haywood, Group Finance Director & Head of Sustainability at Interserve, said:

"Interserve has a long-standing commitment to creating social value and making a significant contribution to the communities in which we operate.

"As a global business with a substantial local presence, we are supporting this corporate volunteering programme in Yorkshire to connect more Social Enterprises with big businesses, share our expertise and ideas to help them grow, create jobs and support local economic regeneration.

"Together with Asda, we will be building on Business in the Community's successful arc social enterprise programme which has already supported the growth of almost 3,000 jobs in East and West London."

The social enterprises on the London programme have created 2,917 jobs; the equivalent of £89.8 million Gross Value Added to the UK's economy, according to BITC. In addition, by removing people from unemployment it is estimated that they have saved the state £11.2 million through reduced unemployment claims.

A report into the programme's impact in London to date highlights that targeted business support can have a significant impact on social enterprise growth and job creation ***. The report said 83 per cent of the social enterprises involved in the programme delivered turnover growth in the last year, compared to UK average social enterprise growth of 52 per cent.

* Barking & Dagenham, Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest

** State of Social Enterprise Survey 2015, Social Enterprise UK

*** arc impact report, December 2015, Business in the Community available from 9 December 2015. Contact [email protected] for copies.