Social enterprise
Social Investment Scotland held an event at the parliament to celebrate its achievements and mark the change of chairman.
After six years in the role Nick Kuenssberg is handing over to former banker Ken Barclay at the end of the year.
Labour MSP Jackie Baillie, one of the organisation’s co-founders, and John Swinney, the Deputy First Minister, addressed guests, along with chief executive Alastair Davis.
Also in attendance was the journalist and commentator Alf Young, an earlier chairman of SIS.
Mr Davis outlined the goals and successes of of SIS across a range of sectors which has seen it involved in raising more than £63 million for more than 300 organisations.
It has helped nearly 300,000 people living in some of the most deprived areas in Scotland
Investments by SIS have benefited 1.3 million Scots, an increase of 19% on 2017. Over the past year, SIS customers have created 319 full-time equivalent jobs and sustained more than 3,000 jobs. Some 71% of customers anticipate turnover to increase in the next year.
Over the course of the past year SIS has backed projects in 28 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities.
Mr Davis said: “Our Social Impact Report is a key indicator of how well SIS is doing to meet our mission of connecting capital with communities.”
Mr Swinney added: “In between all the statistics we should never forget the impact of social enterprise on individual people’s lives.”
He noted a project in his constituency in Aberfeldy which had helped 70 local people.
Mr Keunssberg, nursing a broken arm following a recent fall, said: “2018 has been another strong year for SIS, working with more customers than ever before to make a difference to those who need it most.”
He said the organisation was due to launch a fund to help the homeless.
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