Doing more good

Friday 22nd June

HCT Group has a simple objective – to do more good. Precisely what we mean by that and the mechanics of how we go about it are needfully more involved – yet this fundamental idea of what we are for acts as guide and mentor to the organisation.

I believe that this simple objective, shared by so many other social enterprises, is a clear counterpoint to modern shareholder capitalism and its own objective – maximising shareholder value. That we can thrive in commercial competition against such organisations, generate wealth and wellbeing for our communities and pursue our social mission in a tough economic climate – all combine to give me an abiding hope for our society. I believe that social enterprise is the future.

Measuring our social impact helps us to ask ‘Did we, in fact, do more good?’ We have just published our annual social impact report for 2011/12 – our best answer to that question. The headline numbers are encouraging – there has been a 16% increase from the last impact report in the number of passenger trips we have provided to disadvantaged individuals or community group members – a net rise of 39,893 trips.

Each one of these extra trips also represents a human story. A disabled person enabled to access the world of work, a community group broadening the horizons of young people away from gang culture, or the simple pleasure of a vulnerable older person catching up with friends at the day centre. This is what a social enterprise choosing to reinvest its profits for social good means on the ground. This is why we do what we do.