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Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year
Social Entrepreneur of the Year
Social Enterprise of the Year
Social Enterprise Trainee of the Year
Social Enterprise Mentor of the Year
Young Social Entrepreneur
Ahmed Al-aagam
This entry should win because: Considering Ahmed's personal situation he has achieved a great deal since he arrived in the UK - just 7 years ago! He has, learnt the language, gained qualifications, is on the management board of Voluntary Action Sheffield and has started to build a social enterprise which will have far reaching impact on the vol/com sector, not just in Sheffield but nationally. He has realised the way to achieve his goal, is to 'just find a way'¯, and Ahmed, will ALWAYS find a way!
Ahmed set up 3E as he believed that events are a fantastic medium to enhance community relations and is the perfect tool to engage with marginalised community sectors. It was his profound community awareness and participation that is the driving force behind this social enterprising venture.
The projects original objective was to organising 5 community events in one year. In just 10 months, the target has been exceeded by an astonishing 300%, with a total of 15. 3E has worked with clients from across the spectrum, main stream, statutory, voluntary, BME and youth groups.
His professional development has been very important to him and the growth of 3E, by the summer (2007), he will have completed a HND in Events Management from University. He then plans to continue his professional and academic development to progress onto a part time degree, whilst building up the business.
3E as an idea has proven to be both feasible and credible; it has a very impressive track record for 10 months. Ahmed is now considering all the options available to develop 3E into a sustainable social enterprise in the near future, hopefully equipped with the right qualifications and the wealth of practical experience at a young age.
Amy Bell
This entry should win because: On Amy's first day at CASAC she was given a rough outline of how many properties needed securing, and a blank sheet of paper. She had little experience of developing projects, and no experience of the security improvement industry! Despite being slightly overwhelmed Amy took the proverbial bull by the horns. Six years on, she is running one of the most successful security improvement social enterprises in the country.
Successes that Amy has been instrumental in delivering include:
- Improving security at over 30,000 properties
- Reducing repeat burglary rates by 93% (within properties CASAC has secured)
- Burglary rates in Leeds fallen by 44% - equating to a cost saving of over £21million
- Employing 20 staff, including 10 joiners (Safety Engineers), all of whom wear official Police ID
- 96% of CASAC's clients say that they feel safer as a result of the service
- In its first year of trading CASAC-Leeds had a turnover of over £800k
Amy has invested a lot of time in proving that CASAC services are reducing crime and the fear of crime, and has started to work with statutory agencies, housing associations and property developers.
In parallel with this Amy continues to look at ways to tackle the root causes of crime through education and awareness, as well as the more structured training and employment programme she is seeking to develop in partnership with relevant support agencies.
As a young entrepreneur I cannot think of anyone more suited to this award. Amy continues to develop and maintain excellent working relationships with statutory agencies and customers alike, and never fails to deliver an exceptional service. Whilst she is not ashamed to make a profit, she will not do so at the expense of CASAC's mission to reduce crime and the fear of crime.
Catherine Conway
This entry should win because: Cath should win this award for the single mindedness she has displayed since setting up Unpackaged late last year. By taking on the particularly problematic task of selling foodstuffs and cleaning products without packaging, Cath has taken the important, but perhaps obvious step, towards small scale environmentalism that other retailers have not yet managed to do. An attitude that displays an almost disbelief that this has not been done before illustrates Cath's almost inherently ethical nature and a view that consumer power ought to be harnessed to make positive contributions, not only to society but to the planet, shows her to be a fully signed up member of the UK's new entrepreneurial elite. That Unpackaged is set to become a social franchise is indicative of Cath's business mind and her desire to set the ball rolling before moving onto the next project - an attribute shared by all true entrepreneurs.
Auro Foxcroft
This entry should win because: Auro had a clear vision of what was needed, and the drive and perseverance to make it happen. After a number of false starts, he identified the abandoned arch and adjoining warehouse, and persuaded the Council to lease it to him. Finding finance was also difficult government grant funding was coming to an end, and only one conventional bank would consider giving him a loan - at an unrealistic interest rate of 22%. He then heard about London Rebuilding Society. Staff at the Society were initially skeptical, but were persuaded by Auro's energy and enthusiasm, to believe that he could turn his idea into a successful social enterprise. Auro ran into a number of unanticipated problems, including break-ins and vandalism. However, he never allowed setbacks to demoralise him, and remained enthusiastic throughout often trying periods of bureaucratic delay.
Auro has demonstrated how it remains possible, even in the pressurised conditions of modern metropolitan life, to get things done by charm rather than nastiness. He's shown how one can establish a viable social enterprise with a human face. The fact that he is an 'ordinary' and 'regular' guy, should inspire others to believe that they also can achieve their ambitions.
Christopher Hague
This entry should win because: At the very top we see magnetic stars raising funds for good causes, such as the Elton John Aids Foundation and Bill Gates Charity. In contrast at grass roots we see young people doing amazing good. One person who inspires the important local scene is Chris Hague, a leading part of the Red and Wild entertainment events calendar, which raises serious funds for Worlds Aids Day. This proud not for profit volunteering initiative has now taken the Greater Manchester community by storm, helping add more fun into the social calendar that also turns happy people into happy giving citizens for good causes. The magnitude of Aids and HIV is not forgotten as a serious subject while this young person brings reality into the hearts and minds of local communities, getting people to take part in fund raising, volunteering and running events praised across the city. In a national capacity Chris is showing how communities can do things much better, by getting organised and through recognising those skills that inspire our taking part. Chris has the personality and drive, a substance of his career history as a dynamic bright spark in the Greater Manchester social entertainments industry. The effort he puts into making a real difference in fundraising is a tonic to all as they see this young energetic man putting people first. There can be no better cause than these efforts he inspires. What makes Chris a social entrepreneur is his imagination, vision, pride and courage as he talks to people about the way every citizen can help count. National Politicians, Big Corporate Socially Responsible Businesses and even The Lottery's Board should meet this future leader because the simply fact is our Chris can replicate into any Active Citizenship event because his passion is the winning magic.
Christopher Hague
This entry should win because: Chris is a dynamic young person who used the vision, passion and caring to create Red & Wild, Manchester's brand new annual AIDS funding and supportive Festival. Already a multi-thousand pound success, each year the festival will take place in the run up to World AIDS Day (1st December). In 2006, Red & Wild worked closely with Operation Fundraiser, a joint initiative in conjunction with The Lesbian & Gay Foundation and The George House Trust, to raise funds and awareness. It's aim is to raise more money for charity than any other World AIDS Day event in Manchester's history. It succeeded smashing all previous held records.
Under the new Red & Wild banner, Chris will be seeking the support of venues across Manchester to host an event and to show their support of other activities throughout the ten day festival. Red & Wild is made up of many volunteers, each working tirelessly in their own. Under the slogan "It's Time to Deliver!" Chris asks everyone to come along for a common cause that affects people from every age, race, religion, colour, sex and orientation.
To give a idea of the continuing epidemic that the disease presents us with today, approximately every ninety minutes, someone, somewhere in the UK is diagnosed with HIV. With treatment and better educational information becoming available at Hospitals and through local community groups we can work together to make sure this number begins to fall.
Red & Wild is the focal point of HIV/AIDS fundraising, looking forward to the return of a great " Pride" festival in November 2007 Chris deserves all our honest and passionate support for not going for profit, not pandering to organisation magnitude but proving to one and all how we must honour our young inspirational champions in all communities.
Mustafa Kurtuldu
This entry should win because: Mustafa Kurtuldu, who himself started in social enterprise as a volunteer, is an eloquent and committed advocate for social change. He is a personable man who is as much at ease with teenagers in deprived boroughs as he is with the prime minister.
He has demonstrated his ability to work with young people in a wide variety of environments and range of projects. His natural approach draws people in to his ideas. He speaks to them plainly and they respond to his commitment and dedication to his work.
Mustafa was a member of the young people's advisory board for the government's Russell Commission into youth volunteering. At this time, at a Downing Street reception arranged for third sector entrepreneurs he gave Tony Blair the benefit of his views on how to get young people involved in politics as part of his contribution to the government's initiative, The Big Conversation. The Chancellor was also buttonholed on how the government could better engage with young people. Through The Big Conversation Mustafa put forward ideas for lowering the voting age, measures that are now being considered for the legislative programme.
He has set an impressive example for young people growing up in multi-cultural Britain. As a young Muslim man who became a victim of the 7/7 terrorist bombings, he conducted himself with dignity, offering thoughtful responses to some inappropriate journalistic interview techniques, all the while having to deal with his own trauma from the event. His message was that members of the Muslim community are individuals with many parts to their lives, not just stereotypes.
Mustafa works tirelessly for social change in a Community Interest Company from which he stands to make no personal gain. He believes utterly in what he is doing and this award would be fitting reward for his dedication.
Tom Savage
This entry should win because: Tom brings a strong entrepreneurial drive and a passion for social change to all that he does.
He was one of the three finalists last year, when he applied for his work with Blue Ventures. Since then, working part-time for the Make Your Mark campaign, Tom helped organise Social Enterprise Day, working closely with the Cabinet Office and the Minister for the Third Sector to ensure the day was a fantastic success. Tom also guest edited the Cabinet Office's magazine Trailblazers, commissioned to inspire young people with trail-blazing stories of social entrepreneurship. In addition to getting the campaign moving in record time (3 weeks from idea to delivery) and raising over £175k, Tom was instrumental in ensuring that the project retained a social focus. Make Your Mark with a Tenner (the scheme's official name) has generated astonishing media coverage, with two features on Newsnight, a full page in the Sunday Times and key broadcasts such as BBC Working Lunch, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio 4, BBC Breakfast and ITV News. The media is expected to exceed 150 pieces and has already reached a readership of 72,292,501, with an expected PR value in excess of £9m. It has served to fuel debate and discussion around social enterprise in highly influential spaces, such as Newsnight, The Spectator and Webcameron.
Blue Ventures has gone from strength to strength posting record profits (re-invested to a charitable arm), with over 100 people attending expeditions and 15 staff on the payroll. Since he created it in November 2006, www.tiptheplanet.com has received 110,000 page views and now has 3,000 pages of content, containing over 10,000 tips. Finally, Tom finds sits on the board of Young Enterprise London (the youngest member by some way), which last year helped run business education programmes for over 50,000 school children.
Chris Warmington
This entry should win because: Chris received the Tower Hamlets Civic Award this year. His efforts and dedication have been recognised in this, the most socially deprived borough in London. It takes persistence, patience and an inner drive to make a social enterprise successful in a community like this. Chris has an unquestioning sense of duty and very high standards which ensures that the projects are delivered well. The work of Signs of Life touches the lives of hundreds of children around London. Where schools are becoming increasingly curriculum focussed, having an entrepreneur with this level of drive is refreshing. Chris is always up for experimenting and trying new things. He is always bringing new people on board. He listens and accommodates his colleagues -again leaving the ego out of the picture. Signs of Life receives no statutory funding. It relies on repeat commissions, a small amount of marketing and word of mouth. Anyone that meets Chris will be struck by his professionalism, calmness and can-do attitude. He is both a giver and a doer. His whole approach to community art is about celebrating the creativity of children. For all these reasons he should win the award.
