About S.H. Barnett

The name

S.H. Barnett takes its name, and its inspiration, from Samuel and Henrietta Barnett. Samuel and Henrietta shaped society for the better through their work in social innovation and institution building. Their legacy covers social reform, the voluntary and faith sectors, the welfare state, arts and education, and urban planning and much of it remains in place today.

Samuel lived between 1844 and 1913 Henrietta between 1851 and 1936.

The Inspiration

Samuel was the visionary, Henrietta the doer. Without Henrietta Samuel was just a dreamer, without Samuel Henrietta was just a fixer. But together they were practical visionaries - an unbeatable force for change.

Like all practical visionaries their hunger for a better society, and the changes they made, live on today.

The Impact

Too many organisations are in danger of loosing their founding vision and too many organisations have a dream but make too little practical difference. S.H. Barnett wants to be an organisation which has the vision, but also delivers the vision in all the practical details.

Society needs more social innovation across a whole range of issues. S.H. Barnett will deliver this change directly, and through working with others: hence the strap-line: a social enterprise building public and civil society.