Wrexham Glyndwr University Wins £230k Research Grant

Wrexham Glyndwr University has been awarded a £230,000 research grant to study social enterprise practices across Europe.

The project, which will explore practice in successful social enterprises in Spain, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Lithuania and Romania, aims to identify factors that are significant in the development of social enterprises.

Professor Chris Fortune, lecturer of project management in Wrexham Glyndwr University’s North Wales Business School, won the bid to carry out the research and hopes the findings will help internationalise the curriculum for a new BSc Social Enterprise degree the university is launching next year.

Prof Fortune said: “The results of this two year research project will not only help internationalise the new programme’s curriculum but will also develop European links with social entrepreneurs which can only help develop real skills in the students graduating from the new programme.

“The programme will provide education and training for would be social entrepreneurs and potential managers and leaders of existing social enterprises.”

The study, Social Enterprise Development Education and Training Tools (SEDETT), is funded by ERASMUS plus and an EU research grant.

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones has congratulated the university on winning the grant and visited the university to discuss the new Social Enterprise degree.

Prof Fortune said: “Susan has a commitment to the third sector and has recently spoken on support for social investment in the House of Commons, so was very interested in hearing about the university’s new programme and research we will be carrying out.”

The Clwyd South MP has urged the Government to support the growth of social enterprises, which use business models for social ends, which present a ‘tremendous opportunity’.

Susan said: “The divisions between public, private and voluntary sectors really don’t belong in a world where we need to be taking the best aspects of all sectors to improve people’s life chances, create prosperity and tackle the problems facing our local communities, our country and our planet.

“That’s where social enterprises come in – using business methods to improve society. However, so far, we haven’t seen many universities showing an interest in social enterprises. It is terrific that our local university is doing so and by doing so, offering a pioneering course for people who want to make a real difference.”

The new degree has been developed under Professor Chris Jones, the head of the North Wales Business School with input from Wrexham Social Enterprise Network (WSEN) and the Association of Voluntary Organisations in Wrexham (AVOW) and has opportunities for work placement.

For more information on the business school visit the Wrexham Glyndwr University website.