26 Sep 2017

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A new booklet traces how Christchurch has become home to so many businesses with a social conscience.

Showcasing the city’s history in this sector, the Christchurch City Council in partnership with the Social Enterprise Institute has prepared the Social Enterprise in Christchurch booklet.

It is being launched at the Civic Offices at 4pm today and will be available at venues during the Social Enterprise World Forum 2017 being held in the city this week, and on the Christchurch City Council website.

The booklet traces the origins of social enterprise from early Maori history, through to post-earthquake developments, looking at how social enterprises in the city have evolved throughout the decades, making a difference for our community and environment.

Co-author Karla Gunby, Council Community Development Advisor, says putting the book together was incredibly interesting. “We have some amazing organisations in our city.”

There are 13 case studies of local social enterprises in the booklet including FoodTogether, which enables local communities to operate a food co-op, the Ministry of Awesome and Kilmarnock Enterprises.

Lindsey Jeffs from the Social Enterprise Institute, will be a guest speaker at the launch, alongside representatives from some of the organisations featured in case studies.

Mr Jeffs has worked extensively in the not-for-profit sector and is the past manager of the Christchurch Small Business Enterprise Centre, the Canterbury Community Business Trust and the Social Enterprise Institute.

He is now a lecturer in the Unitec Graduate Diploma in Not-for-Profit Management and runs a course in Christchurch for not-for profit organisations who want to explore how to diversify their funding streams by trading.

Social Enterprises are organisations that use the tools of business to address social or environmental problems. In New Zealand, these can include traditional business, not-for-profit and charitable organisations, cooperatives, and community groups. The defining features of social enterprises are that they primarily exist to do good, the majority of their revenue comes from selling goods or services, and the majority of their profit is reinvested into doing good.