Ben Parkinson

Social Entrepreneur

<p><img class="coverPhotoImg photo img" style="top: 0px; width: 100%;" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/c0.71.851.315/p851x315/306549_10151074643313982_227551550_n.jpg" alt="Cover photo" data-fbid="10151074643313982" /></p> <p>I am the Director of the Butterfly Project and Social Enterprise Africa and I can say that I have been profoundly changed by my time in Africa since my first visit in 2007.&nbsp; I'd worked for charitable organisations for quite a while but I was not prepared for the need in Africa, nor the vibrancy and desire for change of so many of the people that live there.</p> <p>I met Nigerian Social Entrepreneur Emmanuel Nehemiah&nbsp;in 2006, a selfless man with many talents, who had grown up in a remote rural area.&nbsp; Since then I have met many selfless people with amazing abilities and charisma, who have been very fortunate to have climbed out of remote rural areas in Africa.</p> <p>I founded Social Enterprise Africa CIC in 2008 shortly after we devised the Butterfly Project, which was inspired by a&nbsp;young boy in Nigeria, who pleaded for help to teach him how to be a change bringer, someone who could improve the lives of his fellows.&nbsp; We were never able to launch the project in Nigeria, but I found partners in Uganda who helped deliver our project and have allowed the project to develop to where it is today...</p> <p>I was the CEO of <a title="Jericho" href="http://www.jericho.org.uk" target="_blank">Jericho</a>&nbsp;for five years until 2006 and I brought the organisation into the mainstream, supporting it to be delivering contracts for New Deal, LSC, MATRIX and local councils.&nbsp; I also developed its businesses, so they were able to support the central social activity, which was to give work experience to the long-term unemployed.</p> <p>Prior to that I was the Managing Director of Choice Music Limited, an organisation set up to provide live music all of the UK.&nbsp; I have been a professional jazz pianist and also Studied at the Royal College of Music.</p> <p>Before that I worked in the Marketing Department of one of the UK's leading opticians, where I learnt my business in a company, more concerned about good service, than profit.&nbsp; While it has now been swallowed up, being there taught me that there is more to life than profit.</p> <p>Now, I have dedicated my time to developing the Butterfly Project and to empowering young people to know about social enterprise and how it can be used to change society and alleviate poverty.</p>

About Me

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