Community / Shetland Soap Company celebrates 20 year milestone
EMPLOYEES of the Shetland Soap Company enjoyed a special birthday celebration held in its Commercial Street shop this afternoon (Wednesday) with speeches, special cupcakes, and Nosecco.
Shetland Soap Company has grown in the last two decades, supplying over 50 retailers and visitor attractions across the country. Their reach stretches as far as London Bridge, and The Shard, and they’re also sold in the Scottish Parliament Gift Shop.
The social enterprise also provides employability and supported employment programmes, including 100 skills development sessions every week, to adults with learning disabilities or autism.
Daryn Johnson, who is deaf, started working at Shetland Soap Company when he left school at 19, and has been with the company since the beginning, now being the longest serving member of staff at the company.
“I have enjoyed working at Shetland Soap Company for twenty years. I have seen many changes, especially staff come and go. When I first worked here, the original production area and tearoom were in the back shop,” he said.
Johnson added that he ‘liked his work’ and enjoyed working with all the other staff members.
Joanne Anderson has been there for seven years. She said: “Cope to me has been like my second family, I came here after I left the Eric Gray Centre, and originally started in the Cope Garden Co, then came to the Shetland Soap Company.”
She credited the company, and her support worker, with growing her confidence and changing her life, adding: “When I first came here, I was very shy and not confident, then the confidence just grew and grew. Everybody here has been very supportive of my disability, and I wouldn’t fault Cope at all.”
Julie Sandison called working at Cope ‘amazing’, particularly enjoying making the new scented candle range.
Next year COPE will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the entire organisation in June, which spans Shetland Garden Co, Shetland Home Co, and the Shetland Soap Company.
A calendar will be released in the next month to outline the festivities and events.
COPE chief executive Steven Coutts said the soap company has been exemplary in everything it does.
This is a day of celebration,” he said, “we are extremely proud to be marking two such momentous milestones in COPE’s journey so close together.
“There are exciting plans for growth and development in both Shetland Soap Company and the wider organisation. I’m really looking forward to seeing the next chapter develop, building on COPE’s successes and the brilliant support we enjoy from our community.”
Tourists and Shetlanders travelling on NorthLink Ferries have always been treated to the ‘Chilled Oot’ range on the boat, as the ferry company was an early supporter of the Shetland Soap Company.
Customer Service Director at Serco NorthLink Ferries, Billy Robb, said: “We take great pride in stocking local suppliers from Shetland and Orkney on board our ships, including the Shetland Soap Company’s products which can be found in our cabins and bathrooms.”
As it’s the 20th anniversary, the Shetland Soap Company will bring back all four of their Christmas scents from years past, including Nordic Rose, Sugar and Spice, Tammasmas, and Festive Pear.
People who buy something from Shetland Soap Company’s shop before the end of Saturday will receive a 20 per cent off voucher valid for their next purchase, and there is free shipping available on the website until midnight on Sunday.
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