Consorzio Social Lab Società Cooperativa Sociale
Consorzio Social Lab
is a consortium of social cooperatives (Ngos), active in Apulia region from
2013. The social entrepreneurship initiative was aimed to organize in a
collaborative way the work that the third sector organizations already had
implemented in the local area, to provide opportunities for social inclusion,
social innovation, employability and local development, focusing on inclusion
of vulnerable beneficiaries or people "at risk". Social Lab was
founded with the aim to give the chance to our problematic area to emerge,
through the valorization of the local community. For this reason, we are
involved in several initiatives that promote active inclusion of all the target
groups that live a vulnerable condition in our area., namely: disabled people,
refugees, long terms unemployed persons, youth at risk of deviance, women with
personal/social/economical/cultural diseases. The first operative step was the
launch of a project of social entrepreneurship, "Borgobontà", in the
city of Bitonto, to create employability opportunities in the food sector
(social restaurant and pizzeria) connected to educational activities (recreative
space for children) and social inclusion. Starting from this initiative were
implemented in the local area several entrepreneurship activities aimed to
promote employability of vulnerable beneficiaries, through public-private
partnerships: actually we are managing organization of the "Rigenera
167" as initiative of urban regeneration in the peripheral area through
the implementation of cultural activities in sites as Casa della musica, Villa
Sylos, Orto urbano and other public sites that need to be re-valorizated. As
member Consorzio Social Lab actually has 3 cooperatives type A which manage
educational and inclusion services (Sinergia, OPS, Ulixes) 5 cooperatives type
B which manage services for employability of vulnerable target groups (Tasha,
Oltre il muro, Polimnia, La rosa blu, Luxes) and 2 associations (Banco delle
opere di carità, Associazione Sinergia). A board of 7 professionals and 2
permanent staff coordinate the activities of the organization, with the
contribution of the member staff; beneficiaries are users of our members, plus
other participants directly involved in our projects (+100 learners). Focusing
to strengthening the social enterprise and the managerial skills of the
members, the Consortium also acts as provider for training opportunities of educators,
social workers and professionals, in order to bring innovation in the local
social system.