OHSEP

The Outer Hebrides Social Economy Partnership (OHSEP) is a community interest company based in the offices of Third Sector Hebrides at 30 Francis Street, Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.in Stornoway. OHSEP offers practical support to social enterprises across the Hebrides, and is a partner on the Western Isles Third Sector Interface – TSI Western Isles. We help the Scottish Government meet its national outcome, ‘that social enterprise develops and grows’.

We do this by:

Acting as a voice for social enterprise: promoting the concept and use of social enterprise and public social partnerships; representing the views of the Hebrides’ social enterprises at a local level through the Western Isles Third Sector Interface; working to resolve issues common to social enterprises in the Hebrides and sharing news;

Individual support: providing one to one guidance to social enterprises and aspiring social entrepreneurs (e.g. sign-posting for business planning, feasibility studies, legal structures, sources of finance, marketing); and

General support: attending regular networking meetings to provide general advice and updates on current affairs to those managing social enterprises and signposting social entrepreneurs to specialist training, such as employment law, marketing, and other areas.

Social enterprises trade in many markets – selling goods and services to individual consumers, local authorities, government, and private businesses. Although they aim to make a profit just like any private sector business, 100% of their profits or surpluses should be reinvested back into their social and/or environmental purpose. Social enterprises in Scotland should also have an “asset lock” on all their buildings, land, and other assets.

OHSEP works to ensure local social enterprises are sustainable in order to meet their social and/or environmental purpose.

To find out more about OHSEP, please contact us.