Thriving on Purpose
We’re excited to share the theme for Social Enterprise Day 2025: Thriving on Purpose.
Every year, Social Enterprise Day is a chance to come together and celebrate the organisations and individuals using business as a force for good. Here in the North East, it has become a space where changemakers can connect, recharge, and think bigger about what’s possible.
This year we’re focusing on something many social entrepreneurs tell us they struggle with; not just surviving, but finding ways to truly thrive. Nationally, only around one in three businesses make it to their fifth birthday, and our own review of North East CIC data shows survival rates in the North East are much the same. Too many organisations risk burning out before their impact has time to take root.
At the same time, much of the support available is designed either for very new start-ups or for fast-growing enterprises. That leaves a gap in the middle, where most social enterprises sit; working day in, day out to deliver impact, but perhaps without the right support to build resilience for the long term.
That’s why this year’s theme is all about Thriving on Purpose. It’s about the active choice to thrive as leaders and as organisations, while also thriving through the missions we serve. We’ll be asking: what does it take to build social enterprises that are bold, resilient and here for the long haul?
A huge thank you to our sponsors; BIPC, NEEAL, Talbot Jones Insurance Brokers, Reviving the Heart of the West End and Durham University for making this event possible! We’ll be telling you more about their services as we get closer to the event.
A Call for Speakers
We’re now inviting speakers who can bring this theme to life. You might be a founder who has built something sustainable against the odds, a sector expert with practical tools to share, or a community leader who knows what it takes to embed lasting change. Funders, collaborators and researchers are also welcome… thriving is something we can only do together.
Whether you’d like to give a talk, join a panel, or host a workshop, this is your opportunity to share your insights with an audience of social entrepreneurs, leaders and changemakers from across the region.
How to Apply
If you’d like to be part of the programme, you can apply here:
Key note speaker: £200. Thriving Leaders. Read the brief & apply here
Panel member (4 places): £50pp. Thriving Together. Read the brief & apply here
Workshop Facilitator: £200. Thriving Communities. Read the brief & apply here
Closing Talk speaker: £200. From Surviving to Thriving. Read the brief & apply here
Applications are open until Monday 22nd September, 9am.
Get your Tickets 
Social Enterprise Day 2025 will take place on 20th November, at The Common Rooms, Newcastle. Secure your place now via Eventbrite, and join us as we explore how to build bold, resilient futures and truly thrive on purpose.
A limited number of exhibition opportunities are also available via Eventbrite. Priority will be given to small North East Social Enterprises.
