THE EVOLUTION: FROM CHARITY TO SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
Making the WHY count: when people do good and at the same time are able to make a business out of it!
Social Enterprise is a global movement that is steadily building momentum. Leaders from government, not for profit and business sectors are recognizing that social enterprise offers a unique combination of social purpose and financial independence.
SOCIAL ENTERPRISES IN AUCKLAND
Be inspired by these Not- Dicks
A few months ago I started volunteering for Social Enterprise Auckland, having the pleasure to interview different social enterprises all over Auckland for the "Members Spotlight"- section on their website.
The people I got to meet and had the pleasure to talk to are truly amazing and are leaders of true social change: bit by bit.
THE RECREATORS
Somehow we became a society where broken things are not being fixed but replaced. New and cheap everyday items are available on every corner, causing us to prioritise quantity over quality.
In this interview Vera Boessenrodt from sustainability blog Bit by Bit, talks to Geraldine Tew who set up her own Social Enterprise “The ReCreators”, which promotes up-cycling through purchasing products from various artists or by learning to do it yourself through a variety of workshops she offers.
THE FEARLESS KITCHEN
Getting into business or even just paid employment after childbirth can be a real challenge for mothers. In this interview Vera Boessenrodt from sustainability blog Bit by Bit, talks to Vanessa Baxter about the barriers facing mothers and how starting her social enterprise, Fearless Kitchen, has helped her to overcome those barriers for herself and to pass those lessons on to others facing the same challenges whole creating real employment opportunities.
CHARITY TEA
Children all over the world are going hungry, we all know that. Three years ago Gill, a single mom of three, decided to make this problem her problem and set up a charity to feed children in need: in Haiti and here in New Zealand. But she didn’t stop there- with her Social Enterprise Charity Tea she has not only created a luxury tea brand, but as well a sustainable source of income to support her own charity without asking others for money. In this interview Vera Boessenrodt from sustainability blog Bit by Bit is having a chat with Gill who sells the tea that nourishes: the people drinking it and the hungry children it supports!
WILL & ABLE
We all know that a job is more than just about having paid work: money means a certain financial freedom and if we are lucky it fulfills us with a purpose beyond paying the bills, gives us satisfaction and a place to belong away from home. Providing this for people with disabilities is an incredible challenge: only 22% of disabled people are in any form of paid employment versus 70% for non-disabled people. If you then decide to create employment for people with an intellectual disability by selling environmentally safe and true sustainable products (not just lip service), you have a hell of a journey ahead.