BBC's Panorama recently offered us a chilling insight into ‘Britain's Hidden Housing Crisis’. And while the government and banks are largely failing to address this issue, social businesses are uniquely placed to help to meet the challenge of homelessness.
It’s a tough time to be looking for your first job.
With one in three graduates taking non-graduate jobs, fewer jobs remain for the driven and educated school leaver. And if school leavers are driven into the lower end of the labour market, the most disadvantaged in society are yet again pushed further to the margins. And left there. On welfare. In poor housing. With little room to develop aspirations for something better, something more.
This is the result of our reliance on market forces; social exclusion and excess social expenditure and we’re left asking, ‘Is there a better way?’.
Scotland’s commitment to renewable energy received high praise from the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon this week at the Rio+20 Earth Summit - and Scotland’s local communities now have a huge role to play in helping to deliver the country's goals on renewable energy.
A critical part of Scotland’s leadership will be its ability to support community-owned renewable energy.