Business Lincolnshire’s Social Enterprise Conference held in collaboration with Lincoln Bishop

Earlier this month, Lincoln Bishop University was proud to host The Business Lincolnshire Good Business Conference: Inspiring and Supporting Social Enterprise in Greater Lincolnshire. 

As Business Lincolnshire’s first conference dedicated entirely to Social Enterprise, the showcase event was purposed to promote and connect the social economy sector of Greater Lincolnshire. 

With attendees from community interest companies (CICs), social enterprises, charities, co-operatives, Bcorps, and community ownership organisations, plus representatives from local and national sector support organisations – the conference offered a unique opportunity to learn from experienced practitioners, connect with like-minded professionals, and explore the growing social economy sector.

During the morning session, attendees had the opportunity to hear form inspirational speakers who shared their expertise, experiences, challenges, successes and practical insights. Professor Firoz Haroon Bhaiyat, Dean of Lincoln Bishop Business School, delivered the keynote ‘Profit with Purpose: Building Resilient Organisations That Deliver for People, Planet and Place’. 

Professor Bhaiyat challenged the idea that purpose-led organisations should treat profit as secondary to social or environmental goals. His central message was clear: people, planet and profit are equally essential. Without profit, organisations cannot sustain good jobs, invest in their communities, respond to changing needs or deliver meaningful impact over time.

Professor Firoz Bhaiyat said: “Drawing on evidence from the UK social-enterprise sector and the East Midlands, financial resilience is not a departure from mission, it is what protects and powers it. Strong margins, reliable cash flow, disciplined costs and healthy reserves give organisations the freedom to innovate, grow and reinvest in the people and places they exist to serve.” 

The keynote urged leaders to be confident about creating surplus, pricing fairly for value and building viable income models. Good business, Professor Bhaiyat concluded, is not a choice between purpose and profit: profit is the engine that enables purpose to endure.

Into the afternoon, the activity moved on to themed table discussions facilitated by sector experts, where key topics could be discussed in increased depth. 

Kay Purle, Project Manager at LORIC, said: "As the first Business Lincolnshire Social Enterprise conference, the day was a resounding success, from being a sold-out event, through to the fantastic range of speakers and facilitators that contributed, the sponsorship from key local partners and the enthusiasm from everyone was so engaging.

“It provided a valuable opportunity for networking and building relationships, for accessing information tailored to the sector, and for inspiration to carry on with all the amazing work that our Greater Lincolnshire mission-led organisations do on a daily basis."

Interested in similar events at Lincoln Bishop? We are hosting a ‘Meet the Funders’ event for attendees to come and meet local and national grant funders!

To find out more, visit Lincoln Bishop University 

Lincoln Bishop University would like to give thanks to Business Lincolnshire Growth Hub and Lincolnshire Co-op who kindly provided lunch for attendees, as well as creative production agency Ruddocks for their contributions. Thank you to speakers and contributors including Professor Firoz Bhaiyat, Emma Conway, Cat Chrimes, Nikki Langwell, Samantha Lindley, Toni Coupland, Misty Bower Andy Maddiosn, Dr Lee McHugh and Mahdieh Zeinali.