A new breed of social entrepreneurs would help solve many of the UK's problems, a shadow minister has urged.
Just as business leaders like Richard Branson and Anita Roddick helped overcome economic decline during the 1980s, voluntary sector entrepreneurs can assist with problems caused by crime and drugs, shadow education secretary David Cameron said.
Speaking to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), a think tank set up by former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, Cameron called for greater flexibility in the voluntary sector to encourage visionary leaders to get involved in community work.
Areas similar to the 'enterprise zones' set up to promote regeneration in deprived locations should be established, Cameron said, with financial incentives on offer.
"If volunteers are carrying out work that benefits the community, it should be recognised by the benefits system. But this concept could be taken so much further," Cameron said.
"We encouraged business entrepreneurs into areas with broken economies by saying 'go there, benefit from a low tax, low regulation regime, but create jobs, wealth and opportunity'.
"Why not take the same message out to social entrepreneurs?"
CSJ recently launched an initiative linking the Conservative party with 30 charities and voluntary organisations.
