Clowne Enterprise Awarded Social Enterprise Mark

Derbyshire-based Clowne Enterprise has been awarded the Social Enterprise Mark, the first organisation to be awarded the Mark since it was rolled out as a national product in early February, and only the second enterprise in the East Midlands to achieve the standard.

The Social Enterprise Mark is the brand for social enterprises and was launched on 1st February, 2010. The Mark identifies businesses which meet defined criteria for social enterprise so that consumers can recognise that businesses displaying the Mark are trading to benefit people and planet.

Clowne and its surrounding area were badly affected by the closure of local coal mines and it suffers from a high level of unemployment, especially among young people. Established in 2006 Clowne Enterprise has worked with over 300 individuals and small businesses and has created over 150 new jobs, highlighted by an impressive record of helping the long term unemployed to return to work.

Based within its own Enterprise Centre at Station Business Centre, they provide one to one coaching to people who are looking to set up their own small enterprise as well as forming a local network of aspiring entrepreneurs and existing businesses who are able to help each other to grow and develop their businesses. Strongly supporting the ethos of Buying Locally, they also run events to encourage local people to buy goods and services from small local suppliers, enabling local money to be recycled within the local community. A local enterprise forum has been set up, and they also let out affordable office space for new businesses within their Station Business Centre.

Clowne Enterprise joins other ethical businesses in the UK that have been recognised by the scheme such as the Eden Project and Hill Holt Wood