Adrian Ashton, Calder Valley-based consultant to social enterprise, has been awarded the title ‘ethical hero’ by The Compost Heap, a website dedicated to promoting people working in the ethical sector.

Self-employed Adrian works in a range of diverse disciplines centred on advice, training and consultancy for charities, community interested companies (CICs) and social enterprises.

“The website has brought together people with ethical jobs so they can be seen as role models to encourage and inspire others to change the world. Maybe people are looking to jump career path; to find something more meaningful.

“There’s lots of ways to be ethical in many different professions. You don’t have to fulfil the stereotype of having dreadlocks,” said Adrian, who clearly demonstrates the need for versatility in this constantly-growing and ever-changing ‘third sector’.

“When I do consultancy work for organisations and charities I can look at the legal structure, management, how the organisation is perceived by its customers or the community in which it works and how to develop best service.

“Charities do good things but how to we show it? Social accountancy provides a way of doing just that. We can look at each organisation and find out what their values are and how to quantify what they do in relation to their own value system. Organisations need to know how they are rated on their performance; it needn’t be all about the balance sheets. We need to ask the communities that they serve how open and inclusive they are. How is the work that they do perceived?”

And all this is translated into Adrian’s own business, which he set up just over three years ago when he moved to Todmorden.

“I buy local, use public transport whenever I can and I’ve also challenged the legislation that governs CICs. That was something I didn’t have to do; it just seemed the right thing to do,” added Adrian, who said his Christian faith was one of his driving forces.

And Adrian changed his own path when he realised his career did not fulfil his needs. “After doing business at Cambridge I was destined to take a fast-track PR path. I did it for a while and if I’d stuck at it I’d probably have a studio over-looking the Thames by now. I was tempted by some aspects of the life, I mean it was great fun, but with the working environment and the toll on relationships after a couple of years I just couldn’t reconcile myself with that kind of life. I didn’t believe in it.

“So I returned to Cambridge and started working with charities and supporting social enterprises. We got recognised for our work by the Bank of England and the Department of Trade and Industry. There were lots of opportunities to get hands on experience and get involved.”

Adrian moved to Todmorden with his wife, Clare, and young son, Edward, to work for an organisation based close-by but when all the arrangements had been made the job fell through.

“So I went self-employed.