Social enterprises in Berlin

Judith Brown, Head of SoFI’s Third Sector Development Unit has just returned from a fact-finding visit to Berlin. Judith was a delegate with Inspire, a UK development partnership, on a study visit and open space conference hosted by Incube, a German development partnership. The visit took place over five days and involved visits to four social enterprises and a three day conference.

Judith Brown, Head of SoFI’s Third Sector Development Unit has just returned from a fact-finding visit to Berlin. Judith was a delegate with Inspire, a UK development partnership, on a study visit and open space conference hosted by Incube, a German development partnership. The visit took place over five days and involved visits to four social enterprises and a three day conference.

As part of the European transnational partnership – made up of seven European programmes funded through the European Union’s Equal programme, Judith Brown joined the UK Development Partnership – Inspire – on a study visit and open space conference hosted by the German Development Partnership - Incube. The visit took place over five days and involved visits to four social enterprises and a three day conference.

Study visits

• Professional Integration Service - a quasi government organisation acting as an employment agency matching people to jobs, with a client base solely of people with disabilities.
• Enterability – an organisation providing business start-up support for people with disabilities.
• Cap-Markt – this social enterprise has set up supermarkets across Berlin to provide real work opportunities for people with disabilities, source produce locally and help in maintaining an urban infrastructure.
• Okohof Kuhhorst – an organic farm in Berlin’s rural hinterland which provides training, employment opportunities and living accommodation for people with learning and physical disabilities. The farm also has a shop where visitors can buy farm produce including cheese and wine.

The study visits were followed by a three-day conference using open space technology with partners looking at the potential of replication and franchising of social enterprise models. For example, Italian partners run a successful hotel chain employing people with disabilities. In the UK we have a very successful social care replication model.

For more information on open space technology or anything else relating to this visit, contact:
Judith Brown, Head of Third Sector Development Unit
Tel: 01642 342321
Email: judith.brown@tees.ac.uk

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