Sam Conniff

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Sam's impressive list of social enterprises includes: Livity, a socially responsible marketing agency; LIVE, a youth-led magazine project which engages disadvantaged young people; Dubplate, which uses multi-platform media to provide advice for ‘hard to reach’ audiences; and Music4Good, which helps underprivileged young people to access UK music industry apprenticeships. This year, he launched Livity Trust, which helps young people manage the costs of starting work, from training to childcare, clothing and travel. Judges were impressed by the broad range, and the success, of the projects Sam works with.

1 nomination from readers

  • Sam is proving that social enterprise can make a difference, can compete in the commercial market, can take on the bigger boys (and girls) can win and can deliver real, tangible social benefits and can completely transform lives.

    Sam founded Livity with Michelle Clothier to harness the power of marketing on young people and do something useful with it. Livity creates award winning effective national campaigns tackling a range of social issues affecting youth.

    Sam and Michelle also co founded LIVE Magazine, London’s foremost youth publication, by young people, for young people, turning around the lives of hundreds of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

    Sam is also one of the executive producers of Dubplate Drama, a series created to connect social issues with hard to reach groups of young people via multi platform technology, delivering outstanding results for it’s sponsors, ChildLine. Dubplate is now working with BBC and Channel 4 on interactive, social dramas for young people.

    Out of these social enterprises Sam and his colleagues have also created Music4Good, a pioneering apprenticeship scheme across the music industry in structured, managed and accredited apprenticeships for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

    Sam is also Co founder and trustee of the Livity Trust helping young people with the cost of getting a job, from clothing to childcare and travel.

    Throughout all of this Sam maintains strong mentoring relationships with many young people and continues to play a supportive and positive role in their lives.

    Whether it’s the central or local government, charity, big business, or any of his other clients, colleagues and contacts, Sam is able to navigate sectors, industries and politics, and present everyone he works with practical business led solutions that deliver, and affect young peoples lives for the better.

    Nominated by Norah Mohammed, 19 May 2008

4 comments from readers

  • Sam and his work sets the benchmark for all social enterprises across the country, he's an influencer on all levels from academia to the politics and he always finds time for the young people who look up to him as a role model.

    Submitted by Paola, 19 May 2008

  • Well sam deserves this award has he as along with others from the company changed and touched so many lives including mine I went from doing whatever it was needed to survive to being Ambassador for a great great magazine before I did'ent think it would be possible for me to come out of my comfort zone and do and be some many things and I have been only working for the magazine for 12 months Sam along with others have made think anything is possible if your willing to go to the extra mile!

    Submitted by Dannyelle Mavour, 19 May 2008

  • Sam Conniff should win Social Entrepreneur of the year because he is the driving force of a team pioneering new ways in which businesses can benefit communities and society in general, applying his boundless energy, communication skills and entrepreneurial spirit to some of British society's toughest problems and injustices. He has directly improved the lives of hundreds of young people and, by inspiring hundreds of individuals and organisations to follow in his footsteps, indirectly improved the lives of tens of thousands more.

    Submitted by Callum McGeoch, 19 May 2008

  • Sam Conniff is one of a kind. I have a growing respect for him, the hours he puts in, the projects he works on, his success, the companies success... but through all this he still has time for everybody else - especially the young people, so many of whom look to him as a father figure. Without Sam, there's be a lot more lost young men roaming the streets of south London. If we could all put a bit of Conniff in our daily programme, we might achieve that bit more.

    Submitted by Chan, 20 May 2008

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