Identity mark goes UK-wide

A identity mark for social enterprises that was developed in the south west of England has spread UK-wide with a number of well-known organisations jumping at the chance to have a nationally-recognised identity.

The Social Enterprise Mark, developed by Rise, has been awarded to at least ten new social enterprises located outside the south west region this summer and will be officially available to all UK social enterprises by the end of the year.

They include Emmaus Bristol, which helps homeless people find homes and work, and ethical communications agency Green Rocket and Sandwell Community Caring Trust.

The mark has also gone to Selwood Housing in Wiltshire, which is the first housing association in the UK to get the mark.

And around six organisations in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland are waiting to launch the mark.

The massive interest in the mark comes after a survey by ICM Research found that seven out of ten consumers said they would prefer to buy products and services from organisations with a social mission rather than shareholders.

Julie Harris, chair of Rise, CEO of training social enterprise Cosmic and a Social Enterprise Ambassador, said the mark would play an important role in the future of social enterprise and ethical consumerism.

‘With more and more opportunities opening up every day for organisations to benefit from the growing trend in ethical consumerism, the Social Enterprise Mark has an important role to play in helping people understand when a business is genuinely socially-motivated,' she said.

‘By the end of this year, the Social Enterprise Mark will be available across the country and we hope it will be the next Fairtrade-type success story in helping people buy in a more responsible way.'

Unlimited Potential, a Salford-based organisation providing innovative services to improve people's happiness and health which was listed on the RBS SE100 Index in April as the fastest growing health and social care social enterprise, has also been awarded the mark.

Its CEO, Chris Dabbs, said: ‘Social enterprise is a better way of doing business and the Social Enterprise Mark enables us to show people that we are truly motivated for society and the environment.'

The Social Enterprise Mark is funded by the National Lottery through the BIG Lottery Fund and sponsored by the Co-operative Group South & West and Triodos Bank.

To find out more about the mark, visit www.socialenterprisemark.co.uk