In The Spotlight

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This week, in conjunction with Social Enterprise Scotland, we're working in the spotlight to share a bit about how we work as a social enterprise and who we are. Running a social enterprise can be hard word, but it's a rewarding endeavour

Read more here: https://socialenterprise.scot/social-enterprise.../ or read below

What’s your social and/or environmental mission?

We are a community hub and carbon negative green space providing a person-centred approach for disadvantaged individuals, children, young people & their families, who have faced complex trauma and adverse childhood experiences, to have high quality opportunities to thrive and achieve positive, healthy, and life-enhancing outcomes through educational, therapeutic and community countryside based initiatives.

How do you do it?

We work face to face with clients referred in through schools, social work, housing and themselves, with options including bespoke Equine Facilitated Development courses, training and accreditation through UK wide recognised organisations, volunteering and work experience, skills based workshops looking at growing, yoga, building and cooking, and can set up connections with other third sector organisations to improve skills and life quality.

What’s your personal motivation for being a social entrepreneur?

Our founder has lived experience of the care system, lack of mainstream education opportunities and homelessness, and knows the power of being given a chance and to experience nature and animals, getting a stepping stone and the tools to self improvement.

What are your current projects?

Pastures New has seen us move to our community eco hub, opening up a massive branch of volunteering and skills improvement opportunities, and is ongoing as we expand our community allotment, sensory spaces and therapy session spaces.

Believe is our Equine Facilitated Learning programme, working towards building confidence and belief in our young people and their families as a unit. A selection of offerings including non-ridden equine therapy, trees, yoga, pottery, mental health awareness and career planning.

What exciting things do you have coming up?

Now we have moved to our new community site, we are expanding into more offerings, with a community growing and allotment space, the arrival of sheep and chickens, a new website with online shop to sell resources and packs for both clients and session leaders, and a widened range of EFL services with trauma informed counsellors and practitioners.

Who do you want to work with more?

We want to start working with more businesses as a training provider, offering corporate team building, sessions learning about compassion fatigue, trauma informing, and resilience training, as well as assisting in coaching new approaches for clients. We also want to be more accessible to the local community as a centre to hire and share.

What’s your biggest challenge?

Where we’re based in the Scottish Borders, everything is quite remote and public transport is limited, especially as we’re in a rural setting. Funding is competitive, and we are seeking a marketer due to our growth to expand our capacity to take in more clients.

What top tips would you give to other social enterprises?

The best thing you can do for your business is to network, make connections, be open to feedback, evolving and adapting to your market, leading from the inside out and leading by example. For yourself running a social enterprise, find a balance between work and leisure to avoid burnout.