Highlands and Islands Enterprise
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Case study

Highland Blindcraft

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Providing employment for 140 years

Highland BlindCraft (HBC) was founded 140 years ago as a factory to provide employment for blind children when they were ready to leave the blind school in Inverness. Today as a registered charity and social enterprise, HBC is still run on the same founding principles, although included are people with a variety of disabilities from all over the Highlands and Islands.

The business designs, manufactures and sells bespoke quality beds, mattresses and other niche products to the highest of standards. HBC also supply traditional and contemporary pine beds, headboards, bedroom and occasional furniture, pillows and mattress protectors.

Clients include the Three Chimneys, Castle Stuart, The Palace Hotel in Inverness and Achnagairn along with many more of this calibre.

HBC were also included in the Scottish Government directory to showcase the work of supported businesses across the country and they won a contract via Momentum Scotland which has been extended until April 2017.

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How HIE works with Highland Blindcraft

HIE’s account management approach involves working intensively with communities or social enterprises over a sustained period of time to support and deliver sustainable growth. HBC is one of our clients. 

Some of our support programmes HBC have taken part in include:

  • a digital health check with PA Consulting, which offered recommendations and advice on their website performance, social media presence and e-commerce solutions.
  • a governance development programme with social enterprise experts Impact Hub Inverness This helped them take a fresh look at their principles and processes, and create an innovative action plan to support the Board and staff as they plan for the future. 

Plans for the future

HBC aims to continue to balance sustainability with purpose – providing a supportive work environment for people with disabilities, while ensuring that they have a commercially focused and sustainable business model.

As part of the company’s development plan they are offering training for employees in IT, literacy, job coaching and interview skills to help them with moving into open employment. They would also like to carry out first aid and health and safety training in-house so they can make the training as relevant as possible.

Two women at a desk - one standing, other on the phone

Blindcraft showroom

In its full production factory in Inverness, HBC employs 19 highly skilled visually impaired and disabled people, along with 4 other able-bodied individuals.
Inverness and Nairn MSP Fergus Ewing attended the official opening of their showroom.

Visit Highland Blindcraft's website

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