Social Enterprise Week 2022 | Spotlight on EADHA
Social Enterprise Week 2022 | Spotlight on EADHA
15/11/2022 (Staff Post - Iain Cunningham )
As part of Social Enterprise week 2022, Renfrewshire Social Enterprise network (RenSEN) will be promoting our new Dashboard demographic and highlighting the work of local social enterprise organisations. SE’s contribute significantly to our local economy with £123m during 2021-22 financial year.
For more info contact info@engagerenfrewshire.com
EADAH ENTERPRISE
We identified an opportunity to turn a hobby and passion into a business to solve two problems – to save the Scottish Aspen Tree and to regenerate land and communities through tree planting. A social enterprise seemed the right model – to deliver both social as well environmental benefits, with profits reinvested and at the same time being enterprising and creative to enable trading and not be reliant on just grants.
As far as major challenges go, there is nothing specific as we received a lot of support from Senscot and Oxfam who funded us initially. Following the end of core funding from Oxfam, there were a few challenging years bringing in enough income but we got a few lucky breaks to deliver sizeable tree planting contracts which kept us going and enabled us to build from a base.
As for giving some tips for other social entrepreneurs thinking about starting up a SE. Reachout – there are so many useful networks out there. It’s all about partnership working and one opportunity leads to another. Finding synergies with other organisations is useful. Shout about what you are doing. First Port were a great source of funding, enabling us to purchase a vehicle without which we would not be in the position we are in. Join your local third sector interface. Engage Renfrewshire have been great support. That way you never feel like you are doing it on your own.
Highlights of starting and running your SE too many to list however we have been working with a large group of volunteers all of whom contribute their time for the greater good. It’s an honour and privilege working with such people which makes the job an absolute pleasure. They have also enabled us to significantly increase our outcomes and impacts.
We will be planting the millionth aspen tree to have been produced from our original collection this year.
Contact Details: Peter Livingstone,
Square House, Harvey House, Lochwinnoch PA12 4HE