Social Enterprise team target Sweden’s best practice ideas

A delegation from Northamptonshire is travelling to Sweden this week to see how the country’s social enterprise initiatives work and what benefits might be replicated here in the UK.

Representatives from The University of Northampton and Northamptonshire County Council are visiting Stockholm for an agenda including meetings at the office of the Swedish Prime Minister, the national parliament and a tour of the capital's city hall.

The fact-finding mission is being financed through the European Social Fund and will also focus on a scheme which enables skilled people who are unemployed to return to work.

The university and the county council are working closely together on the inSpirE Northamptonshire initiative, which is designed to help support existing and new social enterprises throughout the county.

The Swedish visit is an excellent opportunity to learn lessons that will both help the inSpirE scheme and inform the university's drive to be the number one higher education institution in the country for social enterprise.

Professor Simon Denny from The University of Northampton

Sweden has been moving towards a more decentralised system of government for a number of years now so this is a great opportunity to see how things work over there.

Cllr David Mackintosh, county council cabinet member for community services

As well as finding out how best practice in Sweden could be applied in Northamptonshire, Cllr Mackintosh has also been asked by the UK government's cabinet office to compile a report based on the visit.