The SOFA Project, a UK charity active in the Bristol area in promoting the re-use of domestic appliances, furniture and household goods, has announced its accreditation as the first furniture recycler to be qualified to display the ‘Social Enterprise Mark’.
Helen Holland, Bristol City Council Leader, presented the Mark to the SOFA last week, during a visit to their Old Market shop and Days Lane recycling facilities.
The Social Enterprise Mark is open to a variety of types of social enterprises meeting qualification criteria, and is a one-of-a-kind accreditation. The South West of England is the pilot area for the Mark, which will be introduced across the country over the next year or two.
A label bearing the Social Enterprise Mark communicates to customers that a product or service provides an environmental or social benefit. It is a simple means of raising public awareness about the impact an organization can have, and could also provide a competitive edge for organizations appealing to the environmentally- and socially-conscious.
Customers can be assured that companies whose products and services bear the Mark use part or all of their profits on social or environmental projects and are governed in a manner beneficial to the communities in which they operate.
The National Lottery, via the BIG Lottery Fund, provides funding for the Social Enterprise Mark, and it is sponsored by both the Co-operative Group South West and the Triodos Bank.
www.sofaproject.org.uk
|
|
