By Sasha Glasgow?
A ?27 million funding boost for social enterprises has been announced today. This takes the total of the Department of Health’s Social Enterprise Investment Fund to ?100 million.
The Social Enterprise Investment Fund supports the development of businesses that specialise in the areas of health and social care, especially those that cater for the needs of the elderly, vulnerable?and socially excluded. Profits from these businesses are normally ploughed back into the business or into the local community to promotote independence and improve quality of life.
Care Services Minister, Ivan Lewis said: “Increasingly, we are seeing social enterprises delivering the innovative and personalised services that people rightly expect. That is why we are supporting social enterprises in health and social care through investment from the ?100 million Social Enterprise Investment Fund.”
Today, cheques will be presented to three?projects benefitting from the current year’s funding. Luton’s Women’s Aid provides safe housing for women experiencing domestic abuse, and has done for 34 years. They will recieve almost ?50,000.
?Other well-known social enterprises are?Jamie Oliver’s fifteen and The Big Issue which work with disadvantaged youth and the homeless.
