Halo is the first to secure ‘Social Enterprise Mark’ in Herefordshire

June 12, 2010

The organisation behind Herefordshire’s leisure provision has secured a notable first for the area after securing a new accreditation for the social enterprise sector.

Halo Leisure, which operates nine centres with over 1.6m customer visits every year, has successfully been awarded the Social Enterprise Mark to help it differentiate products and services by tapping into the appetite for ethical and social buying.

It is the latest in a long line of achievements for the ambitious organisation and reinforces its commitment to customer service, excellence in delivery and community-based support.

Jon Argent, Chief Executive at Halo Leisure, explained why he wanted to be involved:

“We have successfully introduced a new way of delivering crucial public services throughout Herefordshire that is deeply rooted in the social enterprise model and this is something we want to promote.

“The Social Enterprise Mark is the new brand for the sector and will raise awareness of how social enterprises operate and why people buy from, engage with, start up and work for organisations like Halo.”

“Every time someone uses our leisure centres and services they are investing back into the community and that has got to be a good thing.”

News of Halo’s success comes on the back of a recent visit by Social Enterprise Coalition’s Peter Holbrook to the West Midlands.

The new Chief Executive urged social enterprises to be more innovative, designing local solutions for local services and overcoming spending pressures brought on by the recession.

 “I’m delighted that Halo Leisure has embraced the ‘Social Enterprise Mark’ as it is a shining example of how you can successfully solve a local problem and deliver excellent leisure services in an imaginative manner.”

“The ‘Mark’ is awarded to businesses who meet specific criteria that demonstrate they are working primarily for social and/or environmental goals and that 50% of their profits are reinvested towards those goals.”

He continued: “I hope that this is just the start and it becomes a badge synonymous with trading for more than profit.”

Kevin Maton, Network Director of Social Enterprise West Midlands, is delighted with the take-up from its members in the region:

“Our members are backing the Social Enterprise Mark because of the opportunities it can unlock for generating greater public awareness of what social enterprises do and stand for.

“Within the next five years we want to see the logo displayed by hundreds of organisations, making it easier for customers to identify and buy their products and services from social enterprises.”