The Dartington Hall Trust awarded the Social Enterprise Mark

Guy Watson, founder of Riverford Organics, presented The Dartington Hall Trust withthe Social Enterprise Mark, which is given to businesses that work to help society and protect the environment.

The Social Enterprise Mark Company is the only authority that certifies genuine social enterprises, which hold society and the environment at the heart of the business. The mark promotes social enterprise as the business of choice for everyone, acting as a guarantee that a business is trading for people and planet.

Dartington joins other ethical businesses that have been recognised by being awarded the mark, such as the Age UK, The Eden Project, Big Issue, the Phone Coop and Fifteen.

Government data estimates that there are 62,000 social enterprises across the UK, contributing £24 billion to the economy and employing around 800,000 people.

According to “Fightback Britain” (2011), a report from Social Enterprise UK and the Co-operative Bank, 82 per cent of social enterprises reinvest their profits locally, in the communities where they work. Compared with private companies, 58 per cent grew last year (28 per cent) and 39 per cent are working in the most deprived communities (13 per cent).

Social enterprises plough the majority of their profits back into activities that benefit people and planet, rather than just lining shareholders pockets. Social enterprises are working to make a difference across the UK and beyond, but not enough people know what they are or how they work. The Social Enterprise Mark aims to raise awareness of what social enterprises do in order to get more people to buy from, engage with, start up and work for social enterprises.

Based just outside Totnes in South Devon, The Dartington Hall Trust works in three areas – the arts, social justice and sustainability. Its commercial arms – The Shops at Dartington and Dartington Hall – support these programmes.

Vaughan Lindsay, Chief Executive of The Dartington Hall Trust, said: “We’re really proud to have been awarded the Social Enterprise Mark. Long before the term was coined our founders, Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst, created a social enterprise in Dartington. Today we continue to champion this way of working and remain committed to operating as a sustainable social enterprise ”.

Guy Watson, founder of Riverford Organics, said: “It’s a delight to be asked to present the Social Enterprise mark to Dartington, acknowledging their commitment to trading and working ethically.”

Lucy Findlay, Managing Director, Social Enterprise Mark Company, advised: “As the only certification process for genuine social enterprises, the Mark guarantees businesses meet defined criteria, enabling consumers to recognise that they are trading to benefit people and planet. It also helps those businesses promote their business ethics and values. We hope that the Social Enterprise Mark will do for social enterprise what the Fairtrade Mark did for fair trade.”