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February 2, 2021
Deja vu?
Ever since social enterprise first entered the lexicon of third sector policy wonks, consensus about its true meaning has proved elusive. Ten years ago, in an attempt to bring some clarity, an idea imported from south of the border – the Social Enterprise Mark – was launched, only to sink with little trace a few years later. Undaunted by that experience, a new venture – Social Enterprise Places – has surfaced. Clearly well intended, but with little information about the benefits that accrue to these ‘places’, alarm bells are ringing. Sometimes, initiatives with the best of intentions can have unintended consequences.
The Social Enterprise Places was launched by Social Enterprise Scotland in November 2019. Building in the programme originally developed by SEUK (Social Enterprise UK) we were keen to promote the great work in Scotland and wanted to adapt the initiative to reflect the Scottish landscape.
Callander was Scotland’s first ever Social Enterprise Place and we are delighted to now welcome Uist, Lewis and Govan following our first round of applications here in Scotland.
Scotland has long had a reputation for social enterprise activity and on the 21st January Social Enterprise Scotland we were thrilled to welcome Uist and Lewis to the Places programme for Scotland. In addition, Govan will be highlighted as ‘one to watch’ in 2021.
Social Enterprise Places are local areas where social enterprise activity is thriving, from neighbourhoods, to villages, towns, islands and both urban and rural communities. Social Enterprise Scotland has been encouraging local areas to recognise themselves as Social Enterprise Places committed to developing and investing in their local areas. The programme aims to promote, raise awareness, and build markets for social enterprises. While 2021 remains a challenging time for many areas the pandemic has also highlighted the role that social enterprise plays in supporting their community and Social Enterprise Scotland want to make sure their work is highlighted.
We are delighted that applications for the next round of our Places programme are now open. We will bring on new Places twice a year with deadlines on March 31st and September 30th. Please contact Naomi if you have any questions about this – we’d love to work with you on this.
Ready to Begin Your Application? Complete the online application form.
March 31st and September 30th 2020 – – APPLICATION DEADLINE
FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information please contact naomi.johnson@socialenterprise.scot