At a time of cuts, more or less across the board, we have to find new ways to boost the social sector. In short, we need to get much more from much less.

One obvious, and very exciting, response is Social enterprise - essentially- self-financing businesses that trade for a social purpose.

Around the country, there are 62,000 social enterprises. They employ more than 800,000 people and have a combined turnover of 27bn. The best known examples include The Big Issue, Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Restaurant, and Belu water.

Nationally, the Government has said it intends to access funds from dormant bank accounts to establish a ‘Big Society Bank’, which will provide finance for neighbourhood groups, charities, and social enterprises. We do not yet know how much money will be raised, but we must hope it is substantial.

Locally, we have very few social enterprises, but that also looks set to change with the formal launch of “Social Enterprise Richmond”. A group of local social entrepreneurs have seen the gap, and as entrepreneurs do, they are going to plug it.

SE Richmond will open for business this month, and will be a one-stop shop for anyone interested in SE, public tendering, putting on seminars and workshops, and providing consultancy advice, information and guidance.

Social Enterprise isn’t just a good thing to do: it is vital on so many levels. By supporting it, local and national Government will also benefit. For one thing, Social enterprise isn’t just about profit. They necessarily deliver a public good. They also encourage community and regeneration. Indeed there are countless examples of SE taking over the management of unused land and buildings – and transforming them for the benefit of the community.