Why is Vanilla Ink a CIC?

Why CIC?

You will have noticed I’m sure that in our company name sit the three letters CIC, but do you know what they mean? In 2021 I was approached to join the leadership team at Vanilla Ink Jewellery School CIC. After doing a little happy dance and perhaps having a glass or two of prosecco, the first thing I did was google CIC.

I had followed the journey of Vanilla Ink Jewellery School from its beginnings in Hidden Lane in Glasgow ‘s West End and I have known Scott for 20 something years, so I knew it mean in essence that this business was about something beyond profit, it was for the benefit of the community, I would expect nothing less from my incredible friend. But in the past two and a half years, working in and for Vanilla Ink Jewellery School CIC, I have come to understand the true meaning of being a Community Interest Company.

Now we don’t shout about a lot of what we do, and thats for a couple of reasons. Firstly we are usually too busy just getting on with it and secondly it involves some stories that as well as not being ours to tell, are stories of real challenge, conflict and sometimes complete desperation.

So working out how to tell our fantastic network more about who we are and what makes us tick has been a challenge. But we would like to share some of the motivations that drive us and bring to life some of what being a CIC means to us.

You’ll no doubt have heard us talk about our values Educate | Inspire | Empower

The work we do as a CIC is driven by those values.

We are a beyond profit organisation - any surplus income in our business goes to the Social Enterprise aspect of our work.

So what does that look like in reality? Well, we sell classes to every one from absolute beginners to professional Jewellers and goldsmiths. The money we make form those classes is reinvested to give access to classes, skills, tools and more for our community.

In addition we work to secure funding to help us to provide tailored classes and courses for those in our community that can most benefit from them.

From our own experience and our experience of working with a broad range of individuals we have come to understand the therapeutic, mindful and empowering benefits of a class or course of making in metal. We know further that being able to make something that has a special, unique and individual origin and feel, has an incredibly positive and affirming impact on the maker. So we know we have something incredible to offer.

What and who is our community? Well, we are a part of the Jewellery and silversmithing community in Scotland and the wider UK. We are also part of the creative and entrepreneurial communities in Scotland. That is almost a given, but we are also part of the community in the east end of Glasgow. An area that has faced religious and cultural challenges for decades.

We also have a diverse group of individuals who are part of our organisation. We support a number of hidden disabilities, disabilities and neurodiversities, with in our leadership and tutor teams. This incredible group of people form the basis of a community which is accepting, understanding and empowering is one of our priorities as a CIC is to ensure we make our skills and resources accessible to those in socially and or economically challenging situations.

So we provide course specifically designed to bring together and support certain groups with in our communities. We have worked with and supported groups and individuals facing challenges from homelessness and poverty, to abuse and social isolation, from facing the challenges of neurodiversity to discrimination and diversity in all its forms.

Our reality is different to most businesses, we are always looking at our bottom line, of course. But the driving factors for us are very different, to function and survive we have to be successful and ultimately “profitable”. But the difference for us is that the “Profit” along with incredible grant funding is what helps us to offer life changing experiences and access to a phenomenal community of like minded and supportive individuals.

In the coming weeks we will share some of our planned projects and hear from some of those who have been involved in the Social Enterprise work we do at Vanilla Ink Jewellery School CIC. But in the mean time we hope we have given you an insight in to the motivations behind our very special and unique Community Interest Company.