Social Ventures Australia (SVA) aims to increase wellbeing and happiness in our communities by helping people to participate both economically and socially, as well as building a sense of self-worth among the most marginalised members of our communities.
PwC is actively involved in three of SVA’s programs: Activate, School Aid Trust and OzGreen. Activate develops leadership skills in young people who are experiencing long-term unemployment, homelessness and disadvantage. These young people are then able to go back to their communities and help find solutions to local issues. School Aid Trust works on the theory that a little can add up to a lot. It asks Australia’s 11,000 schools to donate as little as $100 a year - and so far has raised $1.2 million over three years to help educate disadvantaged kids worldwide.
PwC is proud of its role in helping these initiatives take flight. Of PwC’s involvement, Jan Owen, Executive Director, Social Ventures Australia, says, "All ventures are leaving a significant impression upon the communities in which they operate. This is due in large part to the significant contributions that PwC has made in supporting the formalisation, strengthening and growth of these ventures.”
This year, PwC was proud to be a part of a new venture with SVA. In June, we worked with SVA and Brisbane City Council to launch the Brisbane Social Enterprise Hub. This will give long-term unemployed people, refugees and people with a mental illness access to work and life opportunities, and help to develop ‘social entrepreneurs’ who will make a significant economic and social impact in their communities. By investing in the network, PwC has the chance to transfer valuable business skills to those who, traditionally, have been at a disadvantage in the employment market, as well as being at the forefront of the development of the social enterprise sector - which makes sense from both a business and community perspective.
