An Interview With...Cliff Prior

An interview with...Cliff Prior

‘An Interview with... Cliff Prior’:  the Chief Executive of UnLtd discusses the opportunities for social ventures within health and social care, the dangers of a purely competitive market in health and picks oranges over apples

16 August 2011

Cliff Prior, Chief Executive of UnLtd, The Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs, says more could be done by social ventures in health but that he believes the NHS has to hang together as a system and so there cannot be a purely competitive market in all areas. In the latest edition of “An Interview With…” the monthly podcast series by The Social Investment Business Prior discusses the effects of separating out core parts of the health service for competition and the potential damage it could cause.

Talking about social enterprises operating outside of public service delivery, he says it’s important that they consider where their expertise fits in the supply chain and that they don’t try to be everything to everybody.While talking of key areas for growth, Prior describes UnLtd’s experiences of creating a global network sharing information about social ventures across the world and specifically highlights international trade as an area of untapped potential for social enterprises.

As a leader of an organisation supporting social entrepreneurs, Prior affirms that the current economic climate is actually an advantageous time for people to set up social ventures due to reduced competition, and advises that focus, a strong team and not “burning cash” are the keys to success. Finally, he picks oranges over apples in the quick fire quiz!

‘An Interview With...’ is a monthly podcast series from The Social Investment Business featuring short interviews with leading figures in social enterprise and civil society.

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1.    You can listen to ‘An Interview with… Cliff Prior’ and read the full transcript here: http://www.thesocialinvestmentbusiness.org/aninterviewwith/

2.    Find out more about UnLtd at www.unltd.org.uk

3.    For further information or interviews, please contact The Social Investment Business press office:

Liz Banks - 0207 842 7726/ 07809 504072  liz.banks@socialinvestmentbusiness.org

Nicola Jones - 0207 842 7755 nicola.jones@socialinvestmentbusiness.org

4.    The Social Investment Business, the fastest growing social investor in the UK, exists to help social enterprises, charities and community organisations do more of what they do best – supporting people and communities most in need. We help organisations prosper by providing innovative financial solutions, business support and long term strategic thinking.

www.thesocialinvestmentbusiness.org @TheSocialInvest

5.     The Social Investment Business manages Government funds on behalf of the Office for Civil Society and the Department of Health. The Communitybuilders Fund, previously managed on behalf of the Department of Community and Local Government and the Office for Civil Society is now an endowed fund, owned and administered by the Adventure Capital Fund, parent-charity of The Social Investment Business.  We manage over 1,400 active investments ranging from £3,600 to help a small organisation bid successfully for a public sector contract, to £6.7million to help a large national charity establish and develop innovative new services for children and young people.