Volume 12.4

In this issue we begin by giving a warm welcome to our new editor Sally Orwin. Sally has extensive experience as a consultant and practice director of an architectural firm, and is spearheading the development of LICC�s workplace ministry in Manchester. In recent years she has written well received book reviews for FiBQ, and has participated in several of Ridley Hall�s Faith in Business events. She is therefore well positioned to write the report on the 2009 springtime conference on Entrepreneurship, which sets the theme for the whole issue.

The remaining articles are all devoted to social enterprise, the use of entrepreneurial talents with the deliberate aim of doing social good: in particular helping poor and disadvantaged people. They are all written by people who attended the one-day workshop on Social Enterprise which took place at Ridley in May 2008.

Adrian Ashton sheds helpful light on the different legal forms that social enterprise can take � a complex area � and discovers some interesting Christian precedents in the Rochdale Co-op and medieval monasteries. Richard Higginson conducts a pub interview with Martin Clark, development director of Citylife and author of The Social Entrepreneur Revolution. Simon Lee shows how social enterprises inspired by Christian faith can both be true to their convictions and sidestep potential legal pitfalls. Patrick Shine explains why the social economy is holding up unexpectedly well in the recession, with the Church playing what he calls a disproportionate role.

Social enterprise is an international phenomenon. Moving further afield, Richard reports on a trip to Kenya where he derived much inspiration from seeing social entrepreneurs and fair trade producers making a real difference to people who live in some of the world�s poorest communities. Peter Heslam weighs in with two further inspiring stories about Christian investment in solar panels and agricultural communities in the heart of Africa.

We hope you will find plenty in this issue to stimulate, challenge and encourage you.