Signs of success as firm goes global
A Highland Perthshire social enterprise company is celebrating having secured a contract to make signs for a company that has transformed how addresses all over the world are pinpointed.
The Workshop Aberfeldy – a charity in Perthshire that helps those with additional support needs gain skills and confidence in a positive workplace environment- is the new maker of signs for internet sensation what3words.
The collaboration saw over 100 signs ordered within the first week - a big boost to the people working there and helping put The Workshop even more ‘on the map’ than it was before.
Set up by Gina Wallace and Paul Parmenter in June 2014, The Workshop became an independent charity in 2016.
Gina and Paul wanted to create a genuine business where young people from a rural area could gain direct practical skills as well as transferable employability skills such as teamwork and timekeeping, empowering them to successfully find employment or further training.
The Workshop Aberfeldy manufactures oak, metallic and acrylic signs and can also personalise gifts with a unique way to commemorate a special place or location.
Those employed there have previously made signs bringing awareness to local businesses like Highland Safaris and the vegan hotel in Pitlochry, Saorsa 1875.
“We’re incredibly proud of our team, the people we work with and our community, Together, we are transforming people’s lives,” said Rosie Baxendine, business development at The Workshop Aberfeldy.
“The majority of our income traditionally came from events and hospitality, so to expand into a new market when we were struggling was such a relief for us.
“To win a contract such as this has been a huge boost for us in such difficult times.”
what3words is becoming a bit of a trailblazer company online.
Started in London in 2013, the free what3words app is available for iOS and Android. An online map enables people to find, share and navigate to what3words addresses.
The concept is a really simple way to talk about location: The online site has given every three metre square in the world a unique three word address, meaning you can refer to any precise location – from the exact spot you got married to the front door of your first home – with just three words.
The what3words signage which will be manufactured in Aberfeldy can help people identify a location. For example, if used in holiday accommodation, then visitors can use the clearly visible location in the event of an emergency, or if used at places of interest in a town or rural area, then a person could easily direct others to where they are.