Every day, we make choices about where our money goes. Some of what we spend stays in Norfolk, and some of it travels much further. When we spend with a local social enterprise, we can help keep money, power and opportunity in local hands.

Social enterprises trade, employ and pay suppliers like any other business, but they reinvest their income and profits in a social or environmental purpose. For Norfolk, that means money being put back into the communities it came from, through jobs, support services, food, wellbeing, creativity and much more.

On Thursday 19th November, more than 40 of these organisations will come together under one roof at Carrow House in Norwich for the Social Enterprise Day Showcase 2026.

A sizeable part of our economy

There are around 100,000 social enterprises in the UK, with a collective turnover of £78 billion and a workforce of 2.3 million. Around 9,700 of them are in the East of England. More than 8 in 10 also pay the real Living Wage, so choosing to buy from them can support good local jobs too.

Helping local businesses thrive

Many social enterprises are doing brilliant work with limited budgets, and the last few years have been tough. The share of East of England social enterprises making a profit has fallen from 60% in 2021 to 36% in 2025. Often, the people who could buy from them, commission them or partner with them simply don’t know they’re there.

We can see how much visibility matters, so we launched our annual Social Enterprise Day Showcase in 2025. Last year more than 250 people came through the doors to visit exhibitors.

This year there will be more than 40 social enterprises to discover, and supporting them can be simple!

• Buy your books and Christmas presents from the brilliant Kett’s Books in Wymondham
• Support community energy projects with Our Power CIC
• Explore Norwich with guided tours and visitor experiences from The Shoebox Enterprises CIC
• Grab a coffee or book first aid training for your team with Circus Head CIC
• Reduce waste and give unwanted items a new home with ReDo Norfolk
• Discover live performances, community cinema and creative projects with Creative Arts East
• Connect with Norwich’s branding and creative community through Brandland Network CIC
• Buy your digital services from Big Pixel Community CIC
• Discover and join wellbeing events, many held at Carrow House, with Feel Good Norfolk

Something for everyone

Whether you’re a resident looking for a Christmas gift, a local business wanting to buy locally, a commissioner searching for a delivery partner or a funder who wants to see impact up close, this is a chance to meet the people behind the organisations and see how your support can make a difference.

Norwich is also a nationally recognised Social Enterprise Place, a status led and looked after locally by FUSE Network in recognition of the city’s thriving social enterprise community. It grows stronger every time someone chooses to back a local organisation.

Join us

Hosted by FUSE Network in partnership with Norwich Unity Hub, and supported by the Empowering Communities Partnership, the Showcase is free and you can drop in any time from 10am to 4pm. Sign in at reception, pick up your map and follow a self-guided route through Old and New Carrow House, meeting organisations in their own workspaces along the way.

All of our pre-booked goody bags, filled with offers, samples and treats from local organisations, have been claimed, but we’ll have another 30 to give out in the morning for early arrivals!

Book your free place, or email hello@fusenetwork.org.uk if you’d like to sponsor, promote or support the day in some way.