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Politician Shows Support for Scotland’s Social Enterprises

Kenny MacAskill, Justice Secretary and SNP parliamentary candidate for Edinburgh Eastern pledges support for social enterprises in Scotland at the opening of the annual Social Enterprise Fair – S2S.

The SNP candidate will sign up to the new Social Enterprise Charter, showing his support for the continued growth of this vibrant sector in Scottish society.

Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: “Scotland’s social enterprises make a huge contribution to our society and our economy. It has been a privilege to see the growing success of Scotland’s social enterprises in recent years. That good work must continue and I am pleased to support the Social Enterprise Charter.

“Over the last four years a £1 million investment from the Government has seen 106 new social enterprises established, the Climate Change Challenge has supported innovative local enterprise in tackling climate change and over 2000 social entrepreneurs have been helped along the way. In tough times there is a real opportunity for social enterprise to shine. I hope we will see social enterprise grow with government support over the next five years as we have for the last four.”

Politicians from all the main parties will have the opportunity to sign the Charter at the Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition election hustings at The Edinburgh Corn Exchange this evening.

With over 100 stalls and over 700 visitors expected, the interest in what Social Enterprises can do for the people of Scotland despite challenging economic conditions continues to grow.

The S2S Fair brings together social enterprises from across Scotland with the business community and policy makers, promoting trade, collaborations and developing partnerships for the future. Visitors will include people interested in setting up social enterprises, social entrepreneurs, public and private sector executives, and members of the public.

Social enterprises – businesses with a social or environmental purpose – now add an estimated £2 billion to the Scottish economy every year and employ around 30,000 people. The social enterprise movement offers a wealth of opportunities for public and private sector businesses, and the fair provides a platform for these opportunities to develop into reality.

The Fair, which will be opened this year by Mel Young, co-founder of the international social enterprise Homeless World Cup, also features workshops and demonstrations hosted by some of Scotland’s leading social entrepreneurs. Delegates will hear about pricing strategies for social enterprises, marketing, financial guidance, pensions and governance issues, co-operative structures and Community Interest Company (CIC) models.

Fun practical sessions will also feature, including a lively cooking workshop designed to get delegates using up those odds and ends in the fridge instead of throwing them away. An interactive session on British Sign Language (BSL) and an innovative look at the links between music and Scottish textiles, mean that delegates won’t be stuck for things to do.

Delegates will also have the opportunity to purchase a range of Scottish goods and produce from social enterprises, including Hebridean Chocolates of Stornoway, which this month scooped the title of Scotland’s Social Enterprise Start-up of the Year.

Set up by Voluntary Action Lewis with the aim of making it a sustainable business, Hebridean Chocolates is a social enterprise designed to provide training, placement and employment opportunities for local people.

The chocolate factory provides products of high quality for the local, tourist and worldwide island markets – and will undoubtedly be a welcome addition to S2S.

Hebridean Chocolates will be joined by two other Social Enterprise Award winners, GREAN (Social Enterprise of the Year), who will provide recycling services for the fair, and Impart Arts (Social Enterprise Leader of the Year), which will be featuring in ‘The Zone’ demonstration area.

Antonia Swinson, chief executive of the Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition said: “This event gets bigger and better every year and we’re thrilled that the S2S Fair is such a success going into its 6th year. Despite tough trading conditions, the social enterprise movement continues to flourish in Scotland, and represents a real choice for entrepreneurs and consumers. People now look for real worth in their purchases and the exciting response to this year’s fair reflects the impressive growth of the sector.”

The S2S Fair is supported by the Scottish Government, with sponsorship from the Royal Bank of Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise and the City of Edinburgh Council, Kibble Works, North Glasgow Housing Association, Wise Group, MacRoberts, The Cooperative Bank, Brodies and Forth Sector.

For further information please contact Paula McNulty or Lesley Clark at Weber Shandwick on 0141 333 0557 / 0131 556 6649 or email pmcnulty@webershandwick.com / lclark@webershandwick.com.

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