Comment on Carillion Collapse

Posted: 15 January 2018, in Press Release

Commenting on the collapse of construction and infrastructure giant, Carillion, Duncan Thorp of Social Enterprise Scotland said:

“The collapse of Carillion shows that public services run by big corporations is a failed experiment. This kind of anti-social enterprise only benefits shareholders and directors. Locally owned social enterprises and co-operatives are the only real alternative to deliver our public services. The immediate priority should be maintaining public services and protecting the jobs of workers and small businesses in the Carillion supply chain.”

Read the BBC news story on Carillion.

See our social enterprise FAQs for Scottish journalists at: socialenterprise.scot/news/1288

Social Enterprise Scotland is The Voice of Social Enterprise – uniting social enterprises and their supporters into a strong campaigning force. We’re your gateway to Scotland’s social enterprise community. We’re an independent, Scottish, membership-led organisation, built and controlled by social enterprises. We’re the first point of contact for the media and public and promote a positive vision for social enterprise.

ENDS

 

Notes:

1 What is Social Enterprise? Social enterprise is a dynamic and inspiring way of doing business. Social enterprises are innovative, independent businesses that exist specifically for social and/or environmental purposes. Read more here.

2 What examples are there? Diverse examples include: The Big Issue, The Wise Group, Divine Chocolate, Kibble Education and Care Centre, Glasgow Housing Association, Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust, Link Group Ltd, the Eden Project in Cornwall, Capital Credit Union, The Grameen Foundation, Mondragon Corporation in the Basque Country and the Homeless World Cup.

3 Where can I see social enterprise in action? There’s probably a social enterprise running a shop, art gallery, sports centre or cafe in your local area – take a look at the Directory of Social Enterprise here or contact us. The media and others can contact us to arrange visits.

4 What types of social enterprise exist? Social enterprise is a diverse community and the more-than-profit approach is used by a huge range of organisations, of every size, operating in every corner of Scotland and in most sectors of the economy. A social enterprise can simply be a Company Limited by Guarantee with an appropriate “asset lock” and social mission etc, it could also be a registered charity. These are some of the common types and a social enterprise is often one or more of these: Co-operatives and Mutuals, Social Firms, Community Interest Companies (CICs), Development Trusts, Credit Unions and Housing Associations (aka Registered Social Landlords or RSLs).