The Social Entrepreneur

When Andrew Mawson arrived in Bromley-by-Bow in the east end of London, in the 1980s, it was in a state of social, economic and material disrepair. Living there, getting to know the residents and institutions, he soon realized that by unlocking its untapped potential, the community could begin to turn itself around. 'The Richard Branson of the social sector.' Libby PurvesWe all see problems in our neighbourhoods - problems with education, integration, housing, enterprise and healthcare provision. Many fine words are spoken and grand schemes posed by the government and charitable sector, but rearely do they seem to produce lasting, tangible results.Tired with policy papers and academic theory, social entrepreneurs are doing things differently - to great effect. They look to a very practical culture of change based on 'learning by doing', embracing human creativity and diversity, and applying business ideas to social questions. Andrew Mawson, one of the UK's leading social entrepreneurs, did just that in the East End of London where he established the Bromley-by-Bow Centre, a focal point for the community which provides healthcare and education, creates jobs and generates wealth for the area, delivering services in new ways to overcome the daily difficulties in people's lives. Here, he tells his inspiring story and poses a direct challenge: get real and learn from entrepreneurial ways of working to make a genuine difference.'Community comes from two Latin words; com and munos, translated literally as "together in gift". This is Andrew's starting point as it should be for any social entrepreneur. Buy this book, even if you think it's not relevant for you in your life.' TIM SMIT, founder of The Eden Project Social entrepreneurs are cutting through ideology and red tape and making real, lasting social change. Britain's leading social entrepreneur shows how, and why, it works. When Andrew Mawson arrived in Bromley-by-Bow in the east end of London, in the 1980s, it was in a state of social, economic and material disrepair. Living there, getting to know the residents and institutions, he soon realized that by unlocking its untapped potential, the community could begin to turn itself around. The result: the Bromley-by-Bow Centre has encouraged literacy, housing, business, health, welfare and enterprise in the area to flourish. Time and again using the same approach, Mawson has succeeded where the government and others have failed. His inspiring and timely book will demonstrate, through his own experience how, by seeking creative, dynamic, entrepreneurial ways of tackling seemingly intractable social problems, we can all make real changes in our communities.