The baseline results may come as a surprise to some who have a picture of the social enterprise sector as something ‘unprofessional’. In fact, the social enterprise sector on Alston Moor emerges as a significant economic player. The number of social enterprises in the Alston Moor area has show significant growth since the year 2000. Several organisations employ growing numbers of staff, forecast increases in annual turnover, and have the capacity to pull financial resources into the area. In this respect the social enterprise sector has the same needs and responsibilities as conventional businesses, a point raised by several respondents who recognise the necessity for economic objectives to co-exist with social objectives. Other social enterprises remain small in size, many relying on committed volunteers but are equally successful in their own right.