Visiting the Regional Social Enterprise Event this afternoon made me think...

Mike Cooper told me last year that a social enterprise is a profit-making business set up to tackle a social or environmental need and where the profits go back to improve the enterprise. Sounds a bit like Education Leeds! There are about 55000 social enterprises employing around 1.3 million people in this country with an annual turnover of about £27 billion. The work Mike Cooper and his talented colleagues are doing in schools across Leeds is building the next generation of entrepreneurs, designers and marketeers who will have the skills to thrive in the business world and also give something back to their communities. The two events the team orgainised show the talent we have in our schools and the potential this sort of activity has to build brilliant learning. It should be an entitlement for every young person to develop a school business; to organise school events, to run a smoothie bar or a fruit shop, to open a card shop, to publish a school or community magazine, to make and sell key rings, to grow your own fruit and vegetables and sell them, to make and sell hanging baskets, ... the list is endless... let me have your ideas!
Chris