Robert Wilson
This entry should win because: Within the next two years Rob's organisation READ International, will have a national network of book projects; based in at least 20 universities around the UK. These book projects will have redistributed almost 1 million good quality, relevant but surplus textbooks from UK schools to Tanzania. They will have also sent sports equipment, lab equipment and computers. His university student volunteers will have given over 300 local UK secondary school presentations to children in this country to promote social enterprise, student volunteering, global citizenship and recycling.
Social Entrepreneur
Dr Syed Abidi
This entry should win because: This person deserves this recognition as he a bonafide social entrepreneur by all definitions and runs a social enterprise called CHIEF CIC - a limited company & community health forum with Community-Interest company status, for the benefit of wider community.
Dr Syed Abidi
This entry should win because: Building Healthier Communities:
`Building Healthier Communities` is a regional project that seeks to provide health education and community support to the wider community by:
-Raising health awareness in the wider community by sharing expert knowledge and experience;
-Helping to improve people's access to local health, social and mental health care services and assist them to improve their quality of life;
-Engaging BME communities to get involved in mainstream activities to avoid any social segregation;
-Involving disadvantaged & marginalised people into the basic skill training programmes to help them communicate effectively and enhance their employability.
An award winning health promotion specialist, Dr Syed Nayyar Abidi, is currently co-ordinating this project from CHIEF Forum. Since June 2003, Dr Abidi has been running a series of health awareness seminars in Greater Manchester area. So far, he has successfully organised 25 health awareness seminars for the benefit of wider community.
Dr Syed Abidi
This entry should win because: I have had the wonderful opportunity to be able to work closely with Dr Abidi over the last 4 years. Dr Abidi has selflessly committed his time and energy over this time to a number of voluntary organisations to raise awareness of health issues within the BME Community. He has now established a new Community Interest Company; the Community Health Involvement and Empowerment Forum and is currently establishing a national steering group of health professionals around the country. Despite it's challenges, Syed has worked hard to develop this social enterprise and over the last four years has helped thousands of people improve their health.
Justine Aldersey-Williams
This entry should win because: Justine is a dynamic talent who refuses to be confined to one labelled box! She is a mother, yoga teacher, artist and wonderful story-teller, who has found a way to express all these gifts through her own business, Karmatime.
The children who attend her classes leave feeling refreshed, inspired and empowered with simple tips which can help them during their challenging moments.
Responses from parents have been fantastic, from a child with ADHD who decided to 'sit like a buddha' before responding in a crisis, to a little girl struggling to get to sleep who remembered to feel her tummy breathing. These may seem simple effects, but for parents who have been coping with sleeplessness or violent behaviour, Justine's tuition can be transformational.
She is passionate about the positive effect yoga can have upon the next generation and has been hand-picked by the government's School Sports Partnership to begin introducing yoga and relaxation to the primary curriculum across Wirral Local Education Authority schools.
Many adults feel stressed but wouldn't imagine that kids do too. Yet, we are regularly hearing about facts that illustrate the poor physical and psychological health of our society's children.
Facts like 1 in 6 children being classified as obese, behavioural challenges and ASBOs on the increase and a sudden popularity in the media for 'Brat Camp' and 'Super Nanny' style programmes.
Justine believes she can make a difference to the next generation by teaching them about their bodies and minds through yoga. The simple act of breathing correctly can diffuse conflict, re-engaging the brain and avoiding aggressive responses.
She imagines a world where kids know how to handle their emotions and where they are taught ethics that transcend religion or race. A world in 'union' - the definition of yoga.
Mark Brown
This entry should win because: Mark has been working in the social enterprise sector for five years. In this short time he has developed an impressive range of skills and entrepreneurial flair. This has been achieved through practical action rather than from training courses or book learning.
Mark is a published short story writer and based on his love for the literary world, he built up the Talecatching project from a sparse idea into a working programme. He was driven by his belief that everybody has a story to tell but too many socially excluded people either don't have the opportunity to express themselves or don't know that opportunities exist.
Talecatching used creative writing as a tool for personal development, the acquisition of computer skills and empowerment through the development of self-expression skills. Mark wrote the business plan, researched the market need, raised funds, assembled the practical Talecatching workshops, and recruited and managed staff and volunteers.
Mark is currently leading Social Spider's latest publishing venture, One in Four, a magazine for people with mental health difficulties. He secured funding from an NHS foundation trust and a private trust that promotes awareness of depression.
The magazine is intended to remove the stigma attached to mental health conditions by breaking down the wall of public silence, embarrassment and ignorance.. Mark has himself been a mental health service user and experienced a long period of unemployment as a result of his condition.
Everything Mark has done in his business life has been focussed on improving and extending social inclusion for people on the margins of our society. Most of his work is in the background, quietly doing the unglamorous but essential tasks. He wouldn't seek recognition, but he deserves nothing less than the plaudits an award like this would bestow upon him.
Trevor Burchick MBE
This entry should win because: As a social entrepreneur Trevor has channelled his wealth of corporate responsibility into his innovative initiative for volunteers and community groups. In naming the social enterprise after the spirit, heart and soul found in the North West he called the co-operative Proud City and this has become the first Active Citizenship accredited centre in the world to be recognised by the largest provider of vocational skills, City and Guilds who last year issued over one million learner certificates. The Co-operative has become a Futurebuilders England investee, identified by their consultants as having abilities to develop public services, community cohesion and civil renewal. Trevor has taken his life long journey and encouraged others to join him in authoring an individual profile in active citizenship, accredited by City and Guilds, with the exceptional ability for any citizens to identify themselves through their learning journey. This is an important milestone in attracting participation, taking a significant step forward in reflective and action learning. Trevor's years of professionally inspired research and development has engaged citizens from across the North West, establishing the map and compass for Active Learning in Active Citizenship as evidenced by Trevor's representation of the third sector during the recent National Framework development co-ordinated by The Home Office's Civil Renewal Unit. Explaining local community impact and environmental impact is an essential ingredient for those who take part in this Active Citizenship journey. The menu selection of Active Citizenship themes is able to install a sense of personal choice, important where individual ownership becomes a part of the learning motivator. Trevor has successfully attracted ten associated centres from Primary Care Trusts to Local Authorities and from housing association to residents groups. The message that social enterprise is good begins to bite home and opens a new chapter in the book on Trevor Burchick MBE.
Caroline Burghard
This entry should win because: If Caroline was not as resilient and determined as she is and if she had not had the creative initiative to meet the challenges presented Whippersnappers would by now have ceased to exist.
Whippersnappers' base in Brockwell Park Lido first came under threat in 2002 when Lambeth Council decided to outsource its management. As the new management did not want to take on the adjacent changing block - and Lambeth Council was willing to offer a 25 year lease at a peppercorn rent - Whippersnappers put in a bid to turn it into their new home. Most of the potential issues had been identified, solutions were being devised and a draft lease was issued (April 2004) when it all came to an abrupt halt because Brockwell Park became the subject of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant.
Whippersnappers supported the bid ā€“ and the HLF noted that, without them, much of the park activity central to it could not happen but the block is considered an eyesore by the Bid Management Advisory Committee, who want it demolished. Following strong protests from the community at a public meeting early in 2006, this issue went forward as to be resolved and that is still the position, though a final decision must be made by October this year.
Meanwhile, Whippersnappers has had to move out of its base in the Lido and into the old cafe by the pool while the Lido is being refurbished. It has continued to operate, despite being on a building site and in a cramped space. Now, Whippersnappers is about to move back into the Lido to a third less space than they had originally, at a rent that will soon be double what they used to pay. Their view is that, if they stay there on those terms, their business will become unsustainable.
If Caroline were to be chosen, this could be of real help in ensuring that the decision on the changing block goes the way the community want.
Amy Carter
This entry should win because: Through the success of her business, in the next few months alone Amy's charity, Nema, will;
- Provide clean water to approximately 40,000 people,
- Provide 600 malnourished children a nutritious meal a day and an education,
- Protect 12,000 women and children against malaria,
- Build one (or possibly 2) primary school and community centres,
- Provide 12 villages with sanitation training,
- Implement a HIV-football project in 6 villages,
- Sponsor 7 children through secondary school,
- Provide teacher training to all teachers in the locality,
- Promote sustainable fishing techniques to local fishermen,
- Create a 'green seafood guide'¯ (for hotels indicating which marine species they can buy, at what size and time of year),
- Implement coral reef and humpback whale surveys,
- Implement an innovative carbon offsetting project to help protect forests and expand all the above projects to new villages.
This is a mere fraction of the impact of Amy's work. Amy should win this award to recognise the work she is doing, inspire others and raise her profile to help her develop and expand her enterprises and charity to reach more vulnerable communities.
Irene Chu
This entry should win because: Irene's hard work and dedication to helping others in the Chinese community has been sustained and ceaseless. She has really made, and is still making, a huge difference to her community (in addition to caring for her daughter as a lone parent and breadwinner, a mistress of commitment to social change and time management).
She is well known and respected in Birmingham and the region, as a representative of the Chinese people who cannot use their voice as Irene does.
Irene is a really committed woman with a passion and the ability to make things happen. She has put tremendous effort to change the quality of the life to her Chinese community. Never giving up, even when things become difficult (e.g. due to funding cut backs) she finds a way to move forward, in partnership with local authorities, colleges, private training providers and private businesses. Working in a traditionally male dominated setting, she has managed to help the Chinese Society blossom and to provide services responding to need, after purchasing a freehold property, which became a base to providing information, advice and training services. Such services have ranged from designing and organising a unique training programme tailor-made to the Chinese community's needs, to taking part in consultations, in addition to her wider work, such as organising social events and business seminars for the Chinese businesses and offering advice and ideas on minority business issues.
She is a wonderful role model to all women, proving how much difference ordinary/ extraordinary women, immigrants to this country, can make through their vision, caring and hard work.
Sam Conniff
This entry should win because: Many reasons. Sam has already become a role model to other aspiring social entrepreneurs. He attracts incredible creative talent, keen not only to get involved with his projects on a part time basis but also willing to give up their high profile jobs and become full timers under his roof. Sam has created a buzz and serious interest from politicians across the political spectrum from Gordon Brown to David Cameron keen to support his 'social entrepreneurial' endeavours. He has taken the extremely complex issue of disengaged youth and has not only created a unique working environment through 'Live' magazine where business directors and young people work alongside each other as colleagues - which works on a practical, business and emotional level - but also created a long term 'vision'¯, which runs through every project and campaign he works on, of how these young people and the rest of the team will continue to reshape public attitudes of how young people are viewed. He's not someone who set out to be 'right on' through any bleeding-heart liberal worthiness, it was more about facing a moral economic reality: that it's a natural human mind state to be responsible. And he's not only set up a successful socially responsible youth agency and a not-for-profit social enterprise 'Live Futures' but now has a school named after his company - the Livity School - a Brixton based school, around the corner from his office, for children with complex needs. Sam sits on the board of governors.
