Well we now have our very own Social Enterprise 100 list. The RBS SE100 index is an interesting albeit controversial (in parts) ranking. I am very much a supporter of anything which raises the profile of social enterprise and this report is a major piece of work. Ranking anything is always going to cause debate and argument but the authors have done a good job in addressing as many variables as possible.
I look forward to seeing future SE100 lists and the rate of change within the organisations being ranked. I have a feeling that many of the stars of 2010 will disappear rapidly with the cuts in government spending. As an example the withdrawal of the Future Jobs Fund will adversely affect many of the high fliers in this years index.
What this report shows is how important social enterprise is to the country with the 350 businesses listed having a turnover of £812m. I am hoping that there are even more entrants next year and that this list becomes as important in our industry as the FTSE100.
Size is not everything as we know but with "impact rankings" alongside growth and size we can see a real pattern emerging of what the sector has to offer. For NWES it is interesting to note that we are ranked at 24 in the "BIG50".
What the sector needs to do now is to use this information in putting across our message. We still struggle to define ourselves and I for one hate "third sector" but perhaps this will begin to change perceptions.
So well done to RBS and if you want to read the report then access it via: www.socialenterpriselive.com/se100
