all credits: Newstart Magazine
8th July 2010

A new campaign has launched to help social enterprises and community trading organisations buy goods and services from each other.

Shop for Change is the brainchild of the Initiative for Social Entrepreneurs (ISE) and aims to keep the third sector in Birmingham flourishing at a time of public spending cuts.

A survey into the purchasing habits of social enterprises and other third sector organisations in Birmingham revealed that almost half source less than 10% of their supplies from within the sector. More than a third (35%) buy no goods at all from other social enterprises.

A launch event for the campaign this week brought social businesses together and asked them to sign a pledge to boost their levels of spend within their own sector.

‘It seemed to us to be a logical step for third sector organisations to look first “in their own backyard” and increase the amount of business they are doing with each other,’ said Sarah Crawley, chief executive of ISE. ‘People embraced the concept and immediately started making contacts and discussing opportunities to work together.’

The event also helped pinpoint gaps in the local social enterprise market and the skills needed to allow the sector to boost its competitiveness.

‘I see this campaign as being about revolution,’ said Ms Crawley. ‘It’s about working together to change the world. I hope that other cities and regions will want to pick up on it and follow our lead.’