Swinney visits social enterprise café

Deputy first minister John Swinney has visited a Perth café and training kitchen to discover how the social enterprise is boosting the local economy.

Thegiraffecafésupportspeople with learning disabilities, thosewithmentalillhealth,and autisticpeopletomakethetransitiontowardsinclusion,socialisation and, if appropriate, into meaningful work. Trainees comefromacrosstheperthand Kinross area while profits from the café and catering business support training opportunities as well as a programme ofactivities aimed at reducing isolation and improving mental and physical health.

The venture is one of more than 6,000 social enterprises in Scotland and together they contribute some £2.6 billion to Scotland’s economy, supporting almost 90,000 jobs. Swinney, who is the MSP for Perthshire North, was welcomed to the café by Gareth Ruddock, chief executive of Giraffe, and Chris Martin, chief executive of Social Enterprise Scotland.