CAN History
A Track Record in Social Innovation
Founded in 1998, Community Action Network (CAN) was the vision of three innovators of social change. The founding partners were Lord Andrew Mawson OBE, Adele Blakebrough MBE, and Helen Taylor Thompson OBE.
The Bromley by Bow Centre, founded by Lord Mawson, OBE
- Created the first integrated health facility in the UK, known as a Healthy Living Centre
- Established one of the first integrated nurseries in the UK
- Pioneered one of the first Communiversities in Britain
The Kaleidoscope project, run by Adele Blakebrough, MBE
- Pioneered a unique community response to drug treatment
- Was one of the first drugs projects in Britain to offer a needle/syringe exchange scheme
- Takes an enabling, holistic approach to clients
- Reaches around 700 clients per year
Mildmay Mission Hospital founded by Helen Taylor Thompsonm, OBE
- Established the first mothers' and children's hospice in Europe
- Pioneered physiotherapy and rehabilitation services for AIDS survivors
- Runs initiatives to share best practice with carers in Africa
- Founded Thare Machi, the Starfish Initiative - a charity taking mobile IT-based education to women and girls in the developing world
Getting it Together
In 1995, Lord Mawson, Adele and Helen joined forces to run The Great Banquet in London, bringing together more than 30,000 people from across the capital. Following its success and with financial support from the business community. they founded Community Action Network (CAN) in 1998 to: Promote social entrepreneurship and spread understanding of the term
- Identify and promote social entrepreneurs around the UK
- Create an online network for peer support, advice and promote the grassroots activity of social entepreneurs
Today CAN is now recognised as one of the UK's leading organisations for the development, promotion and support of social entrepreneurs and social enterprises. It also runs its own social enterprise - CAN Mezzanines - shared office spaces for Third Sector organisations.
Along the way CAN is proud to have supported the creation of:
- Replication of the CAN Mezzanine 'concept' with partners
- The launch if Social Enterprise magazine
- Unltd*, a £100m Foundation for social entrepreneurs
- High impact programmes to support social enterprise growth and replication, including the Beanstalk social franchising project
- Business support projects for refugees and asylum seekers, BME and faith groups
Since CAN's foundation, the terms social entrepreneur and social enterprise are also by now much better recognised. The Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) estimates there are in excess of 55,000 social enterprises in Britain today, contributing over £8 billion to the economy. They are a vibrant and vital part of our enterprise culture, generating innovative business solutions to some of the most pressing and intractable needs in society. They are engaging Government applause, competing with corporates and influencing future generations of entrepreneurs. CAN's mission is to help more achieve the real and public recognition they deserve.
For a specific timeline of CAN's history and growth please see the Media Section Timeline.
