In April I visited Suara, Spain’s largest services co-operative, employing over 4,000 people and with a turnover of more than 80m euros. Based in Barcelona, Suara provides a range of care and education services across Catalonia. It was formed from a merger of three care co-operatives around 10 years ago, which realised that with competition […]
Author Archives: Jonathan Bland
Barcelona – Promoting the Social and Solidarity Economy
05/07/2019 – 10:18 am
In April 2019 I visited Barcelona to learn about recent developments in the promotion of co-operatives and the wider social economy in the City.
The Co-operative Councils Innovation Network
01/18/2019 – 11:33 am
Last autumn Social Business International / E3M joined the Co-operative Councils Innovation Network as an affiliate member. I had attended the network’s annual conference in Croydon and came away inspired by the opportunities to work with a group of progressive councils, looking for new solutions to the challenges facing them and their communities. The councils […]
Commissioning Social Enterprises: Moving from Procurement to Partnerships
03/23/2018 – 11:48 am
This E3M event explored the practical ingredients needed for the co-production of new solutions for service delivery in local communities, where local public bodies can harness the innovative power of social enterprises.