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About GSEN

Glasgow Social Enterprise Network (GSEN) is a membership network of social enterprise leaders operating in the Greater Glasgow Area. Since its set up in 2008 it has proven invaluable for members in providing a range of services from information-sharing and peer support to resources and access to events and training.

Membership includes social enterprises of all sizes at all stages of their development, across a wide range of trading activities.

Our Vision

We believe that social enterprise can transform the economic, environmental, social, and cultural life of Glasgow.

Our vision is of a dynamic and vibrant social enterprise community that is part of the fabric of the city, and which is central to the way that Glasgow chooses to do business.

Our ambition is to create a supportive environment in Glasgow in which social enterprise is able to flourish.

One where:

Social enterprise is a well-known and widely accepted part of mainstream community life, work, business and education in the city
Social enterprise plays a central role in reshaping and running the public services on which Glasgow continues to depend
Social enterprise makes a strong and measurable contribution to the growth of Glasgow’s economy
Social enterprises are able to make the most of locally important assets and act as a catalyst for wider community regeneration
Social enterprise is the business model of choice for a new wave of entrepreneurs passionate about making a difference to Glasgow

What We Do

Supporting

We facilitate a safe space for members to come together to share resources, ideas and experiences.
We offer a platform for members to form partnerships and collaborations.
We provide information and signposting to specialist services.

Promoting

We provide an outlet for awareness raising of social enterprises, their products and services through our events and communication channels
We engage and consult with social enterprises to ensure their views are represented at the appropriate levels, locally, nationally and internationally.

Developing

We enable opportunities for trading between members, the community, public sector and private sector.
We provide and enable access to events and training.
We undertake research to influence strategic and policy development.

Glasgow Third Sector Interface

Glasgow Social Enterprise Network is a key partner in Glasgow’s Third Sector Interface, along with GCVS, Volunteer Glasgow and the Glasgow Third Sector Forum. Together, these Glasgow-based partners provide comprehensive support to the third sector in the city to help them to function, grow and thrive.

About Third Sector Interfaces

Third Sector Interfaces were created across all local authority areas in Scotland in 2011, to provide a consistent arrangement for Third Sector support in each area and representation on community planning partnerships.

All Third Sector Interfaces across the country have four priorities and in Glasgow these are led by the core partners as follows:

To develop and support voluntary organisations in their local areas – GCVS
To promote and support volunteering – VG
To develop and support social enterprises – GSEN
To connect and involve the Third Sector in community planning – TSF

The Scottish Government has a Third Sector Unit which supports the development of the Third Sector in Scotland. View the Third Sector Unit’s web pages on the Scottish Government website.

GSEN Strategy 2011-2016

Launched in 2011, this strategy set out our route map towards the development of a more vibrant and sustainable social enterprise community in Glasgow. This strategy was relevant until 2016, when GSEN worked in partnership with GCC to develop Glasgow's first co-produced Social Enterprise Strategy which was approved by the City Administration Committee in June 2018 and will be launched in August.