David Cook
This entry should win because: David Cook should win this award because of his tireless commitment, passion and energy over the years to improving the working conditions for visual artists, while creating one of the largest independent arts organisations in Scotland.
Wasps Artists' Studios is a charity which supports the careers of artists by providing affordable studios throughout Scotland. When David joined Wasps, it was very poorly run and on the brink of closure. Its artist tenants were demoralised and largely hostile to the charity's staff. Buildings were badly maintained and provided very poor working conditions the cliche of the artist in the garret was close to being a reality.
During his 16 years with Wasps, David has transformed the organisation into one of the UK's largest studio providers, supporting 750 artists at 17 locations across Scotland.
Significantly, David has guided Wasps away from dependency on government grant funding. In 1990/91, 28% of the company's turnover was represented by public sector grants. By 2006/7 this was reduced to less than 12%.
Partner charity The Wasps Trust was formed in 1993 and has now raised £15m in capital finance, acquired 6 buildings and completed 4 redevelopments, creating an asset base of £3m.
Recently, David negotiated a £3 million capital sum from the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery to develop 5 new properties, support hundreds more artists and double the organisation's turnover again in the next 5 to 6 years to become fully self-financing.
Wasps' studio buildings also act as focuses for regeneration, economic development and social interaction in their communities. In 2007, a £6.65m redevelopment of an historic building in Glasgow will go onsite, supporting the regeneration of the run down Merchant City area and creating working space for more than 150 creative people.
Felicty Goodey
This entry should win because: Felicity should win this enterprise award because she deserves to be recognised for leadership skills and for making a series of community projects viable, with each producing added value to the arts, heritage and regional culture in terms of the regeneration of the former docklands area in Salford.
Many project development chiefs will know the difficulties of sufficient funding, but here we see a serious minded self motivating person who overcame the barriers to make things happen.
Few cities can claim to have been transformed from a vast acreage of decay to the flagship shown in the building knows at The Lowry Centre, where Felicity dedicated her efforts to redevelopment, resulting in a successful visitor centre with millions of visitors each year.
The success of The Lowry goes on as does Felicity, the person leading the £200million development on the banks of Manchester Ship Canal to help pull in the relocation of the BBC to the North of England and has been the creative manager behind the Media City new imitative, with the real prospect of creating 2,000 jobs to add to the 60 already working in her fine art projects.
A summary of the successes can include:-
The Lowry Arts and Visitors Centre on the waterfront of Salford, where the investment has pulled in millions of pounds and attracted millions of visitors since opening in year 2000.
The attraction of the BBC to come to the North West, with the prospect of many other businesses as they prepare to provide the support services and build the relocation homes and amenities.
The Media City imitative where the money invested will produce over 2000 jobs in an area of special needs, where people can come to learn and where the partners will make the community stronger.
Nick Grant
This entry should win because: Despite a full time career as a property developer, Nick spent years developing StreetShine. This followed a long period of volunteering in the homeless sector. During many conversations with homeless people, he realised that many people wanted to work but faced multiple disadvantages. He carried out market research, forged relationships (e.g. with Thames Reach and A Glimmer of Hope), gained start-up funding and organised the legal structure for StreetShine. As Chairman of its board he continues to have an ongoing influence of the development of this innovative and successful social enterprise.
Although Nick could rest on his laurels and concentrate on the day job, he continues to work closely with StreetShines' Chief Executive and to develop new ideas. This includes developing a building company that will take on and train people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including homelessness.
John Hall
This entry should win because: Since its establishment as the first branch of Street UK in March 2001 and then as an independent company in April 2004, John has led StreetNE. He has grown it from a small, start up social enterprise to become the leading organization for micro finance and support in the UK.
Street NE is based in regional capital of Newcastle and serves the whole of the North East Region, which has a population of 2.5 million spread across 8,592sqkm. Once a powerful economic force due to its strong shipbuilding and coal mining industries, it has in recent years declined, leaving large parts of the region in much need of regeneration.
Recent statistics (2004) show The North East region has a GVA at 80% of the UK average and below European average levels by 13% for EU15 and 5% of EU25 countries respectively. Street NE reaches out to micro entrepreneurs across the region and serves them with finance which they cannot access elsewhere. We also provide them with technical support which builds their financial capability, therefore ensuring their relationship with SNE helps to include them in mainstream financial systems.
Here are some of their achievements to date;
- Invested over £800k in support to over 600 micro businesses
- Leveraged over £600k of private and charitable funding against £170k of public funding
- Recycled a lending pot of £100k nearly five times, with the original capital still intact
Most recently, a Community Development Finance Association performance site visit has highlighted the strength of StreetNE's core practice and an aspiration to continue to grow and build the business.
Christopher Hill
This entry should win because: Christopher should win this award because he is passionate about using ethical business excellence to effect social change.
Christopher's vision is for his guests to be challenged by their experiences to adopt more contented, simple lifestyles, and also become inspired to be passionate advocates for the communities with which they interact.
Christopher's vision is to inspire his guests to volunteer for longer periods of time - not only overseas but also here in the UK.
Christopher is committed to listening, and giving a voice to people who previously have not had an opportunity to tell their story.
Christopher has developed an innovative travel concept that enables people who otherwise would not get involved in meaningful ways with local communities whilst on holiday - largely due to fear and ignorance.
Christopher does this by providing top quality holidays using fantastic accommodation, packaging it with sublime sightseeing, and a 'taste' of volunteering. This enables guests to dip their toes in the water of volunteering in a safe context, and discover how wonderful it is to help those less fortunate, and at the same time find that they benefit from the experience themselves - guests find that their lives are enriched and fulfilled by the encounter, and that the benefits definitely flow two-ways.
Christopher should win this award because he has left well paid city jobs to create incredible holiday experiences that change lives - those of his guests and those of the communities with which they interact and volunteer.
Christopher is committed to making Hands Up Holidays the world's leading ethical travel company, and willing this award will help raise awareness of this new style of travel and thus further help break down cultural barriers of ignorance and facilitate mutual understanding and respect.
Sodruzzaman Khan
This entry should win because: Mr Sodruzzaman Khan has been involve with community development work since 1986. He was a teacher, community development worker, trainer and above all community activist for a long period of time. He has assisted more than fifty organisations in setting up, fundraising and devising programme of activities designed to enhance educational achievement of disadvantage children in the BME community, promote understanding, tolerance and community cohesion in the Multifaith and Multiracila community in London. After 7/7 terror attack he oragnised meetings, seminars in order to raise awareness among the Young Muslim about the true message of religion i.e. tolerance, understanding and community cohesion. He is a pragmatic, liberal minded Muslim who always against the fanaticism,tunnel vision, religious bigotry and encourage young people towards tolerance, understanding and respect. He runs a number of projects on issues such as Multiculturalism, Race & Equality and exoffender rehabilitation. he is a member of the local CRE.
He has set an organisation called ASHA (meaning hope) for young people in order to encourage young people to integrate with wider BME Community, learn to explore each other culture, value and respect. His effort was well admired by the local councillors, businessman, community leaders. He involve people from all walks of lives in his initiative and encourage to become part of it. The ASHA has been working to promote equality of opportunities, enhance BME young people's employability, eradicate substance misuse. Every months he organise workshops, seminars on issues such as Substance Misuse, Anti Social Behaviours, Underachievement in mainstream education, Race relations, healthy diet for young children, role and responsibility of Parents etc. He has the skills, abilities and experiences to work for the multiracial community in London and foment community cohesion, strengthen unity, remove mistrust and misunderstanding among the community groups.
Trevor Lynn
This entry should win because: 500 people benefited from Mow & Grow in 2007. 80+ people has received qualifications / certificates with 3 gaining full time employment in the projects first year. He has secured nearly £100000 worth of funding and training, winning several awards. He has given his time free of charge throughout the operation to help other community groups and individuals including lectures and live radio interviews. He has helped over 70 community groups and his website regularly features in the top 20 most visited community websites at www.onesuffolk.co.uk. Trevor has been invited to sit on the local council forum and is involved in decisions to fund local community groups. He also sits on the committee for three other voluntary organisations, including Lowestoft in bloom, Oulton broad community enterprise, and Lowestoft neighbourhood watch and Lowestoft town centre partnership. Mow & Grow has led Mow & Grow to win to Silver merit awards for community groups in the RHS best neighbourhood awards.
Trevor has been invited to radio Suffolk as a guest speaker to inspire others to start there own projects. Mow & Grow has been used by several funders as an exceptional example of what has been achieved including European social fund, the department of works and pensions and has won awards from EEDA, eastern regional assembly and Government office for the east of England.
Trevor had no experience of the voluntary, charitable or social enterprise sector 2 years ago. He has through determination , passion and self belief self taught himself to make Mow & Grow the success it is today.
Daniel McCallum
This entry should win because: Dan worked as a volunteer for two years to develop the concept of Awel Aman Tawe taking forward the idea of a community owned wind farm. Despite local people voting in favour, the council turned down the planning application as did a Planning Inspector after a public inquiry. Dan is now taking it to the High Court. This has taken 9 years - in the meantime, Dan has developed 30 solar panel project and a range of other renewables making the Amman Valley have the highest concentration of community energy projects in the UK. He's developed a energy efficiency business which works with more than 1000 households/year to install loft and cavity wall insulation. He developed a trailer powered by renewables for hire - it powered the band at the world's first carbon neutral wedding and a slush puppy machine at a festival last year. AAT's two vehicles run on veg oil. He got over 40 people to strip, in the winter, for a renewable energy calendar which was featured in the Guardian's Environment Review of the Year 2006.
Carmel McConnell
This entry should win because: Carmel's drive and determination is making a fundamental difference to the lives of children in severe income poverty in the UK. She finds it repellent that any child should start the day too hungry to learn and has made it her mission to do whatever it takes to give every child the right fuel for learning to help them escape the poverty trap. Her social enterprise not only gives business executives from major corporations a unique experience whilst they gain valuable leadership skills; it is also gives schools new skills in social enterprise so that they have the power to make decisions over their own destiny, so they don't have to rely on funding which could disappear at any moment. She is a social entrepreneur and an inspiration.
Jeff McWhinney
This entry should win because: Jeff McWhinney should win this award as recognition of what he has achieved in his life as well as professionally. As a deaf person he has encountered different types of discrimination while he was seeking employment or when he needed information from public services.
To prevent his 4 deaf children experiencing the numerous difficulties that he and his family were confronted by, he founded the SignVideo Contact Centre. It ensures to provide equal access to services for the Deaf Community.
Jeff is highly motivated to make this world more deaf-friendly. A great step towards that goal occurred in 2003: when he was still the Chief Executive Officer of the British Deaf Association he was involved in gaining UK Government recognition of British Sign Language as an official language.
