Social Firms UK

While at the Social Firms UK conference in July 2007, Mark Powell of Social Firm development agency, Broomby (www.broomby.co.uk) gave an interview to Social Enterprise Podcasts. In it he talks about how he came to work in the Social Firm sector, the importance of Social Firms and the need for more to be set up. To listen visit:  http://www.sepodcasts.org/podcast.php?p=174

Pluss (www.pluss.org.uk) is a Star Social Firm which provides employment, development and equipment services for people with disabilities in South West England.

  This case study is of Scottish manufacturing sub-contractor, Haven Products (www.havenproducts.co.uk).

  Travel Matters Enterprises Ltd is a fully bonded travel agency offering a comprehensive range of travel services. They can arrange anything from domestic flights to worldwide tailor-made holidays, and are not affiliated to any individual tour operator or airline so can offer independent advice when arranging their customers' travel plans.

  Six Mary's Place was created 22 years ago when its Acting Chairperson, Andy Hunter, gave Edinburgh Community Trust (now Forth Sector) a soft loan with which to buy the premises. It is an extremely comfortable and beautifully refurbished Georgian (1829) town house with a warm, friendly ambience, based in the heart of Edinburgh.

  Pack-IT Product Promotions Limited was established in 1988 as a small enterprise carrying out light industrial packing services. It is now a thriving three-pronged business supplying mailing, storage & distribution and on-line fulfilment, with an enviable reputation as a fast turn-around specialist.

  NPS is a printing company based in Dorking, Surrey. It was set up in 1993 following the closure of Netherne Hospital For the Mentally Ill, which had run its own occupational therapy printing unit.

  Electroville became an independent Social Firm on 1st June 2007, having grown out of the Disabled People's Electronic Village Hall (DP-EVH). It exists to provide employment for disabled people through providing high quality ICT services to voluntary organisations.  Electroville provides a wide range of ICT services:

  Café Nova Interchange (CNI) is a catering firm and coffee shop that since 2001 has been located at the interchange between the Thameslink railway station and the underground and buses at the Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre. It began in 1997 as a sandwich round provider known as LAM Catering, but was gradually built up to provide food for functions such as weddings and meetings.

Solstice Nurseries (www.solsticenurseries.co.uk) is a wholesale grower, nursery and garden/site maintenance service based in Aberdeenshire. Solstice Nurseries exists to provide work experience and training in horticultural nursery and garden maintenance work for people who have experienced mental health problems and who have a desire to