The Workspace Group achieves the Social Enterprise Mark
September 1, 2010
The Social Enterprise Mark is the new brand for social enterprises developed by the social enterprise movement. The Mark identifies businesses that meet defined criteria for social enterprise and offers consumers an instantly recognisable logo that represents enterprises working for social aims and trading to benefit people.
The Workspace Group, based in Draperstown, has operated with this ethos for the past 25 years. The Group was established in 1982 to stimulate social and economic regeneration in the Magherafelt area and is now regarded as one of Northern Ireland’s leading social enterprises with an annual turnover of over £7m and employing over 100 staff.
The Group provides a range of commercial ‘business’ activities’ the surpluses of which are used to partly or wholly fund non-commercial social activities such as the Backrow Recreation Centre, After School Club and Workspace Community Fund.
As acknowledgement of the Workspace Group’s achievements in this area the Group received the Social Enterprise Mark from Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster at an event hosted by the Social Economy Network at Grovesnor House in Belfast on 1st September 2010. The event was attended by over 130 delegates and 33 social economy enterprise organisations from across Northern Ireland.
Speaking after the event Workspace Chief Executive Brian Murray said “We are delighted to receive the Social Enterprise Mark and are pleased that we are in a position to help support the local community in a practical way. Workspace has its roots in the Draperstown area and we hope that we can continue to support the people at the heart of our community.”
