The What, Why & How of Social Enterprises

Written on: 26 November 2025

If you asked a member of the public to explain what a Social Enterprise is, the majority would understand that it does some good for society and is “socially minded” but beyond that they probably wouldn’t be able to expand. This post explains what a Social Enterprise is, how it works and how Shore Psychology works to help the local community.

Company Structures

Limited Companies

Most companies are set up as limited companies. They sell goods & services. They aim to make a profit which they can they use to invest in the business, or reward shareholders and directors of the company.

Charities

Charities are generally non-profit making organisations and rely on donations, grants, or government funding. They usually have a specific focus or cause that they help. Examples of this are Cancer Research, Shelter

Social Enterprises

Social Enterprises are essentially a hybrid of these two company structures. They can sell goods and services and make a profit, but the profit is re-invested back into achieving their mission, rather than rewarding owners or shareholders. The official company structure is known as a Community Interest Company (CIC) and there are specific financial conventions they need to adhere to.

Blackboard with the word "Social Enterprise" written on it

If we were to simply describe a Social Enterprise, we could say that it is a business that operates primarily to achieve specific social or environmental objectives, using commercial strategies to address unmet community needs.

The key takeaway from this is that when the founders of Social Enterprises set up their company, they have a clear vision and mission to create a positive social or environmental impact. They have made a conscious decision to prioritise social impact over profit.

Shore Psychology as a Social Enterprise

When Dr Amy Homes decided to set up Shore Psychology, she had a clear vision of the company’s mission. In an earlier post she described it as follows.

“Shore Psychology exists to challenge perceptions around mental health, provide compassionate support, and instil hope. It’s about creating a space where people feel heard, believed, and prioritised. Our mission is founded on values of equality, safety, authenticity, and innovation. These aren’t just words to us; they’re principles we live by and have built into every part of Shore Psychology.

Through Shore, we hope to reduce the power imbalances that can exist between professionals and clients, foster inclusivity, and offer the highest standard of psychological care. By making our services accessible to those who need them most, we want Shore to fill the gaps that other services often leave behind”.

Dr Amy Homes

How is Shore helping the Local Community?

Shore currently works in partnership with two charities, Multicultural Family Base (MCFB)  & Crew 2000

Multicultural Family Base

For more than 25 years, MCFB has supported vulnerable children, young people, and families across Edinburgh. As an experienced social work provider, the organisation specialises in early-intervention services that help children and young people navigate key transitions and challenges in their lives.

MCFB also serves as a recognised training centre, offering valuable placement opportunities for Social Work students from Scotland and around the world.

Crew 2000

Crew 2000 operates a drop-in centre in Edinburgh and offers support, therapy and counselling for those in the community that are affected by drugs or sexual health matters. They do this in a caring, inclusive, and non-judgemental way.

Multi-Cultural Family Base (MCFB)
Crew 2000

In addition to these two partner charities, Shore works with other Social Enterprises, charities and hosts workshops that support wellbeing for members of the local community. These are held at their clinic in Leith and cover a range of different activities including yoga, Nia dancing and a relax kid’s programme.

Dr Amy Homes said . “Since we opened our doors in February this year, we have already been able to see the impact we have made on the local community, Whether it is the psychological services we provide, through our charity partners, or events we host at the clinic – we can see there is a real need for what we provide. Our company tagline is “Bridging the gap to better mental health”  and there are so many ways we are working to do this”.

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