Social enterprise mark
Scheme will 'clarify common values'
The umbrella body for social enterprise has agreed to throw its weight behind the development of a social enterprise mark for its sector.
At a board meeting last week, the Social Enterprise Coalition agreed to work with Rise, the development organisation for south-west England, which created the social enterprise mark and has trialled it in the region over the past two years.
"The coalition believes that supporting further development of the mark will help to clarify the common values of social enterprise, to communicate those values more widely and thus raise the profile of social enterprise to key audiences," a coalition spokeswoman said.
Rise has been in discussion with some regional social enterprise bodies about rolling the mark out in other parts of the UK.
Some social entrepreneurs have been critical of the accreditation. Sophi Tranchell, managing director of Divine Chocolate, and Matthew Thomson, chief executive of the London Community Recycling Network, told the coalition's annual conference last month that the mark would not be beneficial unless it brought tax or financing advantages.
