Link4Life recipient of local government award awarded Social Enterprise Mark

August 8, 2010

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Link4Life has been awarded the prestigious Social Enterprise Mark.

A growing list of hundreds of companies have joined the movement launched at the beginning of the year. The Mark sets out to identify businesses which are leading the revolution for a better way of doing business. It aims to demonstrate to customers an organisation that is committed to social and environmental objectives and is trading for people and planet.

Winner of the 2010 Municipal Journal best public-private partnership award, Link4Life is a registered charity providing cultural services on behalf of Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council in the four main areas of arts and heritage, entertainment, fitness and health and sport and leisure.  

Announcing the award, Managing Director, Craig McAteer said, “The trust balances financial stability with clear social objectives that adhere to the principles of equality, co-operation, concern for community, democratic governance and appropriate use of surpluses. Recognition from the social enterprise mark helps us to effectively underpin this commitment. Our focus is on supporting the quality of life of the people who live, work and visit the the borough of Rochdale by continually improving the services they receive.”

Speaking on behalf of Social Enterprise, Managing Director Lucy Finlay said, “With more and more opportunities opening up every day for social enterprises to join up and work together to deliver public services, the Social Enterprise Mark has an important role to play in helping people understand when their leisure provider is genuinely socially motivated.”

“With the Social Enterprise Mark now available across the country we hope to see it as the next ‘Fair Trade’ type success story in helping people buy in a more ‘ethical’ way.”

Developing new and improved facilities in the borough of Rochdale is a key objective upon which Link4Life is based delivering a £34 million three year capital investment programme. Success in this area has played an important part in achieving other positive improvements of increasing participation in sport, improving local health and well-being, developing new and innovative cultural activities and providing quality services that show continuous improvement.