A pilot qualitative case study research project developed collaboratively by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), Oxford Community Action, and the University of Greenwich has co-created a toolkit outlining core principles for establishing and managing social enterprises led by Black and Racially Minoritised groups.
Funded by Safe and Inclusive Communities (Anglia Ruskin University) – ‘Empowering Inclusion: A Toolkit for Black and Racially Minoritised Led Social Enterprises’, is a practical guide and a theoretical framework exploring how grass-roots Black and Racially Minoritisedcommunity groups navigate the complexities of initiating and sustaining social enterprises.
Providing a lived experience theory of change outline of the case study community organisation Oxford Community Action’s journey towards becoming a Social Enterprise, the toolkit identifies four core principles which have underpinned Oxford Community Action’s process of change:
• Transitioning
• Racial Justice/Social Justice – Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.
• Legitimacy
• Sustainability
Additional key themes explored in the toolkit include:
• The role of social enterprises in promoting social justice, economic empowerment, and community development.
• Sustainable Strategic Objectives
• Training and resources for developing entrepreneurial skills with Black and racially minoritised communities
• Continuous engagement with communities ensuring that their voices remain central to the mission and objectives of the enterprise.
At a time of increasing interest in enabling more democratic forms of local community ownership, grass-roots participation, inclusion of marginalised groups, and community economic development, the toolkit provides insights into the social economy oriented trading activities and ongoing community development initiatives of a Black and Racially Minoritised led social enterprise within the framework of Community Wealth Building.
‘Empowering Inclusion: Toolkit for Black and Racially Minoritised Led Social Enterprises’was co-authored by a team of academic researchers and practitioners: Nigel Carter (OCA), Anna Paraskevopoulou (ARU), Leroi Henry (UoG), Hassan Sabrie (OCA) and Mujahid Hamidi (OCA). Aneeka Quraishi did the design. Oxford Community Action’s community volunteers and local key informants were also integral to the research and co-creation of the toolkit.