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about social entrepreneurship

What is a social enterprise?

Social entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes. What social enterprises always have in common is that they put their social mission above their financial gain. A company’s social mission usually has to do with people. These could be people who work at the social enterprise, but also people from the neighborhood or people in other parts of the world. The aim of a social enterprise is to ensure that social change and improvement takes place through their work.

social profit

A social enterprise differs from regular enterprises because their priority is not to make profits for the owners and/or shareholders, but to improve social issues. This does not mean that social enterprises are not allowed to make a profit, but it does mean that a large part of their profit is always reinvested in their social objectives. In the Netherlands, most social entrepreneurs are members of Social Enterprise Netherlands, Hul le Kes is also a member of this group of entrepreneurs.

Hul le Kes
a social enterprise

Hul le Kes’s social mission is to (re)integrate people with distance to the labor market into society; preferably to paid work within Hul le Kes or other companies. For example, the Hul le Kes Recovery Studio offers protected workplaces for people with mental problems (such as burnouts, depression, anxiety disorders, etc.). The Hul le Kes Recovery Studio also offers people with intellectual disabilities a place to work, making them a worthy part of society. The Hul le Kes Manufacturing Studio works on the social mission by offering workplaces for status holders who are not yet fully proficient in the Dutch language or who need to learn about the Dutch work ethic.

Hul le Kes’ sustainability mission is also an important part of Hul le Kes as a social enterprise. Ultimately, the environment in which we live and the survival of our planet are of social importance for the future. On the Social Enterprise page on this website you can read more about Hul le Kes as a social enterprise.

On the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page you will find more answers to common questions. In addition, our website contains answers to questions such as: What is sustainable fashion?, What is circular fashion?, What is natural dyeing?, What is upcycling?, What is made to order?, What is a clothing passport?, What is dead stock fabric?, What is post-consumer waste?, What is locally made?, What is mending? and What is a designer label?.

This page can also be read in Dutch, German and French. If you would rather read that, click on one of the following titles: Wat is een sociale onderneming?, Was ist ein Sozialunternehmen?, Qu’est-ce qu’une entreprise sociale?.

Working on the future of fashion and inclusivity

October 31, 2023

Hul le Kes adopts the former social workplace Studio 3 to become fully part of the Recovery Studio.

Read the article      Read related articles

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