From Firewood to Fabulous


Here at Cherry Tree Products our long term mission is to become a Social Enterprise Company. When I started this business I was unsure as to the direction it would take. Yes, at the moment we are only a one man operation but nonetheless we have aspirations. Our aim over the next year is to increase the percentage of profit we give away. To become a business, that can  hand on heart, can call itself a Social Enterprise requires certain criteria to be met:

  • Your business has a clear social or environmental mission that is set out in its governing documents.
  • You are an independent business and earn more than half of your income through trading (or are working towards this)
  • You are controlled or owned in the interests of your social mission
  • You reinvest or give away at least half your profits or surpluses towards your social purpose
  • You are transparent about how you operate and the impact that you have

Social enterprises are businesses that are changing the world for the better. Like traditional businesses they aim to make a profit but it’s what they do with their profits that sets them apart – reinvesting or donating them to create positive social change.  Social enterprises are in our communities and on our high streets – from coffee shops and cinemas, to pubs and leisure centres, banks and bus companies.

By selling goods and services in the open market, social enterprises create employment and reinvest their profits back into their business or the local community. This allows them to tackle social problems, improve people’s life chances, provide training and employment opportunities for those furthest from the market, support communities and help the environment.

Social enterprises exist in nearly every sector from consumer goods to healthcare, community energy to creative agencies, restaurants to facilities management. Well known examples include The Big Issue, Divine Chocolate and the Eden Project but there are over 100,000 social enterprises throughout the country contributing £60 billion to the economy and employing two million people.

We hope that you will follow us on this exciting journey as we tey to help others one stick at a time.