Social Enterprise Mark accreditation and UK Social Enterprise Awards nomination cement the Growth Company’s position as a leading Social Enterprise
- Tuesday, October 12, 2021
- Posted By The Growth Company
The Growth Company (GC) has been working hard to cement its position as a leading Social Enterprise, and has recently gained the Social Enterprise Mark, alongside a nomination at the UK Social Enterprise Awards.
Social enterprises are businesses which trade for a social or environmental purpose. There are 100,000 social enterprises in the UK contributing £60bn to the UK economy, each one being set up to tackle some of the biggest challenges we face from homelessness to the climate emergency.
GC has been accredited as a genuine social enterprise through the Social Enterprise Mark, an independent guarantee that an organisation puts the interests of people and planet above shareholder gain. GC has been externally assessed against sector-agreed criteria and has proved its commitment to using profits and income to create benefits for society and the environment.
Richard Cobbett, Assessment and Compliance Manager, Social Enterprise Mark CIC said: “We are delighted to welcome the Growth Company to the Social Enterprise Mark network of accredited social enterprises. They have submitted to the scrutiny of a robust external assessment process to prove their credentials as an organisation which is committed to creating social value for people and the planet. This was no mean feat for an organisation of their size, as, due to the complexity of their structure, it took a real team effort for them to bring together the evidence required to achieve this standard of social enterprise good practice. I am now looking forward to supporting them to take it to the next level with their application for the enhanced accreditation of the Social Enterprise Gold Mark.”
Alongside the Social Enterprise Mark, GC has also been shortlisted in the Education, Training and Jobs Social Enterprise category at the UK Social Enterprise Awards, recognising them as one of the leading social enterprises in the country.
The awards, run by the national membership body for social enterprises, acknowledge the nation’s most pioneering social enterprises. GC will be joining other shortlisted organisations at the prestigious awards ceremony held at London’s iconic Guildhall on 8 December.
Commenting on the awards, Peter Holbrook, Chief Executive of Social Enterprise UK said: “The UK Social Enterprise Awards are back, bigger and better than ever before. We have had a record number of applications this year, all of which have showcased the strength, dynamism and resilience of the social enterprise community through what’s been an incredibly difficult and uncertain period.
Over the course of the pandemic social enterprises have been going above and beyond the call of duty to support their teams, the individuals, and communities they work with, showing the grit, determination and innovation so inherent to this sector. They’ve been operating directly on the frontline of the crisis, launching new products and pivoting their business models to meet the needs of communities and society as a whole.
The Awards are all about celebrating the achievements of the UK’s social enterprise movement, which is showing us that another way of doing business is possible - one which has never been more important as we look to build back better and address the climate emergency.”
Mark Hughes, Chief Executive of the Growth Company commented on the latest achievements:
“Gaining accreditation through the Social Enterprise Mark and being nominated for a Social Enterprise UK award demonstrates the Growth Company’s commitment to being acknowledged as a leading social enterprise.
The Growth Company exists to drive forward business, economic, personal and professional development within communities by boosting employment, skills, investment and enterprise for the benefit of all.
We’re proud to driven by our values, and will continue to work to operate with a positive impact on the world we live in.”
Visit the Social Enterprise UK Awards and Social Enterprise Mark websites for more information.