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Aberdeen Social Enterprises (ASE) operates four small businesses which provide employment related services for people experiencing or recovering from mental health problems. The services provide a supportive working environment for people to develop employment related skills, but are also developing a business oriented approach to the enterprise aspects of the services. The aim of this is to maximise opportunities for people who use our service, and to increase sustainability, by using a business approach to meet customer demand. The services include Rosie’s Café, which is an emerging social firm, providing training and work experience in a busy café environment. Rosie’s is based in the Rosemount area of Aberdeen. The remaining services are all based in Holburn Street premises and include: The TeePee, a retail outlet for products made in our design studios and for other local independent crafters; Picture This! a picture framing service which produces bespoke picture frames to the general public and business customers TeePee Crafts, which uses a range of creative mediums to produce high quality, hand made and hand finished gifts, greetings cards, soft furnishings and seasonal goods. All the workplaces employ a co-ordinator who is an expert in their particular field, which allows for real work skills to be developed in the supported environment of the workplaces. The Holburn Street enterprises are about to be rebranded in the next couple of months to coincide with a major shop refit. Rosies2Go social firm • Rosies2Go is a new social firm initiative supported by Turning Point Scotland’s Aberdeen Social Enterprises and Communities Scotland’s Future builders Investment Fund. • It will produce and deliver individual sandwich lunches to customers in the private sector at their places of work. This will be known as the ‘Lunchround’ service. • It will also produce and deliver buffet lunches for groups of workers attending training or other corporate events at their places of work or at training centres. • There is an extensive market for these products and the customer base will be selectively targeted on a measured and sequential basis. • Promotion of the business and development of the market will be designed for maximum impact and will be the responsibility of a specialist marketing & development co-ordinator. • Distribution will be customer focussed but logically sequential and pricing will be market focussed to provide both exceptional quality and convenience to the customer. • Exceptional customer care and quality local ingredients will ensure the customer feels he has acquired value for money. • Rosies 2Go will create 5 new posts in its first year of operating and will operate from rented premises in the Aberdeen city area. Recruits for these positions will be sought from people currently disadvantaged in the labour market, most of whom will be receiving incapacity benefit. • Rosies 2Go will develop towards an independently managed status, developing the business, providing permanent employment and will be financially sustainable by December 2007.

1. 45-49 Holburn St
2. Aberdeen
3. AB10 6BR

• Tel: 01224 575196
• Fax: 01224 577329
• Website: http://www.turningpointscotland.com/services/mentalHealth/ase.htm

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