One of his greatest experiences of his life was to cross the Atlantic with 2 other deaf men in 2006. It was the first sailing trip ever made with a team constituted by only deaf persons, which means a complete absence of radio contact or substantial means of communication.
During Jeff's time at the British Deaf Association and Significant, he has demonstrated his expertise in strategic planning, financial management and project development. He is widely recognised as a leader within both the UK's deaf sign language community and the international deaf sign language communities, having been involved with both the European Union of the Deaf and the World Federation of the Deaf.
Paul Monks
This entry should win because: Paul Monks has shown leadership and commitment where others may have feared to tread. Eschewing art as 'therapy'¯, Paul's model breaks down the barriers between therapy and genuine ability and invests in raw talent as a means to recovery and re-integration into the community. Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Mark Salter, drew the distinction between a conventional occupational therapy department and Core Arts as "comparing a lighter with a laser beam." This comment marked a wind-change in attitude by the medical establishment towards Core, and non-clinical based mental health services in general, and is testimony to Paul's persistence in gaining formal recognition.
A persuasive communicator Paul has galvanised strong support from many whose lives are worlds apart from the rundown, inner-city area in which Core operates. Inspired by Paul's passion and enthusiasm, corporate businesses such as ING Baring, UBS Warberg and Barclays banks don't just want to give a donation, they want to come and see the place for themselves. When they do, they find a guitar or a paint brush being handed to them with a nod of "come on, if we've managed to overcome our fears, so can you!" This breaking down of boundaries between the private and voluntary sector; while challenging people's preconceptions surrounding mental health lies at the heart of Paul's work.
Similarly, Paul has demonstrated that social enterprises such as Core Design and Core Horticulture can be viable as competitive businesses , delivering high quality services, while demonstrating their commitment to social inclusiveness and social responsibility. His belief in empowering and enabling others to achieve marks the generosity of spirit found in a social entrepreneur willing to disseminate his own experience of achieving against all odds.
Core's reputation can be seen in its partnerships with the Health Trusts who now regularly commission members to share their experiences and knowledge as a way of improving their own services. Professionals from as far as Germany, Mali and Japan have drawn from Core's unique approach. Local and central government has regularly identified Core as an example of best practice in tackling social exclusion.
Paul has gone beyond the role of Artistic Director on many occasions to be a leader at local level amongst voluntary and community sector organisation forums, to speak at major events about how mental health and the arts can truly be inclusive, to battle with the commissioning process that so often fails small organisations, and to be viewed amongst his peers as a unique, creative entrepreneur with one aim in mind to show that Core Arts, which has remained in existence against many odds, is a sustainable model that changes people lives.
Marcus Morrell
This entry should win because: Big Picture TV (www.bigpicture.tv), run by Marcus as a free service, streams informational videos on subjects relating to global sustainability. Their short videos are of world renowned thinkers and activists speaking on a wide range of social and environmental issues including climate change, energy, transport, design, corporate social responsibility and trade. Our panel of speakers features distinguished names such as HRH Prince of Wales, Nelson Mandela, Dame Jane Goodall, Dame Anita Roddick and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. With over 120 speakers on the site, Big Picture TV aims to help disseminate solution-oriented thinking and bring the web community closer to the individuals driving forward the sustainability movement. As a sustainable business, all costs are covered by a two-tiered membership scheme giving members access to downloads and transcripts.
Ashish Poddar
This entry should win because: Ashish believes social change needs a culture change. He's doing it in a practical, non- preachy way that engages everyone. His ethos is everyone has something to offer someone else. And if everyone gets involved, everyone can win. It's 'people-helping-people' culture which he recognises must have mainstream appeal to engage the majority.
FreshTies.com brings together individuals, businesses and not-for-profits to give and take. FreshTies appeals to their 'what's in it for me?' and produces tangible benefits recognised as the result of people helping them. This draws them into helping others- in ways that suit them. Everyone can feel- whatever their past or path in life- they've much more than cash to offer- making everyone equally important. This builds a sense of value and position in life. Self-esteem is central to creating harmony and community.
Via the website, even sole traders can do things to help their community, and organisations which are doing more, will get discounts or credit on the site. FreshTies members see this, which will influence organisations.
More generally, the website helps show what goes around comes around in a positive way. 50% of the website membership fees are allocated to the area in which the member lives (or operates if a business), to help set up a community-run enterprise. The local enterprises will enable the community to support itself, and look after itā€™s own needs, which in turn benefits the member joining FreshTies ā€“ everyone wins! This approach encourages people to avoid dependency on public funding (and therefore red tape) because FreshTies has confidence in peopleā€™s abilities.
FreshTies has over 10,000 members and Round Table International has chosen FreshTies as its global networking site for their 30,000 members to interact and respond to wider social issues. He has support from all manner of prominent public figures.
Sital Punja
This entry should win because: Sital Punja started her business with £500 and left her high flying career in media industry because she wanted to make a change in the world.
Sital, has definitely made a change in the world and her devotion to environmental design and ethical business practices leaves a lasting impression on the people and business that she works with, encouraging them to adopt an ethical lifestyle both personally and in business.
She works tirelessly to raise awareness around environmental sustainability and fair trade and is well known to others working in this sector; London Remade, TRAID, Anti-Apathy, Re:Fuse, Hidden Art and Ethical Fashion Forum, Eco Design Network to name a few.
Sital's passion, energy and dedication has enabled her label to be one of UK's most recognised in recycled fashion and instrumental in changing public perception about recycled and ethical fashion.
Her important contribution has been recognised in high places and she has been invited to both 10 Downing Street and Buckingham Palace.
Sital has been part of many workshops and seminars about social enterprise, and as such she has become a role model for Asian women as well as an effective ambassador for social enterprise with a National profile. Sital is a worthy board member at Social Enterprise London.
To win this award would be a valid and valued acknowledgment of Sital's great work and achievements so far and prove her to be an outstanding example of social entrepreneurship.
Cyndi Rhoades
This entry should win because: Cyndi has taken a unique approach to 'Doing good'¯ by recognizing that real people also want to feel and look good, eat well and have fun as well as make a difference. The Anti-Apathy approach is unique. Looking at where people are already engaged, in lifestyle from food, to fashion to finance and making connections with the deeper social and environmental stories behind these issues. Easy actions such as switching to green energy, signing up to ethical banking and creating more sustainable food chains through purchasing power are a few tangible ways for people to feel that they are part of the solution rather than the problem. By 'going sustainable', people are voting in new ways to create a world they want to see which in turn influences a shift in public and corporate policies.
This lifestyle-based approach has been an effective platform for attracting wider audiences outside of traditional activist or green circles. It has also been an a great formula for attracting media attention, an integral part of getting our work, often carried out by a handful of people, to an audience of hundreds of thousands, from features on the Channel 4 news to worldwide coverage in the Financial Times and the International Herald Tribune.
As if that wasn't challenging enough Anti-Apathy has chosen to walk it's talk. It balances more traditional seed capital with a variety of self-generating activities like ownership (and therefore stewardship) of the Worn Again brand, currently licensed for 99% recycled trainers and The Nag a project combining events and promotions with simple sustainable tasks which also create an income stream to increase Anti-Apathy's own self-sufficiency.
Kevin Robbie
This entry should win because: As the CEO of Forth Sector for 9 years Kevin has supported the growth in turnover from £350k in 1998 to £2million today. He's grown a portfolio of successful Social Firms which are financed through 60-70% commercial sales with the balance coming from an employment support contract creating jobs for over 100 disadvantaged people annually. Kevin also took the brave decision to close businesses that were unsustainable including Garden Services (1999) and Ithos (2005).
With the growth of Forth Sector Kevin's belief that values are the foundation of successful social enterprises has been reinforced. He's committed to developing a values-driven team which is reflected in the interaction between staff, beneficiaries of the service and customers.
He's pioneered work in Scotland on Social Return on Investment. An SROI evaluation of Six Mary's Place (due May 2007) demonstrates significant health and employment gain from the employment support provided.
Kevin's a great champion of social enterprise and has worked to endlessly promote the business model across the UK. He's written various publications including 'Tendering for Public Sector Contract' (Scottish Executive, 2004), a guide supporting social enterprises access contracts. He's contributed to research to support welfare reform and publications that support sector development including 'Business Planning Guide for Social Enterprise'(2005,2007), 'The Extra Element' (SFUK, 2005) and the 'Social Added Value Guide' (Communities Scotland, 2006).
He has supported social enterprise development through lobbying work for SSEC and SFS and completed awareness raising training with the BIG Lottery to increase understanding of how to invest in social enterprise.
Expanding the number of Social Firms means more disadvantaged people moving into work. Kevin's helped develop Social Firms in Poland, through replicating Six Mary's Place in Krakow. He's just returned from Australia where he conducted research into social investment and business acquisitions as a strategy for growing the social enterprise sector in Scotland.
Gwyn Roberts
This entry should win because: Gwyn should win this award as recognition for his contribution to the impact that the Trust has made on the social, economic and environmental aspects of the area over the past sixteen years. He has let criticism and pessimisim bounce off him as he applied single-minded approach to the development of a cultural and business showcase building like Galeriā.
Due to revenue constraints, Gwyn worked alone for the first three years of the Trust's existence undertaking all the Trust's activities from overseeing property refurbishment works to marketing, management accounting and the constant search for finance and resources. The development of the Creative Enterprise Centre has meant increasing the staffing levels of the company from a total of three persons at the end of 2002 to 21 full time members of staff and 5 part time staff members in addition to a number of casual staff in 2007 (the full time equivalent of 42.5 members of staff).
He was personally responsible for the project management of several building renovation schemes and other projects undertaken by Galeri Caernarfon.
These have varied widely in terms of size and complexity with the following being some examples:
i. Overall project management of Galeri Creative Enterprise Centre - a £7.5 million scheme.
ii. Redevelopment of 29 High Street, Caernarfon to provide 2 shops and 6 flats + a £450,000 scheme.
iii. 28 other property purchase, renovation and letting schemes of varying degrees of complexity and cost.
Gwyn has extensive experience of obtaining and using both public and private finance towards a wide variety of hard and soft regeneration projects. Through the work done both for Galeri Caernarfon and during previous employment for the local authority he has built up a range of excellent working relationships with several influential individuals within many public, private and third sector organisations.
Doreen Roberts
This entry should win because: To show so such devotion to so many children for so long and to be still doing it today. Shw has made such a difference to so so many children which I was one, I was her 2nd foster child way back in 1965 and since then their has always been a foster child or children under her roof. The most she has fostered at one time is 8, she has 4 in her care today all under the age of 4. Outstanding determination and love. She is the uk's longest non-stop service foster mother with 43 years of service
Sophi Tranchell
This entry should win because: Sophi is MD of Divine Chocolate Ltd, the leading UK Fairtrade chocolate company and a pioneering social enterprise.
The UK chocolate market is worth £3.6billion. A tiny fraction of this would make an enormous difference if more benefit was felt at source, with the cocoa farmers. Driven by the goal of securing a fairer deal for them, and ensuring more value from the chocolate business benefits Ghana, Sophi has masterminded the company's growth from nothing to £9million turnover over the last eight years.
