Standing up to Scrutiny; The Social Enterprise Conference June 8th and 9th http://www.socialenterprisemark.org.uk/

The annual Social Enterprise Mark Conference is coming up next month in Salford and I urge you to attend if you can.

 I was really pleased when Coventry University agreed to my proposal to apply for the Social Enterprise Mark. Coventry is one of only 4 universities nationally, and the first in the Midlands, to be awarded the mark. It has been an incredibly useful investment.

 Students in particular value the commitment the University has made to social benefit and impact. The mark is a public statement of these values and being independently verified brings substantial credibility.

 It surprises me therefore that not all social enterprises have adopted the mark. There is abundant evidence that customers change their buying behaviours when they understand the impact on spending with a social enterprise can have. The Social Enterprise gives that accreditation.

 Our research has also shown that social enterprises want a higher profile for their work and impact; the Mark is a valuable tool in achieving that.

 So it’s frustrating when I hear colleagues being negative about the Social Enterprise Mark. Whilst not perfect it is the best option we have. Impatience plays a part here. It takes a long, long time to get such an accreditation established, look at how hard it was to establish the fair Trade mark. Why should we expect this Mark to establish itself much more quickly?

 It’s clear to me that if the Social Enterprise Mark didn’t exist then we would need to invent something like it. If the sector is to continue growing then it will need the Mark to help communicate and measure its impact.

 Hope to see you in Salford!