27th May 2016
Not every social enterprise is a full-time outfit. And not every person that runs a social enterprise necessarily wants that to be the case. What I’ve come to learn from my personal social enterprise journey so far is that while the desire to do good may be unlimited, sometimes the actual demands of it can be a little overwhelming.
What matters the most is that good is being done. Lives are being changed. We may not be able to save the entire world with one giant act of kindness, but we can help individuals on a much smaller scale. Surely if we were all to do that, the cumulative effects and positive vibes would no doubt echo across the planet?
Perhaps that is somewhat idealistic. Idealism is, it seems, a key component when one seeks to create social change. But the idealism must be tempered. It has to be harnessed, yes, but it also has to have just the right amount of realism in there. Often realism is what helps get things done, and allows plans to be effective.
The balance between idealism and realism, between head and heart, is something I return to again and again with my guests on this podcast because the approach of each individual in finding this balance is interesting, and no doubt plays a large part in how people come to be in charge of social businesses in the first place.
Sarah Longfield from See Think Make is no stranger to having to balance the head and heart. See Think Make are an organisation which help young people in Scotland gain a recognised arts qualification, with the aim of demonstrating how arts can be used in a variety of settings in a number of ways.
As you will no doubt hear in the interview, Sarah is extremely passionate about what she does and her drive to succeed in changing lives is truly enthralling.
I hope you enjoy the interview.