Sophi Tranchell is key to the success of Divine Chocolate Ltd. She is driven to deliver the best, most sustainable, and replicable benefits to cocoa farmers in West Africa that she can. She pursues this mission with a passion and determination well known in all the many networks she contributes to, including the Fairtrade community, chocolate industry, Government and amongst campaigning organisations. She has been extraordinarily creative with limited budgets, and both compelling and diplomatic in negotiating special deals and partnerships to help grow, consolidate and expand the business. Sophi has gone out of her way to help and advise other Fairtrade companies and social enterprises, because she is a firm believer in the power of all these organisations working together to create 'good business'.
Sophie's advice and help is valued throughout the Fairtrade community, and she embodies an uncommon blend of business acumen and profound social commitment, leavened with a sense of humour, and insatiable appetite for facts and figures.
Hilary Vick
This entry should win because: When a council officer looked at HV's market research for setting up a nappy laundry service and said she would hire a consultant to do further work, HV said, "Let's just try and do it"
When professional advisors told her to apply for the maximum grant HV said "We'll apply for the minimum needed to get us to self-sustainability
When the pragmatists said, just get a diesel van, HV said, "We'll get an electric one and charge it on a green tariff"
When the experts said you've got to cover a wider area to get enough customers HV said "We're going to make it work locally"
When a real nappy user said she could get 2 hospital nurseries but they were outside NEA's catchment area, HV said "Thanks for the help, we'll go there"
When there was a choice of employing a 25 year old graduate or a 50+ father who had been unemployed for 10 years, she chose the latter
When HV was told NEA would never get SLAs from local authorities, she kept asking (and NEA now has two)
When WRAP said nappy laundry services were not economically viable businesses, HV established one that was
When the EA brought out a life cycle analysis which showed that laundry services were worse for the environment than disposable nappies (not including land use) HV found that 8 of NEA's nappies had lower environmental impacts than 1 disposable.
When a local dad said he wanted to make washable nappies available to parents on low incomes HV said "Let's do it"
HV says "It's all about imagining new ways of doing things and having the courage, tenacity and patience to make change happen"
Dale Vince
This entry should win because: No one involved in Climate Change scenarios is inventing real solutions. His vision is on a Brunellian scale.
He is the world pioneer in new green energy production, he invests every penny of income back into new turbines and technology, he's a British engineer and the company he founded, ecotricity, puts people first at every point of contact and production. Dale Vince is the only UK entrepreneur tackling climate change head on.
Social Enterprise
Airedale Community Trading (ACT) lTD
This entry should win because: Airedale Community Trading is a Social Enterprise that is totally self sufficient and receives no grants or funding from any other organisations. The company relies on offering quality services and products to the public in competition with major retailers and garages. As well as offering work experience, training and placements to disadvantaged communities the company returns all profits to Chrysalis Youth & Community Project in order for it to achieve its aim and objectives. The operates two organisations Airedale Computer Recycling and Airedale Car Clinic. Airedale Car Clinic provides high quality servicing and repairs to the general public and won fleet maintenance contracts with local business. Airedale Computer Recycling provides an IT recycling service to local Authorities, PCTS and businesses throughout Yorkshire. It recycles and refurbishes computers for general sale to the public, it also sells new computers and equipment through its two retail outlets in Castleford and Wakefield, whilst providing free computers to local organisations, charities and disadvantaged people.
It is currently working on a web based shop for online purchasing and sales of equipment. This organisation is an innovative company that competes in an open market and achieves it results through sales, rather than relying on donations and funding from an ever decreasing pot
Arms Against War
This entry should win because: Because the motivation is not about profit, money or self gain - it is about society and finding a new way to interact with each other. It is about finding a point of agreement amongst people pigeon holed with differences....and from that one starting point, finding ways forward, one agreement at a time, it is about you and me, nodding in agreement and smiling.
Belu Water
This entry should win because: Belu is at the cutting edge of making environmentally friendly products and using business is a positive and sustainable manner. The fact that Belu is in front of every product sold in the large retail change in addressing global warming says a lot about the thinking and mission of the company. The fact that Belu is pioneering the use of compostable plastics and helping bring an end to the pollution caused by petrol-chemical plastics is an equally important environmental effort. Lastly, the use of Belu's profits to help others will hopefully set an example for how people and organizations seeking to do good in the world can harness the power of commerce to achieve their goals.
Bespoke Experience Limited
This entry should win because: In just a few short years, Bespoke's owners and directors have created a unique model, combining a commercial company (Bespoke Experience Ltd), a lodge operations company (Guludo Beach Lodge) and a charity (SERF) to offer a new and unique kind of tourism that will help relieve poverty and protect the environment.
The organization offers a holiday experience uniquely indigenous to the area, a new standard for fair trade tourism, e.g., 30-40% guests' holiday money goes directly into the local community, the chance to interact with the community through local employees at the lodges and voluntary work in the villages, and to learn about and interact with wildlife through conservation projects.
Projects established by SERF in Guludo are far reaching and have made an enormous positive impact to the local community already with many more developments planned for 2007 they include:
A Malaria Project, providing training and subsidized nets for 1,200 pregnant women and mothers with children under the age of 5; a school feeding programme to ensure that every primary school child benefits from a guaranteed nutritious meal every day for a whole year; enterprise development, helping establish palm weaving and ceramics cooperatives; Coral Reef, Humpback Whale and Turtle Projects.
Waterpoints are being drilled which will profoundly change the lives of over 3000 people, providing them with clean water where there is currently none; HIV awareness workshops will be run for small groups of adults to teach them how to protect themselves and children from contracting the HIV virus and will provide an unlimited supply of condoms; Sanitation Workshops, a School/Community Farm which will first focus on providing food for the school feeding project and then sell produce to Guludo Beach Lodge and within the community; Construction of a Primary School & Community Centre will begin in 2007.
Blacon Community Trust
This entry should win because: Innovation, motivation and aspiration drive Blacon Community Trust (BCT) to provide better facilities, services and opportunities for the community in Blacon, a suburb of Chester, home to 16,000 residents and pockets of deprivation at a neighbourhood level often hidden in wider District analysis. BCT work to realise the community and environment potential through delivering on key 6 objectives:
Community Enterprise. BCT has developed neighbourhood business incubators, called Firm Start, which provide supported workspace in an tailored package to help bring the business birth rate up from virtually zero in Blacon to grow in line with national average.
Services for Children & Young People. BCT provides children's and young peoples services from full daycare for 0-4 year olds through to the recognised excellence in learning provision for 13 -25 year olds, now an established independent school securing public agency contracts, with plans to expand and reach break even point.
Furniture Recycling. This activity aims to maximise the tonnage diverted from landfill and provide affordable, good quality furniture for resale. BCT now has a contract with Cheshire County Council to deliver business development support to 15 furniture recycling enterprises across the county.
Communication. BCT is building with partners, a regeneration campaign, to advocate and promote interests Blacon. The 'Building Your Blacon' campaign attracts the support of all key agencies focusing upon collective effort to secure upwards of £50m investment in local infrastructure.
Community Venues. Revitalising the local community centre by taking on leaseholder responsibilities; also by relocating BCT itself to a former primary school in the heart of the community maximising community access and visibility.
Regenesis Consultancy Ltd. A new commercial service developed by BCT as a subsidiary generating financial surpluses to sustain and expand work in Blacon. By developing Regenesis, BCT has shown its commitment to delivering sustainable solutions to difficult problems in Blacon, and assisting others striving to secure long term transformational change for the better.
Catering Plus Ltd
This entry should win because: This is Catering Plus's fourth year of trading, at the end of our third year we broke even. We currently employ 4 mental health students and are actively recruiting a minimum of six more. We have recently opened a unit enabling students to gain experience and confidence before having to serve the general public. Catering Plus work closely with Community Mental Health Teams providing a six week basic cookery course where they purchase the ingredients prepare and cook them, culminating in them cooking a three course meal. This does not only teach them the ease of cooking cheap nutritional food it also offers them an opportunity for employment.
All the employees of Catering Plus have the opportunity of gaining an NVQ in catering & hospitality.
Here at Catering Plus we are a close and dedicated team who all strive hard to over come obstacles and achieve are goals
Centrestage Music Theatre Ltd
This entry should win because: Centrestage is the best thing that has happened in Kilmarnock for a long time. It has given a focus for young people rather than hanging around the streets and has already developed a community based round it. It is one of the few places I know that people of all ages attend the social nights. Participation in the classes and concerts help develop youngsters' self confidence both on stage and working behind the scenes. I feel this award would help secure Centrestage's future and ensure that the people of Ayrshire continue to benifit from having such a wonderful resource on their doorstep.
Community Health Involvement & Empowerment Forum
This entry should win because: CHIEF's mission is targeted towards the Black & Ethnic Minority Communities, to promote self-help, independence, healthy eating habits, healthy living styles, and health awareness in general. CHIEF Objectives clearly demonstrates the needs in this sector:
.Raise health awareness within the communities and more specifically in the ethnic minority communities.
.Assist in the improvement of overall access to health care services at local & national levels.
.Develop and provide adequate advocacy, impartial advice and accurate information to help reduce health inequalities in ethnic minority ethnic groups of the United Kingdom.
Continuous Entertainment Ltd
This entry should win because: Continuous Entertainment is run by 2 young, energetic females that are unique in their field, with knowledge and skills that set them apart from their organisations competitors. This young organisation has already won prestigious awards from the London development agency and the National Business Awards within 8 months of trading for its clear demonstration of significant growth and innovation in their market sector and strong financial performance, but also reinvesting a percentage of their profits into community initiatives to supporting a stronger, sustainable and socially inclusive local economy. Their dedication to the local community has resulted in a valuable reputation, recognition and support from local organisations, leaders in the Greenwich council and the Woolwich Regeneration Agency. Continuous has tapped into a niche in the music market with more than 200 people using their studio to record songs and produce music, but its work with the community has and always will continue to make a difference to the lives of teenagers. Throughout this work, continuous has made strong partnerships with many organisations and schools that have together supported women at risk, minority groups, young people and underprivileged individuals. Continuous are always looking at ways to reach, enlighten and inspire more people in unique and pioneering ways. So by winning this award, it will raise awareness of this social enterprise and its achievements.
Cosmic
This entry should win because: Cosmic was thrilled to celebrate 10th years as a Social Enterprise during 2006, a year that over 2500 people benefited from the FREE internet cafe, and in which cosmic added two further pcs to this free dedicated drop in facility. During 2006 Cosmic trained 109 young people and 375 adults in basic and intermediate IT skills to help them gain confidence. This brings the overall total up to 7500 young people and 2500 adults trained, together with 14 work experience placements and 7 placements for university students. Cosmic also continues to support and up skill 2 young modern apprentices on its team at all times. From this come great success stories, such as Hannah Story who progressed from volunteer, to modern apprentice and having developed advanced graphic design and website skills is now completing a graphics course at a top London College.
