Social Enterprise Mark revealed

The new Social Enterprise Mark has been revealed at the Voice10 conference for social enterprise in Cardiff. The Mark has been designed to raise awareness of social enterprise amongst the general public, and to do for social enterprise what the Fairtrade mark has done for fair trade.

Gemma Hampson socialenterpriselive.com

The new Social Enterprise Mark and its spiralling logo have been unveiled at Voice10, the annual conference for social enterprise.

The Mark, which comes with the tag line of 'Trading for People and Planet', is an identifier to promote social enterprise to consumers of products and services delivered by social businesses. It is not, however, a quality mark.

The launch in Cardiff was attended by third sector minister Angela Smith and featured a performance from Wales-based social enterprise NoFit State Circus, dry ice and fireworks.

Lucy Findlay, CEO of south west social enterprise body RiSE and a member of the Mark's steering group, said: 'We want the Social Enterprise Mark to do for social enterprise what the Fairtrade mark has done for fair trade'.

She added: 'Too many people don't know about us. We must make it easier to identify what makes us different to consumers, government and investors'.

The launch and logo come after months of planning, building on an identifier launched in 2007 by RiSE, the voice of social enterprise in the south west, which was partially funded by the Big Lottery Fund.

It was rolled out nationally following petitions from social entrepreneurs, including new Social Enterprise Coalition CEO Peter Holbrook when he was boss of Sunlight Development Trust. Around £1m investment was also needed.

Today's launch (1/02/2010) also comes two months after it was due to be made public. It was delayed to maximise its impact, according to the Mark's steering group.

Speaking at the launch, third sector minister Angela Smith, said: 'The Mark has the potential to be a real catalyst to put social enterprises where they belong- clearly defined and at the heart of the UK economy and society'.

'I have seen some amazing and innovative examples of social enterprises, and the more people that know about them and the more people that get involved in the sector, the better!'

Holbrook added that the Mark, which he called 'visually powerful', was needed to aid social enterprise growth in the UK.

'Social enterprises are businesses doing really extraordinary things in new and innovative ways but they have until now been hard to recognise, partly because they work in practically every industry imaginable and range from community enterprises to international companies,' he said.

'The time is right for the introduction of a visually powerful Mark which indicates, at a glance, the integrity of an organisation and around which we can drive awareness and understanding'.

The Mark will be administered by a joint venture set up by the Social Enterprise Coalition and RiSE. Findlay added that the Mark's use would spread the message of social enterprises, which have 'the potential to revolutionise attitudes to consumerism'.

Find out more on the Mark's own website at www.socialenterprisemark.org.uk

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