Prince Charles arrived in London’s East End today to meet social enterprise workers and leaders of the business world on pressing social and environmental issues. He turned up at Stepney’s Troxy venue for the annual ‘Business in the Community’ network event.
The 500 guests he mingled with at the huge art deco former cinema in the Commercial Road were celebrating 3,000 jobs being created through social enterprise schemes.
He was presented with a tile from a mosaic by the South Bank Mosaic social enterprise in Waterloo, which spruces up public spaces with artwork while providing artisan training for the long-term unemployed.
The Prince of Wales also toured a Christmas market of social enterprises which have support from corporate companies through the ‘Business in the Community’ charity, of which he is president.
A programme started by the charity in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympics to match social entrepreneurs with senior business experts has helped 2,500 people into work, including 1,000 in east London’s five Olympic ‘host’ boroughs, it was announced at today’s event. Another 500 jobs have been created throughout the South East region.
The charity gives social entrepreneurs support from business to boost marketing, advice on winning contracts and new business, subsidised business training, premises at discount and introductions to supply chains.
There are 70,000 social enterprises in the UK tackling social problems, employing a-million people and making £24 billion for Britain’s economy.
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