2nd opinion: Get the right stuff

"Entrepreneur". the word is innately sexy, evoking images of bright-eyed, go-getting mavericks.

"Social entrepreneur" is even better: the same vision and energy, but directed towards a social purpose.

So it's no wonder the idea of social enterprise has captured the imagination of politicians and regeneration agencies.

If sustainable regeneration has moved beyond the purely physical, it's about empowering people and solutions that bypass traditional grant dependency.

So if housing associations are now social businesses, isn't it time we embraced social enterprise?

What other model involves delivering services responsive to local priorities, in a way that creates jobs, knowledge and wealth? And who better to promote this than registered social landlords, with our grass-roots involvement, fundraising clout and purchasing power?

Eight years ago, Leicester Housing Association helped to set up Thorpete, an arm's-length gas servicing company in inner-city Leicester. It provides jobs for mature engineers made redundant by British Gas.

Thorpete was the first of three social enterprises created by Leicester HA that now sit within TREES, an independent social enterprise agency with which the housing association has a strategic alliance. An £8m-turnover group, it has grown beyond our most optimistic forecasts, thanks to Thorpete and its sister enterprises – Newlife, a regeneration and construction company, and Highpoint, a centre for community-led learning.

Initiatives include job and training opportunities for hard-to-reach groups, site-based vocational learning centres, schools projects, help for fledgling enterprises and research into the learning needs of disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

We're excited by what has been achieved so far, but imagine the potential that must exist nationwide in a sector with a £6bn turnover.

The arm's-length model we've used could be replicated by RSLs across the land to launch community-led enterprises providing services such as property maintenance, landscaping, plumbing, glazing, decorating and gardening.

Many of these trades are experiencing serious skills shortages, and offer excellent long-term career opportunities.

Although such enterprises would derive much of their early momentum from contracts with the founder RSL, our experience shows that in time they could win and retain work from other sources, including local authorities.

The benefits for associations and their customers would be far-ranging: a step change in neighbourhood engagement, a reduction in benefit-dependency, an increase in local purchasing power and an improvement in the availability and quality of services.

So, what would it take? Local research to establish gaps in the market; motivated people; business support to inform strategic planning; and finance to help the enterprises through the incubation period.

As a sector, we're more attuned than most to the impact of our activity on the community. And although affordable housing may remain our mainstay, we have a responsibility to ensure that activity is harnessed to positive social outcomes as creatively as possible.

If we're bold enough to acknowledge that social, economic and environmental goals need not conflict and if we believe in the potential of local talent, we truly are "in business for neighbourhoods".