Aberdeen social enterprise Glencraft has announced the appointment of two well-known business people to its board.
Laura Bruce and Allan Clow join as non-executive directors to help deliver the future development plans of the organisation, which has provided employment opportunities for disadvantaged people for nearly 180 years.
Aberdeenshire-based Ms Bruce is an investment executive and employee director of UMi, an employee-owned business-to-business advisory organisation headquartered in Seaham, County Durham.
She said: “I’m really excited to be taking on this role with Glencraft and helping it through its next phases of development.
“It is doing wonderful things for others. The company’s mission to provide dignity through work really resonates with me.”
Mr Clow is managing director of Bancon Homes and Bancon Construction, both based in Banchory. He has more than 20 years’ experience in director roles and is also a qualified chartered management accountant.
He said: “It’s a genuine honour to join the Glencraft board. I look forward to doing what I can to support the continued success of an amazing charity and its amazing people.
“I believe it is very well positioned to go from strength-to-strength in the years to come.”
Strengthen team with expertise
Glencraft supports visually impaired and other disadvantaged people through work as it manufactures luxury mattresses and other soft furnishing products from its facility and showroom on Whitemyres Avenue in Mastrick.
Ms Bruce and Mr Clow will join current non-executive directors Jonathan Smith, chairman of Glencraft, and Leigh Stott, head of HR at an energy services firm, increasing the board to four.
Mr Smith said: “Laura and Allan are hugely welcome additions to the Glencraft board. They will strengthen our team with their expertise and their keen understanding of our core purpose – helping ensure that every hand-crafted product creates a positive social impact.”
The charity supports 27 jobs and more than 80% of its staff are visually impaired or have some other form of disadvantage in relation to health or socio-economic challenges.
Strong history in Aberdeen
Glencraft has offered employment and support to disadvantaged people across the north-east for nearly 180 years. The charity faced closure in 2010 after Aberdeen City Council pulled a substantial grant due to a funding review.
A campaign, led by former chairman Duncan Skinner who passed away in April 2021, and others, to save the charity and introduce a more professional approach secured its future.
Glencraft won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, promoting opportunity (through social mobility) for its commitment to supporting people from under-represented groups, while providing development and training support to its staff and a sustainable business model.
And in May last year year Glencraft was praised for its work and community contribution in a letter from then Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The social enterprise sells more than 5,000 mattresses per year. It is a recognised as a luxury mattress brand – with sales to five-star hotels and multi-year distribution agreements with companies in South Korea and Hong Kong.
Clients include The Fife Arms in Braemar, The Balmoral in Edinburgh and Brown’s Hotel in London’s Mayfair district and the Caledonian Sleeper service.
The handmade luxury mattresses, incorporate UK-sourced natural materials such as horsehair, mohair, cashmere, wool and alpaca wool.