Why we’re asking the government to talk to social enterprises 

Zaytoun, the pioneering social enterprise supporting the resilience of Palestinian communities through fair trade, is proud to welcome Mike Gidney, outgoing CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation, to its Board of Directors. Mike Gidney brings over a decade of leadership at the helm of the Fairtrade Foundation, where he championed the cause of justice and empowerment for small-scale producers facing very different challenges all over the world. His commitment to building equitable supply chains aligns seamlessly with Zaytoun’s mission to connect Palestinian farmers and producers with international markets. “Zaytoun is the very best of Fairtrade – a great range products, all wonderful quality, which enable farming communities to withstand the enormous challenges they face, and to plan for a better future”, said Mike Gidney. “I’m honoured to join Zaytoun’s Board at such a significant moment in its history. For 20 years, Zaytoun has demonstrated the transformative power of fair trade, in supporting Palestinian small-scale producers. I look forward to contributing to its continued growth and impact.” “We’re thrilled to welcome Mike to our Board at this pivotal moment in Zaytoun’s journey,” said Manal Ramadan White, Managing Director of Zaytoun. “His leadership at the Fairtrade Foundation has been truly transformative, advancing trade justice and ensuring the Fairtrade mark remains a symbol of integrity and impact. His expertise in fair trade and global advocacy will be invaluable as we continue to champion Palestinian producers and navigate an increasingly challenging landscape.” Mike Gidney’s appointment comes as Zaytoun celebrates its 20th anniversary – his vast experience and visionary leadership will support Zaytoun’s efforts to grow its reach and expand market opportunities for Palestinian products in the UK and Ireland. By creating and growing a market for Palestinian products here in the UK and Ireland, Zaytoun is helping ensure a reliable and fair income stream for farmers and producers in the West Bank. As farming and food production is one of the few sources of income left to Palestinians, cultivating and selling their products is more vital than ever, both to ensure the resilience of farming communities and to help prevent confiscation of land that has been in families for centuries. Supporting Palestinians by buying their products is also an act of solidarity which is felt deeply in the West Bank.

Clarion Housing Group, the UK’s largest housing association, announces the launch of the sixth William Sutton Prize, with the prize pot increased to mark the organisation’s 125th anniversary. A fund of £125,000 will be awarded to ideas and innovations that transform the lives of social housing residents. Named after the Victorian philanthropist whose legacy created Clarion Housing Group, The William Sutton Prize seeks innovative and bold solutions that will tackle some of society’s most urgent challenges. The £125,000 fund will be split between the winners of two categories focusing on sustainability and connected communities. Clarion Housing Group draws on its long heritage that goes back to 1900 when entrepreneur William Sutton left his fortune to create some of the first social housing in London. Along with contemporaries such as Joseph Rowntree and George Peabody, Sutton’s original bequest transformed the lives of so many Victorian workers in towns and cities. 125 years later, Clarion’s William Sutton Prize aims to honour that legacy by turning groundbreaking ideas into real-world solutions that make lasting improvements to the built environment and local communities. Clare Miller, Chief Executive of Clarion Housing Group, said: “Through The William Sutton Prize we are proud to collaborate with those who are pioneering new innovations and cutting-edge thinking. Kickstarting our 125th year anniversary celebrations, this year’s prize is our most ambitious to date and we are delighted to be able to increase the value of the funding thanks to the support of our partners. “We’re focusing our efforts on tackling two major societal issues – preserving and restoring nature, and the need for truly connected communities – and I can’t wait to see what innovative ideas are put forward.”  Several eminent judges have been chosen from the architectural, construction, design and academic sectors including Peter Murray OBE, Co-Founder of New London Architecture, Tara Gbolade, Co-Founding Director of Gbolade Design Studio, Matt Harvey-Agyemang, Co-Founder of The POoR Collective, and Greg Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of Vistry Group. The £125,000 prize fund, financed jointly by Clarion and corporate partners, will be awarded to the winners of two categories. The William Sutton Prize for Sustainability will be awarded to organisations or individuals bringing forward ideas that actively contribute to the restoration and preservation of our natural world. Applications are invited to tackle any issues in this space, with a particular interest in climate resilient design, retrofitting and renewable energy, resource efficiency, biodiversity and recovering nature, and wellbeing and placemaking.   New for 2025, The William Sutton Prize for Connected Communities aims to foster innovative solutions that enhance community ties, promote inclusion, and strengthen the social fabric of Clarion neighbourhoods. Developed in partnership with the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art (RCA), this new category will recognise impact-led ideas that improve social housing residents’ physical, emotional and social wellbeing, promoting a healthy and welcoming environment for all. In addition to funding, the winners will also receive a tailored package of business support and the chance to collaborate with Clarion and their partners and sector-leading experts to turn their boldest and brightest ideas into reality. Peter Murray OBE said: “It is an honour and privilege to be asked to judge The William Sutton Prize in Clarion’s 125th anniversary year. We need the best brains with the most ambition to match the transformative impact of Clarion’s founder, and I’m really looking forward to receiving the submissions and meeting the people behind them.” Past William Sutton Prize winners include well-known architecture practices including Bell Phillips Architects, Mole Architects and Jas Bhalla Works, alongside social enterprises and charities such as the Hackney School of Food and Pride of Place Living.   Tim Bell, Director of Bell Phillips Architects, said:  “Winning The William Sutton Prize has enabled Bell Phillips to expand our focus on reducing embodied carbon in all the buildings we design. The Prize has provided us with dedicated research and development time for our in-house carbon calculation tool and to implement the findings of that into live projects across a range of building types – it truly has been invaluable.” Applications close at midday on 8 April. To find out more about The William Sutton Prize or to apply, visit www.clarionhg.com/william-sutton-prize

