‘Tis the season to buy social | Deloitte UK has been saved
We may be leading more socially isolated lives than we’re used to, but for this reason it’s all the more important we become socially minded. Despite physical distance, the challenges posed by coronavirus have shown us all the power of connection and community in difficult times.
We’ve seen countless examples of socially minded people making a meaningful impact to help others – from heroic fundraising efforts, to neighbourly check-ins. Social mindedness is about being there for one another.
As the holiday season nears, we’re all preparing for festivities to look a little different, but the spirit of giving remains. If you’re planning on gift-giving, or if you’re looking to make a difference in society by giving back, have you considered purchasing from a social enterprise?
Choose communities: buy social
Social enterprises are organisations that are changing the world for better. Like traditional businesses, social enterprises aim to make a profit, but it’s what they do with their profits that set them apart – reinvesting or donating them to create positive social change.
There are 100,000 social enterprises in the UK operating across different markets, from energy suppliers to marketing agencies, from healthcare providers to IT consultancies, and from construction firms to wellbeing agencies.
With Social Enterprise Day on Thursday 19 November – a global campaign to bring awareness to social enterprises and celebrate the impact they have in the world – there’s all the more reason to be socially minded this holiday season.
We’re proud to work with these inspiring organisations as part of 5 Million Futures – like Luminary Bakery.
Investing in empowerment with Luminary Bakery
From the outside, Luminary may look like an ordinary bakery but a purchase from this inspiring all-female bakery empowers women from disadvantaged backgrounds to bake their way into employment. Beyond selling mouth-watering baked goods, Luminary’s purpose is to support women, including victims of violence or those experiencing homelessness, providing paid employment and a supportive community to help them thrive.
The courses and skills-building provided by Luminary open up a world of opportunity that many of these women previously thought unreachable.
You can spread some holiday cheer with Luminary by ordering their speciality: letterbox brownies (gooey goodness delivered directly to your door? Yes please!). They’ve also recently released their new cookbook, Rising Hope, combining tasty recipes with stories from the bakery and the women they’ve helped empower – both a delicious and heart-warming gift idea!
Who would have known that helping someone in need could really be a piece of cake?
Give with purpose this holiday season
Whether it’s baked goods that empower women, coffee that provides jobs for individuals experiencing homelessness, or clothing that supports orphaned and abandoned children around the world, it’s easy to buy social when looking for that perfect Christmas gift.
Our national 5MF partner, Social Enterprise UK (SEUK), has made it easy to spread seasonal cheer with purpose with their Buy Social Directory. So before you buy that gift, check to see if you can make a meaningful difference while you’re at it by purchasing from a social enterprise.
Socially minded business
As part of our 5 Million Futures goal to make an impact that matters in society, Deloitte has signed on to SEUK’s Buy Social Corporate Challenge and we are now reviewing our own supply chains, committed to increasing our social enterprise spend and aligning our core operations to positively transform lives.
Search for the hashtag #WhoKnew for the latest on Social Enterprise Day and follow our 5MF account at @DeloitteUK_5M for more!
