By carrying out a survey of 1300 Marsh Farm householders we were able to measure the amounts of money we (there are 9,400 Marsh Farm residents) earn and spend every week (approximately £1 million). Then, we asked residents where they currently spend this money, to see whether, by the setting up of social enterprises providing the same service locally, we could ‘capture’ enough of that spending to sustain those enterprises and create local jobs.
The complete list of enterprises is:
1. Home and Office Cleaning
2. Social and Community Centre (with snooker club and conferencing)
3. Multi Media Unit (Music Production Studio)
4. Child Minding Agency
5. Building & Construction
6. Cafe, Catering and Fast Food Take-Away
7. Fair Trade Tea Sales & Distribution
8. Marketing and Communications
9. Motor Mechanics, Servicing and Repair and MOT Station
10. Green Co-operative
11. Accounts and Book Keeping
The surveys revealed several areas where millions of pounds are spent every year, but where all of this spending is done in outlets which are not based on the estate (e.g. car mechanics, fast food, social clubs, building).
The surveys also demonstrate very high levels of resident support for the setting up a ‘family’ of not for profit businesses to provide these services locally, so by simply buying stuff we already buy from these new social enterprises we can create sustainable jobs and training spaces for local people who need them the most.
We also focussed on areas where social enterprises are increasingly being used to deliver public services, with a view to building local capacity to tender for public contracts from public agencies like MFCDT and LBC (catering, cleaning, building and landscaping).
Other enterprises are being set up primarily to provide essential services to the OW enterprises (sales and marketing, book keeping) as well as selling their services in the open market.
