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Projects
Findhorn Social Enterprise Hub
Location
Findhorn Hive, Findhorn, Forres, UK
Total Cost
£517,522.90
LEADER Award
£350,847.49
Intervention Rate
67.79%
Ekopia Resource Exchange Ltd were awarded funding to build and establish a Social Enterprise Hub, the aim of which was to provide a collaborative, supportive and affordable working space for innovative social enterprises in the Moray area.
Based at Findhorn Ecovillage, the hub provided offices, workshops, spaces for food production/craft activities and facilities such as hot-desking, along with access to social networks, peer support, information and expertise in an environment which facilitates collaboration, innovation and cross-pollination, thereby supporting SEs to develop their enterprises and increase the impact of their work.
With Moray’s high levels of poverty, unemployment and minimum-wage employees, along with an increasing population of retirees and a tendency for young people to leave the area to seek employment/education, there is a need to create long-term sustainable and diversified economic growth in the region. Despite these challenges, there are genuine opportunities within Moray to address these issues through innovative local initiatives to create long-term sustainable development in the area. Social enterprise has the potential to transform communities and create lasting social change.
This project provided local SEs with the facilities to build capacity, allowing the creation of much-needed jobs and skill development locally. The hub, due to its location at Findhorn Ecovillage, home to many community organisations and small businesses, provided a tangible example of how the co-operative and ethical values embedded in social enterprise can help create a shared sense of identity and a vibrant, confident community.