Pioneering Social Enterprise in Hackney Mark Launch

On Thursday 20th October Hackney Co-operative Developments launched the Pioneering Social Enterprise in Hackney Mark at the new London head office of UBS Bank, who sponsor our social enterprise support programme of the same name.

Hackney is the first London borough to recognise its thriving social enterprise community with an official mark and as such it was wonderful that the event was opened by our new Mayor, Philip Glanville, who spoke passionately and knowledgably about the role social enterprise plays in the borough. 

Other speakers at the event included;

Adam Gardner, Communities Campaigns Manager for The Fairtrade Foundation, who shared their learning about how a recognisable mark that consumers understand can communicate the scrutiny of ethical business, as well as some of the challenges we face.

Sarah Craner, Director, Corporate Responsibility & Community Affairs, UBS, who discussed the success of UBS/HCD inter-sector partnership in growing the social economy in Hackney

Kofi Oppong, from mark-awardees Urban MBA who share his feelings on how the Mark will impact his business.

The Pioneering Social Enterprise in Hackney Mark has developed out of the success of HCD’s Pioneering Social Enterprise in Hackney programme of support and is an award for organisations which are committed to genuine social enterprise principles and can demonstrate a true connection to and benefit for Hackney communities.

We believe that the creation of the Mark will help to promote and safeguard the integrity of the social economy in Hackney and protect the term ‘Social Enterprise’ locally.

Dominic Ellison, CEO of HCD, said “Hackney is a borough that leads the way in social enterprise, it is part of the fabric of our community resilience against many pressures of change and uncertainty. People of Hackney really identify themselves with the borough and seek opportunities to contribute to its strength. Trading with local social enterprises is a powerful way to do this.”

The awards were presented by Cllr Guy Nicholson, Cabinet Member for Regeneration at LB Hackney at a formal ceremony at UBS. 

The full list of the award winners is

• ALPHA Actors
• Black Cat Cafe
• Bootstrap Company
• Cass and Claredale Halls of Residence Association Limited
• Hackney Pirates Ship of Adventures
• Hackney Playbus
• HCT Group
• Healthwatch Hackney
• Liberation Foods CIC
• Peter Bedford Housing Association
• Pioneers Post
• Shoreditch Trust
• STORE School & Projects CIC
• Urban MBA and
• VLC Centre

Other elements of the day included a business advice session at which UBS Bank assembled teams of experts to work with selected social enterprises to construct a plan to overcome a specific challenge to their growth and the largest Principle Six business networking event that HCD have hosted to date, facilitated by its creator Sion Whellens. 

The feedback from the day has been fantastic and HCD expect to accredit at least 70 more social enterprises over the next two years.

Sustainable Hackney social enterprises genuinely rooted in the borough will, from January 2016, be able to apply to use the Pioneering Social Enterprise in Hackney Mark, to demonstrate their social enterprise identity and commitment to delivering local services, social outcomes and employment.