Each of the ten years have been special in their own right and act as a testament as to what can be achieved by a social business with exceptional people and faith from key fenders. In 2006 cosmic took part in Young Enterprise week for the second year running, handing over the company to students from the local school to provide them with invaluable real life work experience and open their eyes to the Social Enterprise sector. Cosmic has helped and supported first time online users through to businesses and organizations to help them realize the potential and benefits of ICT to help them develop.
Plus with all this and more, Cosmic continues to found time to carry out our social accounting process - because we should develop to meet the needs of those we set out to benefit. True transparency remains something in which cosmic is passionate about.
Crewkeren Leisure Management Ltd.
This entry should win because: We are a company with a small number of paid staff [12] but a huge number of volunteers [60+] who have over a period of 10 years successfully run and managed a community swimming pool which in that time has received no revenue support from local authorities. As well as the pool we have also been able to raise enough money to build an extension to provide facilities for an Active Lifestyle Centre. Since this centre opened in may 2006 we have had over 1000 people benefit from the services and activities we have been able to provide. This represents 1 in 16 of our local population a huge achievement.
Our centre was already nationally acclaimed for its work as a community swimming pool and the new facility has become a model for other small communities as it is innovative in its partnership with the local primary care trust in offering health services and activities in a leisure setting so that the local community can have a more active lifestyle even when they have life limiting diseases.
Our volunteers deserve to be recognised for the hard work and dedication they give to the centre which has been the secret of its success.
Divine Chocolate Ltd
This entry should win because: Divine Chocolate Ltd (formerly The Day Chocolate Company) began to deliver its mission from the start, despite considerable obstacles. Although many doubted Divine could succeed in the very mature and competitive UK chocolate market - a combination of passion, determination and innovative approaches to marketing meant an early entry into the multiples and amazing media coverage in print and on TV. The company has a very close working relationship with the farmers it aims to benefit, and has continuously looked for ways to extend those benefits to more farmers, and to grow the market for Fairtrade chocolate here, in Europe and in USA. With their leading Fairtrade brand, the company has played a key part in the dramatic growth of the UK Fairtrade market as a whole, and has made sure its voice is heard in the forums debating trade with the developing world. Divine Chocolate's major achievements to date include delivering a range of tangible improvements to the lives of cocoa farmers in Ghana, raising awareness of the lives of cocoa farmers behind the treat loved by 97% of UK consumers, encouraging The Body Shop to hand over its shares in the company to Kuapa Kokoo giving the farmers a 45% share in the business, being able to grow the company steadily without having to dilute the farmer-ownership model, and, most recently seeing the launch of a new Divine company in USA. Kuapa Kokoo has flourished and embraced the principles of democracy, giving all its members a voice, and growing its reputation for quality, and efficiency. Through its ownership of Divine Chocolate Ltd it now has a 'seat at the table' of the world cocoa industry - formerly unknown for farmers' organisations.
EMERGE Recycling
This entry should win because: EMERGE has one of the biggest client bases for recycling in the community waste sector, nationally. The company was the first recycling provider and is the longest running, most successful social enterprise in Manchester. EMERGE has pioneered new projects, such as ARC, Green IT - a responsible WEEE compliant IT equipment reuse and recycling service, The Daily Takeaway - the first 'pay-as-you-throw' city centre recycling service for SME's in Manchester. The funding for the Schools Recycling Programme is ending in March 2007 so the schools team are pursuing CSR sponsorship from Manchester's business inorder to continue this valuble service either free or subsidised. The domestic collections from 7,000 homes in Old Trafford saw the widest range of materials available for collection than any other area in Manchester; paper, thin cardboard, glass, aluminium and steel cans, textiles, batteries and plastic bottles and the Mangaing Director of EMERGE, Lucy Danger, was elected chair of CRN (the national Community Recycling Network)in November 2006.
Emmaus UK
This entry should win because: Like all the best ideas, Emmaus is based on a very simple premise; take people off the streets and give them meaningful work and a safe, supportive place to live. The idea may be simple, but the effect on peoples' lives is much more complex.
Education, training and hands on work experience give residents the opportunity to contribute effectively to community life whilst also providing them with long-term skills. Each Community strives to meet the health needs of its residents, often neglected while they've been homeless, whether this is treatment for depression, support following addiction rehabilitation, or simply new glasses. Most importantly of all, residents find that living and working with other people helps them rediscover essential life skills.
A structured work environment and training opportunities increase Communities' economic activity. This helps them to reach the goal of becoming financially self-supporting and enables the Emmaus support office to focus on setting up new Communities. There are currently thirteen Emmaus Communities across the UK, and over twenty groups of volunteers working to set up Communities in their local areas. Both establishing and running a Community brings members of the public, volunteers, staff and residents to work together. Emmaus aims to have twenty Communities by 2010. Research has shown that a Community can save the taxpayer over £600,000 a year through services foregone.
From the proceeds of old wardrobes and broken bikes, Emmaus residents not only start to regain personal dignity, but their recycling activities help to protect the environment. Independent research showed that one Community can save 900 tonnes from landfill per year. In addition to offering a useful recycling service to the wider community, they provide a source of good quality, affordable furniture for low-income families.
As an organisation in the business of changing lives there are few as effective.
Energy4All Limited
This entry should win because: Energy4All is a ground breaking social enterprise demonstrating that green energy generation, profit generating co-operatives and carbon mitigation can go hand in hand.
The team at Energy4All, is consulted daily by groups around the UK, provides information and has built a nationwide portfolio of renewable energy projects despite limited resources and working in a complex industry dominated by multinationals.
Energy4All is regularly consulted by official and unofficial bodies wanting practical advice on community ownership schemes as the UK lags far behind our European counterparts for social enterprises in the energy sector.
Energy4All has negotiated arrangements with selected developers to offer a share in their sites to the local community. In Scotland Energy4All is working on 7 sites including Boyndie Wind Farm Co-op, the first Scottish wind co-op, which will launch in May 2006. In England E4All is working in the Fens, Cumbria and in Bedfordshire for the community to own turbines on the wind farms and in Wales, negotiations are in hand with two developers to offer community involvement in new sites.
Energy4All has enabled the Findhorn Foundation to finance plans to make their community self-sufficient in electricity and is assisting many other schemes through early phases of development such as the Beech Farm scheme in Devon.
This year Energy4All will facilitate the development of three new renewable energy co-operatives as well as assist many more communities and organisations wishing to do their bit to reduce carbon emissions. Energy4All has achieved a leading position and built a portfolio of projects largely without grant support being funded by Baywind Energy Co-operative, a small amount of consultancy work and the goodwill of some of its employees in working for little reward.
Energy4All launched a £3.75m public share offer for Westmill Wind Farm Co-op in Oxfordshire after gaining FSA-approval , the first IPS to do so under the new regulations. Westmill Co-op will be the largest community owned renewable energy scheme in the UK and the first onshore wind farm in the South East proving what can be achieved through effective social enterprise application.
Forth Sector
This entry should win because: Forth Sector does what it says on the tin. It's a truly dynamic business with its social purpose entwined in everything it does. Each social firm, the award winning Six Marys Place Guesthouse, Rolls on Wheels, Parkview Laundry, Edinburgh Embroidery Services, Forth Sector Development, The Soap Co. and the newly started Woodworks is developed with the aim of creating real jobs for people with mental illness.
With the unique 'umbrella' approach Forth Sector has created 6 Social Firms creating approximately 100 jobs for disadvantaged people. New business ideas are consistently sought that'll create more jobs based on people's abilities and market requirements. A core team provide marketing, financial and personnel support enabling the flexibility required to sustain the existing businesses and create new ones.
Forth Sector doesn't just create jobs, it enables people to have a job title and become healthier again. The stigma attached to mental illness and the resulting drop in self esteem can be as devastating as the illness itself. Having a job enables someone to feel an equal member of society again. That is the true impact of Forth Sector which will be demonstrated in a new SROI report to be published in May 2007.
Forth Sector has inspired many to start up Social Firms across Scotland and as far away as Australia and Poland. They're unafraid of telling their story and sharing lessons learned along the way. They fight the daily battle to reconcile Cerberus the three headed monster dog, one head that's the business, one that's providing the right employment support to people and fending off the third head which is always trying to randomly bite them!
Winning this award would provide them with the recognition that all the employees deserve not just for running successful businesses but for inspiring others to do likewise.
Forth Sector
This entry should win because: Forth Sector has not entered for such social enterprise awards in the past, however its businesses have picked up mainstream commercial awards, i.e. Six Mary's Place guesthouse won the prestigious Scottish Thistle Award 2004 for its outstanding performance in customer care, which conveys their competitive nature.
The breadth of Forth Sector's operations is one of its key attributes, as it enables the organisation to operate placements across a varied range of social firms. It is this flexibility that ensures every care can be taken to match beneficiaries to placements that suit their skills, interests and aspirations.
As a consequence of Forth Sector's reputation as a leading social enterprise, with 17 years of experience in the sector, it has recently established a new social firm Forth Sector Development (FSD) to respond to the increasing demand from voluntary organisations seeking development support. FSD has provided support to over 200 organisations (ranging from voluntary organisations through to social enterprises) via business planning advice surgeries and training events. FSD employed a practical and evidence based approach enabling each of these organisations to benefit from Forth Sector's own experience in planning and developing their business models.
Through FSD, Forth Sector has taken on a varied caseload of projects, and has contributed to a range of guidance for the sector including 'Tendering for Public Sector Contracts', 'A Business Planning Guide to Developing Social Enterprise' and 'Making the Case: Social Added Value'.
Forth Sector has been one of the leading social enterprises in Scotland raising the profile of social enterprise. This has involved it working proactively with key stakeholders, such as Communities Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and the EQUAL Development Partnership, leading to the development of new tools and models designed to enhance the performance of the sector. Such work has the potential to shape the future of the sector by informing policy makers at all levels.
Forth Sector is currently developing tools to measure social return on investment which will have a significant impact on the sector. Applying this measure to one of Forth Sector's businesses Six Mary's Place has indicated that there could be a six fold (social) return on the investment by the public sector into the employment support there.
Galeri Caernarfon Cyf
This entry should win because: Galeri Caernarfon should win this award as recognition and testimony to the impact that the organisation has made on the social, economic and environmental aspects of the area over the past sixteen years.
The recent completion of Galeri Creative Enterprise Centre shows that they are still delivering innovative projects for social benefit whilst at the same time continuously developing the company's commercial base.
Galeri Caernarfon Cyf. has always aimed to be a self-sustaining social enterprise. The revenue produced by the previous work which the company has carried out will ensure the future of the company and the Creative Enterprise Centre by using the revenue stream produced by the property rental to cross subsidise between the income generating (commercial) activities and non-income generating (community) activities which take place in the Centre.
The development of the 'Galeri Creative Enterprise Centre' has meant increasing the staffing levels of the company from a total of three persons at the end of 2002 to 21 full time members of staff and 5 part time staff members in addition to a number of casual staff in 2007 (the full time equivalent of 42.5 members of staff). The range of new posts has included marketing, theatre programming, theatre management, business development and finance and arts development. The companyā€™s profile has increased dramatically as has its modus operandi.
