From Local Roots to Global Impact: CEIS and ISEO’s International Journey
In a recent blog post, we explored how John Pearce, the first General Manager of Strathclyde Community Business (SCB, which later became CEIS), continues to influence our work today. But there’s another chapter to John’s story – and ours – that deserves attention: the international dimension of social enterprise.
John Pearce’s Global Vision
After leaving SCB in 1991, John turned his attention to social enterprise on the global stage. This shift wasn’t a departure from his earlier work, but a natural evolution. John recognised that the challenges and opportunities facing communities in Scotland had parallels worldwide and that Scotland had an opportunity to both share what it had learned about social enterprise, and to see what it could learn from others abroad.
In one fascinating article, John explored community-based residential homes for the elderly in rural Sweden. He described how the village of Lovvik, once on the verge of dying, was revitalised through a community-led initiative to create housing for older residents. This project not only provided care for the elderly but also created local employment and renewed community spirit.
John’s international perspective wasn’t limited to elderly care. He also wrote compellingly about children’s museums as a new type of community enterprise.
In this piece, John wondered if the US model of children’s museums, created for education and fun , could be adapted for community enterprises in Britain. He saw these spaces not just as educational resources, but as catalysts for community engagement and economic development.
The Catalonian Connection
John’s exploration of innovative social enterprise models extended to Catalonia, where he highlighted a co-operative care model for the elderly.
This approach, blending high-quality care with community ownership, exemplifies the kind of cross-border learning and innovation that John championed throughout his career.
Carrying the Torch
It’s remarkable how John’s later focus aligns with CEIS’ current international endeavours, particularly through both the Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) our International Social Enterprise Observatory (ISEO) programme.
In 2007 our then CEO Gerry Higgins saw that there was both a desire for and opportunity to share the best practices of social enterprises from across the world. This led to the very first Social Enterprise World Forum event in Edinburgh in 2008. Since then, SEWF has grown exponentially, and now operates as its own business. You can learn more about SEWF here.
Established in 2019, ISEO supports the growth of social enterprises both from Scotland and into Scotland. In many ways, it’s the embodiment of John’s vision taken to a global scale.
Although John’s focus on international social enterprise pre-dates our own move into that area, he was very much at the forefront of recognising how Scotland’s history of community enterprise had blossomed into a world leading social enterprise ecosystem.
Since then, Scotland is world renowned for being one of the best places to do social enterprise, but much like John, we’re always keen to learn about the other ways it operates in different localities. That’s one of the reasons why ISEO exists – to share knowledge and best practice.
Real-World Impact
ISEO’s work is bringing John Pearce’s vision to life in tangible ways. Let’s look at some recent examples of social enterprises we have assisted to internationalise with the help of The Challenges Group, one of ISEO’s key partners:
- Sustainable Futures Global (SFG): ISEO helped this group of international researchers transform from a university project into a fully-fledged Community Interest Company. By providing business development support and facilitating investment, ISEO enabled SFG to scale its impact on global sustainability challenges.
- Climate Change Legal Initiative (C²LI): ISEO supported this world-first social enterprise in bridging complex transparency gaps in climate law. With ISEO’s guidance, C²LI successfully spun out from the University of Strathclyde and secured growth funding through The Challenges Group’s The Venture Lab, empowering them to drive global climate action through legal expertise.
- Gender in Emergencies (GiE) Group: ISEO played a crucial role in helping GiE transition from a department within an NGO to an independent, feminist social enterprise. With The Challenges Group and ISEO’s support, GiE has trained hundreds of humanitarian workers worldwide and developed innovative pricing models to ensure accessibility.
These success stories demonstrate how ISEO is not just supporting individual enterprises but fostering innovation across sectors and borders.
Knowledge Exchange and Global Connections
ISEO’s impact extends beyond direct business support. The organisation also facilitates valuable knowledge exchange, as evidenced by the recent study visit to Donegal, Ireland . This trip allowed Scottish social enterprise leaders to explore shared services models and forge connections with Irish counterparts. Such exchanges are crucial for cross-pollinating ideas and best practices in the global social enterprise ecosystem.
Furthermore, ISEO is actively involved in global discussions about the future of social enterprise. Following the Social Enterprise World Forum, ISEO has been part of conversations about ramping up knowledge exchange, linking social enterprise censuses to future goals and policies, and planning for the sector’s growth and ecosystem development.
The Future of International Social Enterprise
As we look to the future, ISEO is poised to play an even more significant role in the global social enterprise landscape. Our vision is to create a world where social and economic change is driven by evidence-based decision-making, fostering more active, better connected, and more sustainable communities worldwide. And we plan to achieve this vision through our innovative Team Scotland approach, working closely with the 8 partners in ISEO to deliver a compelling service offering that helps social enterprises of all kinds from all over the world.
A Legacy of International Impact
John Pearce’s journey from local community development to international social enterprise parallels our own organisational evolution. As we continue to expand our international work through ISEO, we’re not just exporting Scottish social enterprise expertise, but also learning from and collaborating with partners around the globe.
This two-way exchange of ideas and practices is crucial in our increasingly interconnected world. From the early days of community business in the West of Scotland to today’s global social enterprise movement, CEIS has always been about empowering communities to create positive change – whether those communities are in Glasgow, Catalonia, or anywhere in between.
As we carry forward John Pearce’s legacy of innovation and community focus, we invite you to join us on this international journey. Whether you’re a social enterprise looking to expand abroad, an international organisation interested in the Scottish model, or simply curious about the global impact of social enterprise, ISEO is here to help.
To learn more about how ISEO can support your international social enterprise aspirations, visit our website at www.iseo.scot or get in touch with our team today. Together, we can build a more inclusive, sustainable global economy – one social enterprise at a time.
