We read Victor Adebowale’s recent interview with Pioneers Post with a mix of frustration and fierce agreement. His words echo what many of us in the social enterprise sector have been saying, and feeling, for years: we are not being taken seriously as an economic force, and the government still doesn’t know what to do with us.
At Stripy Lightbulb CIC, we live this reality every day.
We’re not a charity. We’re not a traditional business. We’re a social enterprise, a Community Interest Company, built to solve a serious societal problem: the lack of understanding and support for people living with M.E./C.F.S. And yet, we’re constantly misunderstood. We’re either lumped in with charities, expected to operate on goodwill alone, or treated with suspicion as if we’re trying to profit from a debilitating illness. Neither view is correct.
We are a training organisation. We provide industry-specific online courses for professionals in healthcare, education, and employment, the sectors with the most contact with M.E./C.F.S. patients. Our work reduces stigma, improves care, and funds desperately needed research. That’s not charity talk. That’s impact, innovation, and economic contribution.
Victor’s metaphor of the government looking through the wrong end of the telescope is spot on. Social enterprises like ours are rich in expertise, lived experience, and scalable solutions. But we’re seen as small, niche, or risky, when in fact, we’re some of the safest, most values-driven investments out there.
We have so much to offer. Our founder, Sally Callow, has lived with M.E./C.F.S. since 2006 and has spent over a decade advocating for change. Our training is built on thousands of conversations with patients. We understand the problem better than anyone, and we’ve built a solution. But we’re not being used to the best of our abilities. We’re sidelined. Ignored. And ironically, treated exactly like the community we serve: misunderstood, undervalued, and excluded from decision-making.
Victor also speaks to the systemic racism and exclusion within social investment. We stand in solidarity with those calling for change. The barriers faced by Black and minority ethnic social entrepreneurs mirror the same structural issues we see in healthcare and education systems, where marginalised voices are too often dismissed or tokenised.
So what will it take?
As Victor says: persistence. And invitations to learn. We need government, investors, and institutions to stop looking at us as “other” and start seeing us as part of the solution. We need frameworks that recognise our hybrid nature, mission-driven, economically active, and community-rooted. We need investment that matches our ambition. And we need to be at the table, not just knocking on the door.
Stripy Lightbulb CIC is ready. The sector is ready. The question is, will the government finally turn the telescope around?
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