What are they?

These are formed by individuals who have joined together voluntarily to accomplish a shared goal. These groups could include sports clubs local interest groups welfare groups.

In the UK, the Charities Act 2011 defines a charity in publication 2011 c. 25 as one that is established for charitable purposes only. Charities may provide direct help, raise awareness, give information and support and work on specific causes like preventing poverty or advancing arts and culture. Find out more in the publication 2011 below.

The term "social enterprise" does not describe the legal mode of an organisation, instead it's a way of doing business. This means social enterprises take up multiple legal forms and some will recruit trustees and other nonexecutive directors depending on the structure. The English Dictionary defines social enterprise as "an organisation who's main goal is promoting social or environmental welfare rather than maximising profits". You can read more about the set up of a Community Interest Company below This is the most common social enterprise structure.