We developed a strategy plan for a community interest approach to broadband r/>r/>http://www.small-loans-online.com/

Ok Dan, as you can see above I'm making positive moves toward the development of small scale rural business with my plan for a community hub in a link above.r/>r/>In 2004 we'd raised awareness of the importance of broadband access in rural communities when BT were at the time holding back on rural exchange upgrades. We developed a strategy plan for a community interest approach to broadband deployment which would invest profit in CDFIs to seed new social and traditional enterprise. r/>r/>We'd predicted a £70 million yield for CDFIS from a 5% share of the rural broadband market. r/>r/>http://www.box.net/shared/y3tpik8eg6r/>r/>It is still doable, we retain the copyright for this model and are now engaged in bringing the technology infrastructure into the 'next generation' of broadband deployment.r/>r/>Government and social enterprises may work with us if they so choose.

Jeff - I think Ben was probably hoping to provoke some relevant and constructive responses but good to see you managed to avoid mentioning the Ukraine this time. r/>r/>Ben - great to hear such positivity! Any views on how these groups are going to get the money and structures together quick enough to respond to auctions and tenders in competition with big private competitors?r/>r/>D.

I offer the perspective of a social enterprise located in the Forest of Dean. Here many would and indeed do, argue that the forest is already in public ownership.r/>r/>We are not France or other European countries abundant forest to spare. Our resources in comparison are small.r/>r/>To argue that social enterprise requires land ownership fails to take into account that development of local sustainable enterprise is entirely possible in collaboration with the current stewards, our Forestry Commission and district council. Right now, I'm making this point to them, that we can create local employment, develop tourism and enhance our use of renewable resources. r/>r/>http://www.theplacestation.org.uk/proposal/23001-1001-parkend-community-hubr/>r/>Our stance as pioneers of the cause driven business approach, is that what we describe as 'profit for purpose' was never intended to pull public resources into the private sector. We have on the other hand often described how business can serve social needs. Never more so than in our 2006 strategy plan for social enterprise on a national scale, where we say:r/>r/>"An inherent assumption about capitalism is that profit is defined only in terms of monetary gain. This assumption is virtually unquestioned in most of the world. However, it is not a valid assumption. Business enterprise, capitalism, must be measured in terms of monetary profit. That rule is not arguable. A business enterprise must make monetary profit, or it will merely cease to exist. That is an absolute requirement. But it does not follow that this must necessarily be the final bottom line and the sole aim of the enterprise. How this profit is used is another question. It is commonly assumed that profit will enrich enterprise owners and investors, which in turn gives them incentive to participate financially in the enterprise to start with."r/>r/>"That, however, is not the only possible outcome for use of profits. Profits can be directly applied to help resolve a broad range of social problems: poverty relief, improving childcare, seeding scientific research for nationwide economic advancement, improving communications infrastructure and accessibility, for examples – the target objectives of this particular project plan. The same financial discipline required of any conventional for-profit business can be applied to projects with the primary aim of improving socioeconomic conditions. Profitability provides money needed to be self-sustaining for the purpose of achieving social and economic objectives such as benefit of a nation’s poorest, neediest people. In which case, the enterprise is a social enterprise."r/>r/>http://en.for-ua.com/analytics/2007/08/09/110003.htmlr/>r/>We've already seen how social enterprise can be re-interpreted locally, with the case of a healthcare SET which is now under investigation by council auditors, having decided not to involve police.r/>r/>Our government and our local MP have been asked to support this kind of social enterprise but it falls on deaf ears. We now have the rhetoric of these ideals, for example in David Cameron's speech at Davos, but that seems to be as far as it goes for those walking the talk.r/>r/>As Gerard Winstanley once put it: r/>r/>"The gentrye are all ‘round, on each side they are found,r/>Theire wisdom’s profound; to cheat us of our ground" r/>r/>We are not going to be cheated of this intellectual property nor the ground on which we stand. r/>r/>