About us

The Silver Stag

Throughout the ages, the silver stag has been a powerful symbol in Celtic mythology and folklore. Its appearance in a story usually heralded great change in the life of the central character, and in Scotland these proud and noble creatures are shrouded in great mystery and majesty.

For us, the silver stag represents our proud Scottish heritage. It also represents quality and our commitment to creating beautiful products, locally and ethically sourced and produced, that we know you will enjoy.

Our story

Silver Stag of Scotland is a Community Interest Company (CIC) which as a social enterprise operating as a limited company, has special additional features, created to allow us to conduct the business to help serve the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in society. With an asset lock it means that ANY surplus made benefits the community rather than private shareholders. In this way it is different from the 80% of businesses that purport to support good causes and may give a % of their profits to a designated cause.

When we set up the company in 2013 we knew that we wanted to make a difference to the lives of those who were at the extreme edge of social and economic disadvantage both in this country and abroad. As an outward focused organisation, we wanted to measure our success by the lives we transform not the awards we received or the publicity we generated.

From the beginning Silver Stag recognised that in order to carry out our aims most effectively it was important to count on the knowledge and experience of local partner organisations. For that reason one of our principal strategies has been to identify and form alliances with respected and trustworthy service delivery partners, with shared visions and objectives.

Since our inception we have been supporting and working alongside two Scottish charities that works with young people and adults who have been affected by social or economic difficulties, including experience of homelessness, disability, poor mental health or social or economic isolation.

In 2014 we developed a tartan for one of these Scottish partners, STAND International, to raise awareness of the work they do with disadvantaged individuals and communities both in Scotland but also in other countries where they have partnerships, mainly Belarus, Ukraine and Romania. You will find various products on our website which blend the STAND tartan into their design or have a subtle reference to it. Now with recent events in Belarus and Ukraine and the overflow of refugees from Ukraine into Romania the tartan is a poignant reminder of our solidarity across these different countries . You can find out more about the work of the charity here.

As part of our on-going programmes of support we have, over the years, invested in funding to provide pre-employment and vocational training which can then equip adults or young people to enter into either the labour market or identify an organisation where they can use their new skills as a volunteer.

Our goal is to providing sustainable solutions to the social problems stemming from poverty and its associated challenges. By allowing people to access 1-1 or small group training, providing positive role models and helping them rethink how they can overcome what can appear intractable and cyclical life problems they can begin to take control and change their lives forever, and to help others do the same.

Since we established in 2013 we have had opportunities to respond to different community needs both in Scotland and elsewhere.

As such we have established;

An accredited food production centre which makes jams, sauces and snacks for retail [2016], Schoolyard Chillies

A Property Development Service [2019], Silver Stag Property Development Services

A Community and Commercial Cookery School [2022], Ramekin and Rolling Pin

A Community Greenspace 2023/24

Whilst all of these strands of work have their own unique identity and emphasis they all operate under the Silver Stag Group’s common history to provide sustainable solutions to the social problems stemming from poverty and its associated challenges.