Age Concern Enterprises (Scotland) Makes the Mark
Posted: 04 February 2010, in Press Release
Age Concern Enterprises (Scotland) Ltd has joined an elite group of Scottish businesses to be awarded the Social Enterprise Mark, which identifies them as trading for social and environmental purposes.
The Social Enterprise Mark was officially launched nationally today [February 1] at Voice10, the Social Enterprise Coalition’s national conference in Cardiff. The Mark identifies businesses which meet defined criteria for social enterprise and consumers will recognise those businesses displaying the Mark as trading for the benefit of people and the planet.
Social enterprises are working to make a difference across the UK and beyond but not enough people know what they are or how they work. The Social Enterprise Mark aims to raise the profile of social enterprises, help bring the sector together and provide recognition for individual organisations and the contribution made to individuals and society.
Age Concern Scotland and Help the Aged in Scotland have joined together to form a single new charity dedicated to improving the lives of older people in Scotland. Its enterprise arm offers a range of products and services tailored specifically for over 50s including energy services, home and travel insurance as well as other services such as funeral plans. All profits from these services are gift aided to the charity in Scotland.
Logan Steele, General Manager of Age Concern Enterprises (Scotland) Limited said, “We’re absolutely delighted to be one of the very few organisations in Scotland to have been awarded the Social Enterprise Mark. This will enable everyone to appreciate the wider social benefits that our products and services offer.
“Age Concern Enterprises doesn’t just offer the right products and services, designed specifically with the needs of people in later life in mind, at the right price; it also ploughs back any profits into supporting the Charity’s activities at local, regional and national levels, thus facilitating the work towards a Scotland in which people in later life flourish as valued and equal citizens.”
Lucy Findlay champion from the Social Enterprise Mark Company (manager of the Mark) advised: “We are delighted to award the prestigious Social Enterprise Mark to Age Concern Enterprises (Scotland). Social enterprises come in all shapes and forms so it’s great to see a vital, enterprise arm of a nationwide Scottish charity understanding the importance of being part of the wider social enterprise brand. We hope that the Social Enterprise Mark will do for social enterprise what the Fair Trade Mark did for fair trade.”
Age Concern Enterprises (Scotland) Ltd, joins other Scottish mark holders such The Wise Group, Recycle Fife and, in England, the Eden Project and the Co-operative Group South & West. The Social Enterprise Mark builds off the pilot work run by RISE, the voice for south west social enterprise.