A leading Plymouth businesswoman has warned MPs in Westminster that the Government risks failing society鈥檚 most vulnerable people after years of health service cuts.
Social entrepreneur Kate Smith, co-director of Plymouth鈥檚 Moments Cafe and Memory Matters, told politicians that without the support provided by social enterprises to vulnerable people, gaps in critical health and care support, left by years of cuts and chronic under-funding, would lead to 鈥渄ecline and crisis鈥 for many people living with dementia.
Invited to speak to MPs and members of the House of Lords about Plymouth鈥檚 response to Covid-19 and 鈥淏uilding Back Better鈥 after the pandemic, Ms Smith said the vulnerable risk being abandoned and called for Government investment into social enterprises such as hers.
She said: 鈥淪ocial enterprises like ours support and reduce the pressures on statutory health and care services, preventing crisis and saving Government millions of pounds.
鈥淲e are not commissioned, yet we provide face-to-face dementia advice and therapy and support deprived communities. Importantly, our customers help us to make sure that support is sustainable.鈥
She added: 鈥淣ational and local government needs to invest in and champion social enterprise. People have clearly shown through the pandemic that they want to help each other.
鈥淪ocial enterprise gives them a way to do that. There should be a high street Moments Caf茅 in every city in the 海角视频, but it needs start-up investment. The push to make that happen has to come from the Government.鈥
Ms Smith and co-director Laura Walker run a 鈥済ood food鈥 caf茅 open to the whole community in Plymouth city centre. All of its profits fund an upstairs hub providing free drop-in advice and support for brain health, memory problems and dementia.
Memory Matters has a reach throughout Devon and Cornwall and nationwide through its cognitive stimulation therapy sessions and specialist training and is part of a regular education programme for the next generation of GPs and hospital doctors.
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Ms Smith was joined at the All Party Parliamentary Group for Social Enterprise by Gareth Hart, director of Plymouth Social Enterprise. Mr Hart said: 鈥淲e recognise that the current emergencies we are facing such as the climate crisis, inequality, poor mental health, racism and enduring poverty are symptoms of the way that we organise our world and, particularly, our economy. The Covid-19 crisis has shown us that we need to re-think our economy to ensure we tackle all these issues more effectively.鈥
Memory Matters is one of 200 social enterprises in Plymouth which set out to create positive social change, employing 9,000 people and generating 拢600million every year towards the city鈥檚 economy.
The all-party group was warned that a lack of investment in social enterprise would be a missed opportunity, with serious and far-reaching consequences.
Mr Hart said: 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 build our economy back better, we risk even greater inequalities and environmental damage. Social enterprises are leading the way and Moments Caf茅 and Memory Matters is an incredible example. The passion and dedication of their teams is redefining what social enterprise can achieve on the high street.鈥