The man who went up against Nigel Farage in the 2024 general election will now be making the case for social enterprise to politicians.  Taking on a media savvy political operator with more than twenty years experience in a general election when you’re just 27 years old is not for the faint-hearted. So it was no surprise that Jovan Owusu-Nepaul’s selection as the Labour candidate up against Nigel Farage for the Clacton seat raised a few eyebrows.   Perhaps unsurprisingly given his public profile and many years in politics, Farage won with 46% of the vote but for Owusu-Nepaul, it was an opportunity to add to his political experience.   Having joined the Labour Party whilst studying for his A Levels, he went onto become the youngest ever Chair of the Lewisham Deptford constituency Labour Party and then worked under Vidhya Alakeson, who is now Keir Starmer’s Chief of Staff. All of which will stand him in good stead as he takes on a new challenge of ensuring parliamentarians and policymakers are aware of the importance of social enterprise to British society as our new Head of Public Affairs.   “All the work that I've ever done has been about some form of social change or social impact. Working for the Labour Party was one way I could do that, and now this feels like a meaningful, tangible way in which I can try and advocate for a certain type of economy, making the case more concretely for an alternative way of business,” said Owusu-Nepaul.  He’s particularly eager for conversations about how government can better hold businesses to account, using the social enterprise sector as an example of an alternative way of doing business which can exist at a larger scale. As someone who has spent a lot of time thinking about what we value as a society and ways to embed a value structure into the economy (beyond the bottom line), he’s also looking forward to our forthcoming Social Value Leaders' Summit.  Owusu-Nepaul sees social enterprises as a tool to achieve social justice because he believes they give people agency in society, are nurturing to their communities and create beneficial social outcomes.   He added: “Social enterprises are so much more effective than just having business as a kind of raw parasitic form. They’re demonstrating an alternative value system within the context of a more inclusive model of capitalism, and that is exactly where political parties should be focusing because it integrates economic interests alongside social and cultural interests.”  As someone who was the exact opposite to Farage in so many ways, not only on policy but as the only black candidate under 30 in the election, his selection was irresistible to the media. It’s lead to invitations to appear on LBC, ITV’s Good Morning Britain and Channel 5’s The Jeremy Vine Show, and he’s enjoying having a platform.   “You can engage in kind of a national conversation, and you can plant ideas in people's heads as to how an alternative society could look. It's really important to demonstrate to people that the way things are today, that doesn't mean that's how it always has to be. The media's allowed me to do that,” said Owusu-Nepaul.