A joint Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network (ESEN) and Business Gateway festive social enterprise market was opened by Lord Provost, The Rt Honourable Donald Wilson along with Cllr Gavin Barrie at the City of Edinburgh Council’s headquarters at Waverley Court yesterday. Continue reading Lord Provost opens social enterprise market at Council HQ
Tag: Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network
This land is your land
The Scottish Land Fund reopens for business – and now includes urban areas
Wednesday 13 April, 2 – 4pm
EDINBURGH Social Enterprise Network (ESEN) is hosting an event at the Grassmarket Community Project next week to highlight and disseminate information about the Scottish Land Fund as urban areas will be able to apply for funding for the very first time. Continue reading This land is your land
Social kickabout at Easter Road
Mascots meet at Easter Road
Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network’s mascot Doogie Goodstuff, who promotes all great social enterprise products and service across the city with the Buy The Good Stuff campaign – lined up for a fun penalty shoot-out with fellow social enterprise mascots at Hibs’ Easter Road stadium yesterday. Continue reading Social kickabout at Easter Road
City social enterprises strive for success
Twelve guest social entrepreneurs from Edinburgh Social Enterprise’s (ESEN) citywide network shared their expertise with businesses who were successful in winning a place on the Social Innovation Incubation Award programme at an event at The Melting Pot last week. Continue reading City social enterprises strive for success
2016: a big year for social enterprise
FOLLOWING a hectic year of social enterprise engagements, Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network’s mascot Dougie Goodstuff reflects on the past year: Continue reading 2016: a big year for social enterprise
Edinburgh’s Eat the Good Stuff campaign’s on track!
Rail commuters tuck into Britain’s biggest jeely piece!
The Monster Jeely Piece Challenge pulled into Waverley station yesterday as Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network (ESEN) teamed up with Breadshare and Tiphereth in a Jar to stage the creation of the biggest jeely piece (that’s a jam sandwich, visitors!) to date in the UK.
Sandwich construction started at 11am and the muckle piece was ready for munching at lunchtime, with tasting from 1pm. The challenge marked the launch of the “Eat the Good Stuff” campaign, which aims to promote the range of high quality food social enterprises in Edinburgh.
The event took place at Waverley Station’s LocalMotive Markets site alongside platform 2, where the new Borders Railway now comes in.
Speaking before the build of the mighty sandwich ESEN Coordinator Linsay Chalmers, said: “Weeks of preparation and logistical planning have gone into this world first ‘monster jeely piece’ attempt. There has been a lot to consider for the Breadshare and Tiphereth social enterprise teams who have calculated the jeely piece will be 1.8m x 1.6m in size and will need 12 kilos of strawberry jam to make it possible.”
The team worked against the clock to create the monster ‘master-piece’, which was then cut into 768 individual sandwiches for sharing with commuters, railway staff and passers-by.
Lindsay added: “We are keen to promote Edinburgh’s food social enterprises through our “Eat the Good Stuff” campaign and be the first in the UK to create a giant jeely piece – especially as it is Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink – we felt we had to mark the occasion with some great local and organic foodie, social enterprise produce.”
“And next year we hope to have a ‘monster scone bake-off’ with some of our other social enterprises.”
Juliet Donnachie, Station Manager, Waverley Station said: “Edinburgh Waverley is Scotland’s largest station so it’s only fitting it should also be home to the country’s biggest jeely piece. The market has been a popular addition to the station over the past year and events like this add a little unexpected fun to passengers’ journeys.”
Edinburgh is home to food social enterprises of all shapes and sizes including cafes, pubs and fair trade distributors. The campaign aims to place the spotlight on these food organisations and introduce the people of Edinburgh to the top quality and socially good products that they offer.
There are now over 200 social enterprises in Edinburgh with a wide range of products from culinary and craft to recycling, wellbeing, and sport – and new products are coming to the fore each week.
The “buy the good stuff” sticker campaign indicates to shoppers and visitors the wide range and diversity of businesses promoting social enterprise whilst highlighting the beautiful and unique products on offer and the stickers will help recognise those businesses with ease.
Stick to it: Doogie makes his mark!
Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network (ESEN) mascot Doogie Goodstuff has been out and about in the city this week, placing ‘Buy the Good Stuff’ stickers on shops, restuarants, cafes and businesses promoting social enterprise products, goods and services.
Social enterprises are businesses that plough their profits back into the community, and the ‘buy the good stuff’ campaign sticker will indicate to shoppers the wide range and diversity of businesses promoting social enterprise all across the city.
ESEN network coordinator Linsay Chalmers said: “With the roll-out of our sticker campaign we are aiming to increase name recognition of our ‘Buy the Good Stuff” brand and make it easier for people in Edinburgh to spot social enterprises.
“There are now over 200 social enterprises in Edinburgh, offering a wide range of products from culinary and crafts to recycling, wellbeing and sport – and we are seeing new products coming to the fore each week and this will make it easier for people to recognise those businesses.
“Support for our mascot Dougie Goodstuff is growing and making it a bright and engaging campaign for everyone – so we urge shoppers to get out there and buy the good stuff!”
Susan Harkins, Business Gateway Manager, added: “Business Gateway has helped many social enterprises start-up and grow. We are delighted this campaign will raise their profile and make it simpler for customers to buy from these businesses.”
Doogie is pictured at Leith Walk social enterprise Punjabi Junction and Spaceartworks in Morningside – he fairly gets around!
City’s social enterprises making a splash!
ONE of Edinburgh’s best-known social enterprises, Re-union Canal Boats, played host to the new Monster branding ‘Buy the Good Stuff’ to encourage Edinburgh citizens to buy more from local social enterprise businesses.
‘Buy the Good Stuff’ is a call to action to the general public to consider how they shop around the city and can really make a difference by purchasing from social enterprises. Over 150 social enterprises are trading in Edinburgh, from cafes and retail, to creative industries and leisure generating income and reinvesting their profits into the community for social or environmental benefits.
Edinburgh is the first place in Scotland to run such a marketing campaign which goes citywide this September. Adverts for ‘Buy the Good Stuff’ will be appearing all over town including on the side of five Lothian Buses.
Linsay Chalmers, network coordinator, Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network commented: “We want to let people know that you can buy fantastic products and services from social enterprises and do your bit to make the world a better place at the same time. Social enterprises get excellent ratings from customers and, as our strapline says, they plough monster profits back into the community too.”
Pat Bowie, manager of Re-union Ltd, added: “We’re really pleased to be involved in the launch of Scotland’s first social enterprise brand. ‘Buy the Good Stuff’ will make it easier for people to find social enterprises and is something that all Edinburgh social enterprises can get behind.”
Councillor Frank Ross, Edinburgh’s Economy Convener, said: “Social enterprise is a key and influential part of our city economy and has the potential for significant growth. We have many highly successful businesses running throughout the city and we want to encourage consumers to consider their purchasing options. We recognise through this new campaign, that we can really build on the fact that these businesses offer a very attractive competitive product or service with community at their heart.”
Lorna Baird, social enterprise adviser with Business Gateway, said: “Here at Business Gateway we support a wide range of businesses including those that generate profit for social good – better known as social enterprises. We are delighted to be supporting the ‘Buy the Good Stuff’ campaign as it will not only put social enterprises on the map but also help raise awareness of the incredible work they do in Edinburgh and beyond.”
Find out more about Buy the Good Stuff at www.buythegoodstuff.co.uk and @SocEntEdinburgh