The Power of Social Enterprises: How Working with Connection Crew Enhances Your Business and the World

In today’s business landscape, transparency and sustainability are no longer just buzzwords - they're essential parts of corporate responsibility. Stakeholders, clients, and customers across all industries are more and more demanding that businesses demonstrate tangible social and environmental impact.

But how can businesses meet these expectations while maintaining high-quality service and operational efficiency?

The answer lies in partnering with social enterprises like Connection Crew.

What is a Social Enterprise?

Social enterprises are businesses that work and trade to achieve social or environmental goals.

Unlike traditional businesses, where profits are typically distributed to shareholders, social enterprises reinvest profits into their mission - whether that’s reducing carbon emissions, creating jobs for marginalised communities, or providing essential services to those in need.

Globally, there are around 10 million social enterprises which generate approx. $2 trillion in revenue each year.

In the UK alone, there are 131,000 social enterprises with a collective turnover of around £78 billion, contributing 3.4% to the GDP and creating jobs for around 2.3 million people. 84% of social enterprises pay the real Living Wage.

Connection Crew is one of them. We’ve been accredited with the Living Wage Foundation since 2021, and our committment to fair pay for work has been the same since we opened our doors in 2005. We are one of the SE100 - NatWest and Pioneer Post’s list of the top Social Enterprises in the UK - and are proud to say that we have been named SE100 in many years since the award’s conception.

That’s not all.

We have been endorsed for quality of service too. In 2023 and 2024 alone, we have been awarded at the EN Supplier Awards, the UK Enterprise Awards and Event Production Awards, and were finalists at the SEUK Awards, Exhibition News Awards and Event Production Awards.

Social enterprises like Connection Crew prove that quality and impact go hand in hand. When you work with us, you're not compromising on quality to achieve social and environmental benefits – you're getting both in one package. Our award-winning services reflect our commitment to excellence in every aspect of what we do, making sure that your business receives top-tier service while simultaneously supporting and contributing to positive change for society and the environment.

The Economic Impact of Social Enterprises

Social enterprises like Connection Crew play an absolutely vital role in reducing economic inequality and boosting the economy.

By prioritising purpose (and delivery) over profit, social enterprises create jobs and opportunities that might not exist otherwise, particularly for marginalised groups.

In the UK, social enterprises are driving positive change across industries, offering innovative alternatives to traditional business models.

By working with Connection Crew, your business not only supports these efforts but also contributes to a more equitable economy for all.

Our mission is to end homelessness by providing training and meaningful, living wage work for those affected by homelessness, facing barriers to work, and/or are furthest from the job market.

You can read more about how we do this here and here.

The Social Impact

Social enterprises are uniquely positioned to improve social justice. They create employment and training opportunities, often for disadvantaged groups, and offer innovative alternatives.

For example, social enterprises can run essential services like bus routes, nurseries, and leisure centres, and deliver health and social care in ways that prioritise community wellbeing over profit margins.

At Connection Crew, our mission is to create social impact through employment and training. In the first half of our reporting year for 2024 alone, we’ve delivered 12,243 hours of social impact on-site (hours of work for our Impact crew, crew affected by homelessness and/or who face barriers to work).

These hours more than a statistic - they represent real change in people’s lives.

The businesses and organisations we work with directly contribute to these efforts simply by choosing to book our crew, enhancing their social responsibility credentials and supporting those who need it most.

All while getting exceptional delivery on-site and from the office.

The Environmental Impact

Environmental sustainability is another area where social enterprises excel.

By reinvesting profits into environmental missions, pushing behavioural change, and more, social enterprises can lead the way in reducing carbon footprints and promoting sustainable practices.

Choosing to work with us means contributing to our sustainability initiatives.

In 2021, Connection Crew introduced our Carbon Levy to monitor and reduce* CO2e emissions generated on-site. Our clients benefit from the knowledge that they're actively participating in environmental sustainability; it's a story they love to tell, showcasing their commitment to the planet.

We’ve accounted for 59,314.2 kg of CO2e emissions this half-year (1st December 2023 to 31st May 2024) alone.

This, again, is more than just a number; accounting for, reducing, and removing* CO2e emissions is a tangible, real contribution to the fight against climate change and race to net zero 2030.

*We acknowledge that offsetting is not the end goal, and are in the process of updating our Carbon and ESG Levy to account for alternative carbon reduction and migration strategies as we move towards net zero 2030.

Why Partner with Connection Crew?

Partnering with Connection Crew offers more than exceptional delivery on site and from the office.

It provides your business with a competitive edge, showing that you prioritise sustainability and social impact - key differentiators that set you apart.

In an era where businesses face increasing pressure to show that their supply chains are sustainable, we can offer you measurable social and environmental impact.

Our Annual Impact Reports share our social and environmental impact, making it easy for you to share your achievements with stakeholders and customers alike.

These reports highlight the impact we’ve made - as well as reflecting the positive changes your business and all our clients have enabled, simply by choosing to work with us.

Celebrate Your Company’s Individual Impact with Us

In addition to our Annual Impact Report, each year we share something special with clients who have worked with us to deliver over a week’s worth of social impact (equivalent to over 37.5 hours of on-site work by our impact crew), and who are part of our Carbon & ESG Levy:

Individualised impact reports.

These reports detail your contributions to both people and planet, allowing you to showcase the exact difference you’re making in a tangible, measurable way.

Which other crewing companies meet your immediate operational needs while supporting your long-term sustainability and social responsibility goals at the same time?

This is a future-proof model which we regularly review and improve, that aligns with our purpose as a social enterprise, meeting the demands of today’s market and the challenges of tomorrow - for all our clients, the vulnerable people we work with, our wider crew, and the people and planet that we want to support.

A Partnership That Goes Beyond Business as Usual

At Connection Crew, we believe that business can be a force for good - and deliver top-notch service at the same time.

By partnering with us, you're benefiting from this ethos. You're getting excellent crewing and office support, all while contributing to a better economy, a fairer society, and a healthier planet.

Beyond business-as-usual is a commitment to making a lasting impact with you.

That’s the power of social enterprise.

That’s how working with SEs like Connection Crew enhances your business and the world.