Global Cool
This entry should win because: The Global Cool campaign should win the award as an encouragement to the campaign members that they are on the right course to move the climatic tipping point.The campaign members are ordinary individuals in many different countries, all committed to a learning process and a process of reducing their Greenhouse gas emissions footprint.
By awarding at this point in the campaign's life, just over a year now, the judging team will be acknowledging the importance of the war cry, the people vs global warming, will be amplifying the message that is already being sung by many famous celebrities. It will be a ringing endorsement to the mainstream ambition to change the planet. The management of Global Cool have all taken the challenge head on and have all been part of this great hybrid creation.
Taking the best from Media, Broadcast, Event Production, Investment Banking and Marketing, the company has equipped itself for the challenge of our lifetime. Its aim is to create a brand bigger than Nike in less than 18 months. After 6 months it has reached into India, USA and Europe and is progressing to China.
Global Cool is to be a commonplace standard in a reduction philosophy that saves the planet.
It would be the coolest thing that the awards organisers would do all year, to award Global Cool.
Hands Up Holidays
This entry should win because: Hands Up Holidays should win this award because it is imbued with passion to use ethical business excellence to effect social change.
Hands Up Holidays' vision is for its guests to be challenged by their experiences to adopt more contented, simple lifestyles, and also become inspired to be passionate advocates for the communities with which they interact.
Hands Up Holidays' vision is to inspire his guests to volunteer for longer periods of time - not only overseas but also here in the UK.
Hands Up Holidays is committed to listening, and giving a voice to people who previously have not had an opportunity to tell their story.
Hands Up Holidays has developed an innovative travel concept that enables people who otherwise would not interact in meaningful ways with local communities whilst on holiday - largely due to fear and ignorance.
Hands Up Holidays does this by providing top quality holidays using fantastic accommodation, packaging it with sublime sightseeing, and a 'taste' of volunteering. This enables guests to dip their toes in the water of volunteering in a safe context, and discover how wonderful it is to help those less fortunate, and at the same time find that they benefit from the experience themselves - guests find that their lives are enriched and fulfilled by the encounter, and that the benefits definitely flow two-ways.
Hands Up Holidays is committed to becoming the world's leading ethical travel company, and willing this award will help raise awareness of this new style of travel and thus further help break down cultural barriers of ignorance and facilitate mutual understanding and respect.
Hands Up Holidays is committed to enriching lives - of its guests, of the communities it is involved in, and of its employees.
Hill Holt Wood
This entry should win because: Hill Holt Wood is a beautiful ancient English woodland, but it wasn't always like that... before being purchased by the Founders and managed by the Social Enterprise it was an abandoned, neglected and sad environment. What is significantly different about HHW is that it is a small woodland in which a large number of people are being employed through income generated by working with disadvantaged youth. Together we have revived the woodland, created a haven for the community and changed the lives of many of our young learners. The local community have gained a high quality service from a nationally recognised Social enterprise. Sometimes you can't 'see the wood for the trees' and winning this award would be so motivational for learners and employees alike.
i-genius
This entry should win because: We have already achieved a lot with very little since our launch at the beginning of 2007, due to the dedication, passion and commitment of the people involved, and due to the support of our partners, such as UNESCO, The British Council, and Taking It Global. Winning this award would help us to ensure that our commitment to building a global community of social entrepreneurs would be a reality in the long-term, as well as providing us with much needed funds to begin launching the following initiatives;
One-to-one mentoring: enables members to communicate with fellow social entrepreneurs and/or professionals in the corporate world, to both receive and offer support and advice.
Learning: an online resource for members to be able to access information and guidance on how to employ marketing, photography, financing, and PR principles into their social enterprise.
Research - a major piece of worldwide research in collaboration with UNESCO, that seeks to better understand the motivations of social innovators, helping us to develop our support to our community.
i-genius summit - held in Phuket, Thailand, in February 2008, will bring together over 100 of the most creative and innovative social entrepreneurs from our global membership base to participate in a unique event, focusing on the three main areas of funding, communications and network building.
Investment - in the long term we hope to form partnerships with organisations in order to channel investment and other forms of finance into the best of social enterprise that we have in our global community.
Winning this award would raise the profile of i-genius and its community of social entrepreneurs, which would assist us in our recruitment. We would use the funds to improve the technical capability of the site, especially the function to aid networking and mentoring.
Indigo Brave
This entry should win because: Indigo Brave generates real positive change from all aspects of its work.
The theatre-process we have developed is both therapeutic in its process and highly effective in challenging prejudice and stereotypes and achieving real attitude change, through its performance.
Working with people with or affected by HIV, people with long term mental health issues or homeless women, we have shown to audiences, the moving accounts of real experiences and the growth that can come from extreme pain. Countless people have admitted to us that their prejudices have been challenged and blown away.
The performances have shown people what "normal" really is and given participants an opportunity to be heard for the first time in their lives. A most powerful recent comment from a participant on a mental health project sums up the impact and importance of this work; "This project has saved my life, it has given me a reason for living this year"¯
The passion generated in our health work pours over into the commercial side of the business. Having started with just one corporate client in early 2004, we now have 12 established clients across the East Midlands and Europe. This work means we are on the first step to becoming totally revenue funded, and are on the way to expansion. We have recently employed a dedicated sales person to develop this side of the business and we are now looking to fill administrative roles and find a permanent Arts and Health Facilitator.
Developing the corporate, income generating side of the business will help finance the business and create growth. This will ensure the critical, non-incoming generating work can be continued, people can continue to tell their stories, be heard and prejudices will be challenged and broken down.
Kids' City
This entry should win because: Within its core business of running out-of-school schemes, Kids' City has developed a number of initiatives that that extend opportunities for children for now and for life, make it easier for parents to enter the job market, that engages youth and disaffected adults in contributing to their community and encourages professional development in those for whom the academic route has not been successful. The organisation enjoys strong leadership and a high level of loyalty amongst service users and partner organisations which enables it to take risks in developing additional services where the need is, and the need is established through regular stakeholder consultations. Kids' City's impact is unparalleled, it sees approximately 900 children, 2,300 times a week; employs 62 staff of whom 76% were previously unemployed and engages 100 volunteers, 62% of whom are in education or seeking work.
Lindley Educational Trust
This entry should win because: Lindley Educational Trust has come up with an innovative and unique programme which provides essential support to the most vulnerable and deprived young people in our society, at the same time enabling companies of all sizes to meet their corporate social responsibilities to the communities in which they operate, whilst gaining valuable training for the managers of the future.
As part of their team building programmes, locally based companies, with the help of experienced Trust staff, set their management trainees a real challenge: the design and delivery of outdoor events for young people from within their area of operations. The projects are aimed at the most disadvantaged groups, particularly from inner city schools, who would otherwise not have the opportunity to take part in residential outdoor activity programmes. Company sponsorship means that there is no cost involved to the pupils or the schools.
The benefits to the businesses taking part in the scheme are significant. Trainees face a real life, not theoretical, challenge, giving them an incentive to succeed in designing, planning and delivering a programme for real people who will certainly let them know what they think before, during and after the event. The project tests and hones key skills in dealing with the kind of problems encountered in business, those of complex planning, managing multiple resources, problem solving, effective communication, decision making, initiative and resourcefulness and experience of managing people from a variety of backgrounds, with differing abilities. The companies taking part enhance their reputation in the community as caring for its people and the environment, building long lasting connections with organisations they sponsor. The young people experience enhanced interpersonal and social skills and raised self esteem, do better in school, take an interest in the world around them and continue to enjoy outdoor recreation into adult life.
Magic Outcomes
This entry should win because: Magic Outcomes does three things: 1) it creates funding for urgently needed free food deliveries to primary schools 2) offers a unique learning experience for employees who are keen to find out who they are as much as where they are going. 3) gives empowering business partnerships to primary schools who need it most. Magic Outcomes has a vision for school and business partnership which builds trust as well as much needed skills.
Metro Sports Foundation Ltd (MSF)
This entry should win because: Since 1999, Metro Sports Foundation (MSF) t/a Metro Shack Computer Learning Centre has enriched the lives of more than 4,500 young people between the ages 9 to 16 who are marginalised and at risk of gun-enabled crime, most of whom are excluded from school. Classes take place in the state-of-the art computer-learning centre located at 64 Railton Road in the heart of the Brixton Community. Classes are taught out-school hours, on weekends and holiday computer camps by certified computer tutors. MSF combines innovative community-based teaching styles, cutting edge technology and superb staff to create a fantastic learning experience that makes learning experience and makes young people want to return year after year! By participating in the MSF programme, students build skills including technology, team building and public speaking and public speaking, that will help them succeed academically, socially and economically in our increasingly digital society. They come away with an appreciation of how technology can help them in their studies and an understanding of the wealth of information available to assist them. With classes taking place in a corporate setting and career descriptions incorporated into lesson plans, students are introduced to business environment and to career options.
Metro Sports Foundation empowers children with technology to help them become successful members of the workforce and the community. The community can take pride in its children's accomplishments at the MSF. Those achievements can provide the motivation needed for students to strive for success in school and in their futures. Please see this weblink for an example of the work that MSF does with young people: http://uk.sun.com/sunnews/events/2006/mar/metroshack/index.html .
Mow & Grow
This entry should win because: Developed from a simple neighbourhood watch group, Mow & Grow started life as voluntary organisation with just one man an idea and a piece of paper. in just one short year it has become a registered company limited by guarantee with dozens of regular volunteers, a 23 acre headquarters and nearly £100000 worth of equipment. They have helped nearly 500 vulnerable people in there first full year and have been featured in the national press (guardian) and regional television as well as regional and local radio on numerous occasions. There first 2 volunteers (who where expelled from school with no qualifications) achieved 4 qualifications each and won a lottery award of £5000 to start there own business in 2007. 83 + certificates and qualifications have been trained to its volunteers and the project has grown from a part time operation in the lowestoft area to a 23 acre headquarters in the next county as it expands across the east of england. The founder and director started the scheme whilst maintaining a full time job, and has won recognition in the sainsburys voluntary contribution local hero awards in March 2007. The website at www.mowandgrow.org.uk has regularly featured in the www.one suffolk.co uk top 20 most visited websites in 2007. The Mow & Grow model slogan of cutting grass, cutting crime and cultivating futures has helped reduce the fear of crime by over 50%, helped reduce accidents in the home by over 80% and improved the quality of life and well being for hundreds of people across the east of england. Mow & Grow has helped over 70 voluntary and community groups (including the Police and social services). They have also helped them to raise funds lending equipment , offering experience, skills and accreditation to help others.Winning this award not only recognises the thousands of man hours its volunteers have given to the local community, it will open doors to other groups who wish to replicate the model to achieve similar things across the UK.
