Duncan Walker is the current president of ENSIE since May last year, and he represent the Irish Social Enterprise Network, based in Ireland. ISEN has been a member of ENSIE since 2016.

Duncan used to manage a WISE himself. He was a manager of an organisation called the Green Kitchen Cafe and Garden Centre, based in Dublin, providing training, work experience and employment for people with intellectual disabilities and other people from other backgrounds distanced from the labour market.

Duncan currently works in a freelance role as a consultant in the social economy and also works with ISEN on a range of projects, particularly EU-funded initiatives, many of which are carried out in partnership with ENSIE and its project consortia.

President Duncan Walker, ENSIE celebrates its 25th anniversary. What does this milestone mean to you?

I think the 25th anniversary is a fantastic achievement for ENSIE, and I congratulate everyone who has contributed to the work of ENSIE over the last 25 years. It's a testament to the work of everyone who's been involved that ENSIE has now built a network of over 30 members from many countries across Europe, and that the network is recognised at European level as a valuable contributor to the civil and social dialogue and continues to inform policy making in such diverse policy areas such as public procurement, state aid rules, quality jobs, contributing to the social economy action plan and the pillar of social rights.

Looking back over the past years, how has the landscape for WISEs evolved?

I think there's greater prominence and recognition of the valuable role that WISEs play in the economy, both at European level, at national level and at local level.

Historically, WISEs were viewed as a minor set or a niche part of the social economy, but now they are recognised as a major contributor at delivering social and economic impact. For example, in Ireland, the term WISE, even up until very recently, was not part of the conversation.

In a country like Ireland, where there is a strong urban-rural divide, WISEs are known to contribute significant impact and support social inclusion, both in rural areas and in urban areas, maybe in different ways. But in both areas, they can still make a major contribution.

What do you consider to be the most important achievement of ENSIE and WISEs since you started advocating for the sector?

ENSIE has really been great at achieving recognition of its work, particularly at European level. And I think one example that illustrates the importance was particularly the B-WISE project. It was a great achievement even from the outset to get recognition of the WISE sector to be qualified for the blueprint process and funding.

In particular, the learning and output from the project are extremely valuable and will continue to be for a long time. The data and learning from the project will help ENSIE and all the partners in contributing to policy making, now and in the future.

Why is it important for WISEs to have a strong collective voice at European level?

WISEs have gained prominence, and you know there's been a valuable contribution by ENSIE and our partners to the social economy dialogue. I think, unfortunately, in the current political climate, the narrative has moved away from placing importance on social issues, moving more towards competitiveness and defence and dealing with the global issues. That's demonstrated by the challenges coming up with the changes to the multi-annual financial framework and the dismantling of the European Social Fund. I think this demonstrates that the need for a strong voice on the social economy and for WISEs is more important than ever, because WISEs play an important role in creating societies that are genuinely inclusive. So, in a time when there is so much divisiveness, in the public narrative we should be doing everything we can to support WISEs who work with the most vulnerable people in our communities.

As we look towards the next 25 years, what are the main challenges and opportunities you see for ENSIE and WISEs in Europe?

I think that, unfortunately, despite the great work of ENSIE and partners within the social economy, building inclusive communities across Europe will probably get harder in the coming years. So, we actually need to work even harder to challenge the divisiveness in society, and we need to advocate even better for WISEs and the broader social economy.
The opportunity is there for WISEs to be no longer viewed as niche or a minority within the business world.

But to achieve this, WISEs themselves probably need to become more competitive in the marketplace. There needs to be stronger public procurement, both in the public and in the private sector, to provide WISEs more market opportunities and support their development.

I think it's also important that mainstream businesses become more socially responsible. They shouldn't just fall to WISEs to provide employment opportunities for people who are most vulnerable in society. Mainstream businesses can play an important role in providing employment opportunities for all members of society. As ENSIE, I think we also need to advocate for a broader, more socially responsible business environment.

Finally, what message would you like to share with ENSIE’s members, partners and all those who have contributed to this 25-year journey?

I would like to express my utmost thanks and respect for all the members of ENSIE who have contributed to the work over 25 years, from the early founders in Belgium in 2001 through to all the current members across Europe who give up their time, their knowledge and experience and expertise, coming from very different communities, but achieving a common goal of social inclusion.

And of course, in addition to our members, the people who have worked in the ENSIE executive committee, the team led for many years by Patrizia and everyone who has worked on policy, communications and in all of the various projects have played such an important role in helping all the members in delivering their mission of supporting WISEs to achieve social inclusion.