Having PwC Foundation's support and mentorship gives FoodConnect the ability to approach the future with professional confidence and knowledge that we have a growth partner who has the experience to analyse each step carefully.”
Robert Pekin , Coordinating Director, Food Connect Pty Ltd |
Cultivating innovative social change
The phrase "social enterprise" might bring to mind a business operating in a social and responsible way or a charity with an entrepreneurial edge. Simply put, though, social enterprises compete in the marketplace like any other business… but they use their skills and profits to achieve social aims. Their surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners. [Source: Uk Social Enterprise Coalition.]
Embracing its role as a business leader in the community, PwC realises the importance of being involved in the shaping and development of the emerging social enterprise sector. Seeing a need to define PwC's role in society and recognising that leadership encompasses more than business skills, it is acknowledged that broader social and emotional awareness are required.
With this in mind, PwC Australia has been working with Social Ventures Australia -- a non-profit group dedicated to social change in Australia since 2002 -- to identify ways to address social issues, particularly through the development of the social enterprise model.
As a result, Social Ventures Australia (SVA) has, along with assistance from organisations like PwC, developed key ventures aimed at providing opportunities for people often marginalised by conditions such as economic and mental health challenges.
For example, Brisbane’s first ever Social Enterprise Hub (Hub), a joint venture of SVA, the Brisbane City Council and PwC, supports Brisbane’s emerging social enterprise sector. It offers services and support networks to the social enterprises that provide employment and training to disadvantaged people excluded from the mainstream workforce.
With the help of key partnerships, corporate mentors, pro bono support and other strong links, the Hub’s Accelerator Programme provides access to skills, expertise and resources that would otherwise be unavailable or too costly for a single enterprise. Ultimately the goal is that these factors combined will help each enterprise successfully shift from government-funded community organisation to sustainable trading entity.
This SVA-initiated project is the pilot of what will be a national rollout of Social Enterprise Hubs in each Australian state. The partnership’s ability to create an environment of support, growth, learning and engagement make the Hub the success story it is.
Other examples show that, through PwC's work with SVA, we are gaining a greater understanding of our nation’s current social challenges and are working toward addressing them. PwC Australia director of Performance Improvement/Advisory, James Lye, who has worked closely as a mentor to FoodConnect (another Hub participant), said, "Social enterprises exist because individuals take leadership in our community. I am both guiding and learning from FoodConnect as I run alongside them in this period of growth. I continue to discover new ways my personal and professional leadership can deliver sustainable change and transformation to their organisation.”
"Having PwC Foundation's support and mentorship gives FoodConnect the ability to approach the future with professional confidence and knowledge that we have a growth partner who has the experience to analyse each step carefully,” said Robert Pekin , Coordinating Director of Food Connect Pty Ltd.
PwC's enterprise mentors constantly listen and engage in dialogue on matters of social concern. Our mentors assist each social enterprise leader with planning, vision, financial management and operational plans to maximise the impact and efficiency of their business. Through this support, we are creating more opportunities for people who face employment challenges to be successfully re-integrated into the marketplace.
