After four years of operating in the private tuition industry, we had grown increasingly uncomfortable with the disparity that exists between children of different socioeconomic backgrounds in their access to educational support.
One in five children in Northern Ireland lives in poverty, and less than 50% of children entitled to free school meals leave school with at least five good GCSE grades. We realised that operating as a private business did not align with our social values or research backgrounds and so, in 2017, we became a social enterprise. This means a few things.
Firstly, our profits must be used for the benefit of society. We use our profits to provide free tuition and workshops for disadvantaged children through schools and youth organisations. We also use our profits to heavily subsidise our services for organisations that provide free support to children living in neighbourhood renewal areas.
Secondly, as a social enterprise, our assets are locked. This means that we cannot use our profits for private gain. Our profits are used to help society and so, in our eyes, they rightly belong to society.
Finally, we are not a charity. A social enterprise generates money to invest into society by acting as a business and must generate at least 50% of its profits in this way. By choosing a tutor through Studyseed, you aren't just getting great support for your child - you're also supporting the educations of other children across Northern Ireland. So, thank you for joining us on our social mission - that makes you pretty great.