*BRITISH COUNCIL BRIGHT*

ISLAMABAD/ PAKISTAN : British Council to invest Rs 200 million to increase contributions by social enterprises:

The British Council launched a new multi-year programme called Developing Inclusive & Creative Economies (DICE) at an event held at a local hotel.

The programme will be delivered across five priority countries; Pakistan, South Africa, Egypt, Indonesia and Brazil as well as in the United Kingdom.

To address challenges in emerging economies, the British Council programme draws on two of the UK’s key assets; social enterprise and creative industries. Creative industries alone contribute over £75 billion to the UK economy and 1.8 million jobs. A total of 70,000 social enterprises contribute £24 billion to the UK economy and sustain over a million jobs.

The British Council will invest Rs 200 million over the next two years to help grow the contributions social and creative enterprises make, nurture the people who run them and the policy which supports them. Key highlights from the DICE programme include DICE Policy Series which will work towards policy interventions to help young people across the country begin their entrepreneurial journeys. The DICE Fellowship aims to help 600 social and creative entrepreneurs, of which there will be 300 women leaders, through a programme delivered by the School of Leadership across 12 cities in Pakistan.

Welcoming the guests at the event, British Council Pakistan Country Director Rosemary Hilhorst noted, “DICE will draw on the huge talent which exists in Pakistan and help unleash the potential of people and organisations who are working to improve lives, develop skills and create jobs. I am especially pleased about DICE programme’s focus on creating an enabling environment to empower women in Pakistan.”