Last week the new Social Enterprise Mark was unveiled at Voice10, the annual conference for social enterprise. The Mark identifies businesses which meet set criteria for social enterprise, and offers consumers an instantly recognisable logo that identifies businesses that are trading in a way that benefits both society and the environment.
The Mark has already proven itself as more than just a logo, it’s also giving access to a network of social enterprises across the UK with Twitter already racking up nearly 1000 followers to date: http://twitter.com/SE_Mark
We can’t help but love The Mark because it is going to give the 62,000 social enterprises in the UK the recognition they deserve. Across the country, lots of people embark on new business in order to contribute to their community, and give something back to society.
What’s more, The Mark proves that being a social enterprise has real value. As David Cameron stated, "Your creativity, dynamism, compassion and ingenuity is absolutely central to the good economic future we must build in our country." It’s excellent to see these unique businesses getting the credibility they deserve and as a result it will help social enterprise move into the main stream and give the industry strength to grow, which can only be a good thing!
Do you qualify for the Mark?
• Do you have evidence of your company’s social and environmental aims?
• Does the company have its own constitution and governing body?
• Are at least 50% of the company profits spent on socially beneficial purposes?
• Does the company earn at least 50% of its income from trading?
• Can you provide externally verified evidence that you are achieving your social or environmental aims?
You can find our more by visiting: www.socialenterprisemark.org.uk
Comments