Social Enterprise Scotland launches new Social Enterprise Places programme
Posted: 21 November 2019, in News
Could you be the next recognised social enterprise hotspot?
#SocEntPlaces
Thursday 21st is Social Enterprise Day – part of Global Entrepreneurship Week and a day with focus on social impact and the impact of social enterprise on the local and global community.
As part of this week Social Enterprise Scotland are pleased to announce the launch of the new Social Enterprise Places programme for Scotland!
Social Enterprise Places are areas where social enterprise activity is thriving: from neighbourhoods, to villages, towns, islands and both urban and rural communities – we’ll be encouraging local areas to recognise themselves as Social Enterprise Places committed to developing and investing in our movement.
Callander was Scotland’s first ever Social Enterprise Place. Based on the Social Enterprise UK programme run down south, this initiative sets out to place a greater focus on the work of social enterprises in Scotland and add to the 28 official Social Enterprise Places in the cohort.
The programme aims to promote, raise awareness, and build markets for social enterprise at a local and national level. Inbound Tourism is Scotland’s second biggest growth market and we want to create an ethical roadmap of Social Enterprise Places across the length and breadth of Scotland. These hotspots of social enterprise activity will be awarded with the Social Enterprise Place badge, celebrating their achievements and supporting them to grow. In Scotland this is also a way to recognise our innovative rural areas – and contribute towards the regeneration of our high streets and communities.
Delivered through the support of the Scottish Government and the Royal Bank of Scotland, Malcolm Buchanan, Chair, Scotland Board, Royal Bank of Scotland, notes: “Scotland’s communities lie at the heart of Scottish life and this programme will help harness the economic and entrepreneurial potential of our neighbourhoods, villages and towns. Royal Bank of Scotland is delighted to partner Social Enterprise Places and hope that organisations and businesses across Scotland engage with the initiative and put our towns firmly on the map.”
Chris Martin, CEO at Social Enterprise Scotland notes “I’m excited to launch the Social Enterprises Places programme on Social Enterprise Day. There are communities all over Scotland that have used the social enterprise model to regenerate their local area and we’re looking to celebrate these pockets of activity. High streets are looking more vibrant and rural communities across the country have come together to show how resilient they are”.
We’ll be running a roadshow of events around Scotland to raise awareness of the Places scheme and details of upcoming events and application procedures will be on our website soon.
For more information on the programme or to register your interest in being the next Social Enterprise Place please contact: naomi.johnson@socialenterprise.scot