Social Enterprise is the way forward – Toaha Qureshi MBE meets HRH Prince of Wales

Presser: The concept of the social enterprise is very much in tune with the times. In promoting their idea of a ‘Big Society’, the Government has emphasised that private sector businesses have a crucial role to play in creating a better Britain.

As the Government’s deficit reduction strategy reduces public spending on social programmes, the likelihood is that the private sector will play a bigger role in delivering services with a social dimension. That’s one of the reason that Stockwell Green Community Service has been rendered as a ‘living and breathing’ example and an epitome of ‘social enterprise’.

Toaha Qureshi MBE expressed these thoughts during his meeting with HRH Prince of Wales at St James Palace at the 30th Anniversary of his leading charity Business In The Community (BITC).  Qureshi expressed his excitement on his organization being chosen as the South East office for Prince Charles’ Mosaic project. Prince Charles thanked Qureshi for his leadership of the last ‘Seeing is Believing Visit’ that took place in Woking, another of Prince Charles’ pioneering initiatives bringing together business and community leaders to mentor young people in schools. Qureshi shared that the effectiveness of Mosaic recipe is remarkable.

He lauded the role of BITC with business as at the core of the solution and its intention to inspire, engage, support and challenge business to take action on the MDGs and accelerate the pace of positive social change. When asked what advice Qureshi gave to the young people on this visit, Qureshi said he asked the kids to always remember that ‘what a mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve’. Prince Charles appreciated and remarked, ‘what a wonderful piece of advice’.

FIRD’s Director international affairs Saad Mahmood was also present at the occasion.