Nappy Ever After
This entry should win because: Nappy Ever After should win this award because of its increasing success in 2007 in stimulating behavourial change, getting people to use reusable nappies rather than throwaway ones. NEA has demonstrated over the last 4 years that by marketing real nappies locally, creating an attractive brand and delivering a high quality, professional service using green freight that a nappy laundry services can be much better than disposables in terms of CO2 emissions and that's not including the tonnages of waste diverted from landfill/incineration, We calculate that using 8 of our laundry nappies has the same environmental impacts as 1 disposable.
OTTER ROTTERS LTD
This entry should win because: Otter Rotters has grown from a purely voluntary, small community group of 5 local people, into a thriving business covering East Devon and Exeter and employing 13 staff. We have diverted 100's of tons of organic waste which would otherwise have been landfilled and reduced pollution from individual car journeys. Otter Rotters has provided a better standard of life, new opportunities and work experience to numerous individuals otherwise disadvantaged through marginalisation or life circumstances. OR is also contributing to meeting government targets on recycling and waste reduction as well as developing novel approaches to organics management. Otter Rotter's Alchemy Project, a facility for the anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste is being replicated at a local prison and has generated much interest further afield. A novel process producing a high grade compost as well as methane for energy, Alchemy provides a replicable model for sustainable organics waste management. Similarly, our timber recycling project, providing a collection service of waste timber to businesses in Exeter and East Devon is demonstrating how a sustainable business can be built upon ecologically sound principles and be of genuine benefit to the community.
Patient Opinion
This entry should win because: Because Patient Opinion takes patient and public involvement in health services into the 21st century:
Patients can find out what others think of services they are about to use, rate services and send Thank You's to staff and teams. Subscribing Trusts and PCTs (of which there are currently 30+) can route opinions direct to the responsible manager as a weekly email feed. Trusts can benchmark themselves against others and PCTs use the feedback to help commission services. Our aim is for 100,000 postings per year, fed to 3000+ managers and leading to several thousand service improvements each year.
Our email feeds include the right to post a response to a patient's feedback so we are beginning to create a series of public, structured conversations about the micro-aspects of service that patients really care about. [See http://tinyurl.co.uk/h3uj
or http://tinyurl.com/yzrjmh for examples].
The digital nature of our feeds means it is easy to include others and we are in the process of doing this for some national patient groups, Oversight and Scrutiny Committees and some MPs. Patient Opinion thus includes a significant potential (unexpected when we began!) to extend the range of democratic conversations about local services.
The recent £100k of equity funding from South Yorkshire Key Fund enables us to start building a national network of Patient Associates. Associates will be thoughtfully passionate about local services and will edit postings prior to publication; and act as local facilitators to translate patient feedback about a service into concrete improvements on the ground.
Most Patient Associates will themselves have long-term conditions and working as Associates will not only help the NHS draw on their skills it will help Associates themselves become more economically active.
Prescot Oasis Centre
This entry should win because: All of our partners in the statutory sector have said that we should receive an award for our activities and unique programmes. They would be more than happy to support this application.
There are up to 1,000 households every week that benefit from what we do in a borough that is the third most deprived borough in England and Wales.
Young people who would have been vandalising housing estates are being trained, and under supervision are taken back to those same estates and maintaining the homes and gardens of the elderly and infirm. This gives them ownership in a uniquely positive way.
The elderly and inform are seeing these young people in a different light, fear and suspicion is diminished.
Pupil Parent Partnership
This entry should win because: PPP was formed as part of the Local Education Authority in 1994 with one worker supporting 15 young people on one estate in South Acton, London. It attracted a significant investment from the Single Regeneration budget and was the only project to survive the ending of the fund. From these beginnings, PPP has expanded and developed through breaking away from the Local Authority and setting up as a Social Enterprise. This has allowed PPP to make its own decisions, and develop an innovative and original approach to tackling social exclusion and working with vulnerable young people and their families. As a natural extension to this work, PPP has successfully led a EU Youth funded project 'Europeace', in order to develop a method of working with young people involved with violence, either as victims or perpetrators. This 3 year project has led to the development of a practitioner manual, and the acceptance of PPP Good Practice by a variety of organisations working with vulnerable young people throughout Europe.
Throughout its existence, PPP has constantly developed, innovated and represents the embodiment of the advantages of being a social enterprise. PPP constantly strives to develop its work further, and to disseminate its theory and practice to all working with vulnerable young people.
RCMA Social Enterprise Ltd
This entry should win because: Since being set up by volunteers eight years ago, Riverside Market is now largest farmers market in Wales - able to meet community and small-business needs in very direct and practical way, providing: local people with access to affordable, fresh produce; small producers with opportunity to trade directly with public; space in which new food-related business ideas can be developed by local people; an attraction which draws people into the area, contributing to local regeneration Education and outreach work is also central - nutrition and healthy living workshops for local residents, food workshops in local schools and farm visits for local children; community garden project where people learn to grow food. Priority since the beginning has been to ensure the sustainability and growth of Market while maintaining three key principles of honesty; quality; and variety of choice. We have also developed a range of food and nutrition outreach and education programmes in the local community, and have been actively involved with broader issues of food, sustainability and regeneration by sitting on numerous boards and panels in order to have influence in this bigger picture. We undertook consultancy work to set up new markets and we produced the Urban Farmers Market Toolkit. We have aimed to achieve the same standards as the best markets, and still be sustainable and independent as a social business - not an easy balancing act but we have achieved it - one of the few farmers markets in Wales, or the UK!, to have done this. We have maintained a cooperative approach to working with our stallholders and work with them to resolve any issues while protecting our well known "brand" as Riverside Market - a place to meet friends and neighbours, try food from many cultures, and buy the best produce at affordable prices.
Shared Interest
This entry should win because: Shared Interest was an innovative, in fact radical, idea when it was started 17 years ago and it continues to be an innovative organisation today. Shared Interest's recent strategic decisions have seen the organisation set up a permanent presence in two of its target market areas (East Africa and Central America), its first outside of the UK; and create a charitable Foundation as a related but separate legal entity. The Foundation is enabling Shared Interest to access funding outside the remit of the core organisation's 'Friendly Society' status and become active in related areas of support for fair trade producers such as producer training, capacity development and research. The charity is already having a very positive impact on the producers it is working with, by filling a gap in the training provision by focusing on business and financial management of their organisations.
Shared Interest's latest Social Accounts measure the organisation's progress towards making its vision a reality. Key developments that are reported on include a significant increase in the value of lending to fair trade organisations, especially to producer groups, the introduction of environmental monitoring and the establishment of an Ambassador scheme to promote the organisation within the UK. Recently introduced lending processes have enabled the organisation to lend into the fair trade commodities market, an area of huge growth that was previously not served by Shared Interest.
Shared Interest has a direct measurable impact on poverty. Shared Interest has played a significant role in the growth of fair trade globally over the last 17 years and is committed to continuing to strengthen the global fair trade movement. Shared Interest is about people investing in people.
Significan't (UK) Ltd
This entry should win because: Significan't has succeeded in opening up new channels of communication thanks to the creation of the British Sign Language interpreting service via videophones.
The high quality equipment/solution used by SignVideo allows providing remote sign language interpreters where interpreting is needed within minutes. Thanks to this, the Deaf Sign Language Community can now communicate easily with their public service suppliers, after decades of being sidelined in terms of access to public services and information.
Frustration is often felt by deaf people who need rapid information or want to apply their skills at work but are prevented because of communication problems lack of awareness. This can be now avoided thanks to the remote interpreter, enabling a real-time communication between deaf and hearing professionals and customers.
The way of tackling deaf people exclusion by providing interpreters is really progressing, as SignVideo makes the service available a lot faster. It definitely facilitates and improves the social inclusion of deaf people, as their right to speak in their native and often only language that is BSL is respected/no more neglected.
Unlike other typical call centres in the UK and even in Europe, SignVideo possesses a platform handling several incoming calls at any one time. Thus each caller is directed to an available interpreter or a member of the staff and can have a speedy answer to his/her request. This makes the company unique in Europe at this time.
The creation of such a service allows Deaf People to have a lot more independence and flexibility in their lives and at work. For all these reasons and as it focuses all its attention to make the life of thousands deaf people in the UK easier, Significan't deserves a special recognition.
Social Spider
This entry should win because: Social Spider deserves recognition for its imaginative use of all available technologies in delivering positive change for socially excluded people. It finds simple, sustainable solutions to social exclusion, as just three of its range of current projects demonstrate:
1. In March this year the first issue of a magazine for young people in Hackney, by young people in Hackney was published. Commissioned by the local authority's Youth Service, Contrast magazine explores the issues close to the hearts of the hard-to-reach 13-19 year olds in this challenging east London environment. Young people are involved in every stage of the production.
2. Social Spider designed and developed the Exposure website. Exposure is a charity which enables young people from all backgrounds, including disadvantaged groups and those from areas of deprivation, to participate and achieve their fullest potential in the media. The site won a Purple Youth Award for best representation of young people on the web in 2005.
3. Social Spider has secured funding from South London and Maudsley Charitable Trust and The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust to launch One in Four, a new free magazine written by people with mental health difficulty, for people with mental health difficulty.
In four years, Social Spider has developed a reputation for producing workable social projects that create tangible improvements for the communities they are intended to benefit. The company has displayed flair and imagination for conceiving an idea for a socially-minded product, nurturing it through the developmental stages, sourcing revenue streams and ultimately delivering an efficient and sustainable operation that achieves its aims.
Stonewall
This entry should win because: 1. Our approach is pioneering because we listen to employers and then give them the tools they need to improve. Our mission is equality and our approach is business-led espousing a clear four-point business case, plus 10 key benefits of membership. In recognition of the impact our business-led approach has had, the steering group for the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights has repeatedly consulted Stonewall.
2. The programme has a lasting impact measured by the development of the programme and the development of our members. Seven years ago the Royal Navy was discharging service personnel for being gay. Now the Royal Navy features in Stonewall's recruitment guide, has launched a gay support group and led the 2006 EuroPride. Moreover, the Navy's decision to actively engage with its gay staff empowers service personnel to take ownership of this change and further the extent to which they are a modern employer of choice.
3. The Diversity Champions programme has grown from 65 organisations in 2004 to 100 in 2005, 200 in 2006 and we're set to reach well over 300 organisations this year covering over four million employees. The Workplace Equality Index, featuring the top 100 gay friendly employers, has become a hugely competitive benchmarking exercise, with more and more organisations improving their performance. We published 100,000 employee guides, which were distributed all across the UK raising awareness of the employment equality regulations. We deliver five seminars per year, an annual Workplace conference, a Leadership programme and we've also delivered 52 masterclass training sessions in the past 12 months. With our viral marketing campaign, we targeted young people and hard-to-reach audiences. We advertised in media such as 'Nuts' and 'Loaded' and we managed to secure advertising on London Underground and on 3300 buses across the UK.
Street Dreams
This entry should win because: Street Dreams has a very successful model of:
- consulting community members on what they think will solve the problem they are facing
- setting up practical projects that have stemmed from community members' sug