UK Social Enterprise of the Year

The winners of the UK Social Enterprise Awards were announced at a gala reception at the Roundhouse in London on 4 December. Find out more about our winners, who showcase the strength, diversity and innovation of the social enterprise community. UK Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by Keegan & Pennykid The overall award for a social enterprise that has a clear vision, excellence in impact, and that has demonstrated and promoted social enterprise beyond the sector. The Workspace Group Workspace is a ‘profit for purpose’ social enterprise, founded in Draperstownm a small village in Mid Ulster, in 1985, by 170 members from the local community. The organisation emerged as a direct response to local decline, deprivation, and rising unemployment. The initial business model aimed to generate rental income from business units, which was then used to fund the provision of free business advice to support local entrepreneurs to start up in business and create jobs in the area. Workspace has grown significantly since 1985 and, in addition to providing incubator units, has diversified its operations to include several commercial businesses. These generate surpluses, which are gifted back to the parent company, Workspace Draperstown Ltd, to enable it to carry out its social mission. @TheWorkspaceGro HIGHLY COMMENDED: Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust One to Watch Sponsored by PwC The One to Watch Award is for a start-up social enterprise. Key to winning this award is an ability to clearly articulate their future vision and how they are going to achieve it. Half the Story Half the Story is a social enterprise biscuit business started in 2023. Its biscuits taste great – but as it says on each packet: ‘It’s not about the biscuit…it’s about the people who bake them’. Half the Story creates life changing employment for people with major barriers to work including homelessness. Wrapped in ecofriendly packaging its biscuits can already be found in retail outlets, on boardroom tables, at conference centres and hotels. These are biscuits that taste good and do good! @halfthestoryuk Prove It: Social Impact Award Sponsored by Linklaters For a social enterprise that can truly demonstrate and communicate their impact with their stakeholders. Breadwinners Breadwinners is a not-for-profit social enterprise that provides artisan organic bread and pastries while supporting refugees through employment and work experience programmes. By operating market stalls and a wholesale model, it gives refugees jobs and creates a community of customers, socially responsible partners, and producers that promotes the integration of newly arrived individuals into the UK. All while offering the best sourdoughs, natural levains, and organic pastries! @wearebreadwinners HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Skill Mill ‘Buy Social’ Market Builder Award Sponsored by Clear Voice For a social enterprise, public sector body or private sector organisation that has demonstrably made efforts within its own organisation and remit to create more opportunities to buy from social enterprises. Co-op Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives, owned its by millions of members. It’s the UK’s fifth biggest food retailer with more than 2,500 local convenience stores, the UK’s number one funeral services provider, a major general insurer and a growing legal services business. Alongside clear financial and operational objectives the Co-op is a recognised leader for its social goals and community-led programmes. It exists to meet members’ needs and stand up for the things they believe in. @coopuk HIGHLY COMMENDED: McLaughlin & Harvey Social Investment Deal of the Year Sponsored by Better Society Capital For an organisation that has been part of a great investment deal in the last 12 months that has helped the social enterprise to grow or the movement as a whole to develop and flourish. British Land/Impact Hub London Impact Hub London secured a transformative deal with British Land who provided £3.5m of CAPEX and managed the Cat-A/B fit-out for a 10,650 sqft affordable workspace in Regent’s Place. Repayment for CatB and peppercorn rent with a profit share arrangement enabled what would otherwise have beenunaffordable. Not only did this secure a world-class space for inclusive innovation in Camden, with freememberships for underserved residents, but built aligned interests and a true collaboration to enablecommunity and global impact. @impacthublondon @britishlandplc HIGHLY COMMENDED: Impact Finance Consulting/ARK Resettlement Services Public Services Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by GLL For a social enterprise for whom the majority of their income comes from the public sector and which delivers public services (for central or local government, NHS, criminal justice or other statutory body). Simon Community Scotland Simon Community Scotland has focused on responding to the causes and consequences of homelessness. It is a community of staff, volunteers and people who are homeless that combine to reach, respond and resolve the challenges and circumstances people find themselves in. Its ambition is that everyone has a safe place to live and the support they need. In any given year, Simon Community Scotland supports over 7000 people with 300 staff, 140 volunteers and over 70 partners across Scotland working with people living on the street, temporary accommodation and in their own homes. @simoncommscot Consumer Facing Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by The Company Shop Group For a social enterprise that delivers a retail product or service to the general public. Tap Social Movement Oxford-based Tap Social Movement is an independent social enterprise, craft brewery, and hospitality organisation that provides training and employment opportunities for prisoners and prison leavers. It believes that everyone benefits when no one is excluded from the job market, and to date has created more than 85,000 of paid, meaningful employment for leavers. It runs four Oxfordshire community venues, including Proof Social Bakehouse, named by The Telegraph Food as one of the 13 best bakeries in Britain. @tapsocialmovement Education, Training & Jobs Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by BDO For a social enterprise in the education, training or employment sectors that can demonstrate excellence in vision and strategic direction, and clearly evidence their social, environmental and community impact. Change Please CIC Change Please is an innovative social enterprise revolutionising the approach to tackling homelessnessthrough its holistic programs. By training individuals experiencing homelessness as baristas and providing them with essential support services, Change Please creates pathways to stable employment and housing. Its “Driving for Change” initiative repurposes buses to deliver comprehensive health, social and employment services across London. Partnering with organisations like Colgate and HSBC, ChangePlease supports thousands annually and champions social change through impactful scalable solutions. @changeplease HIGHLY COMMENDED: Cockpit Environmental Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by Landmarc For a social enterprise in the green and environmental sector with a clear evidenced environmental impact. Finance Earth Finance Earth is an employee-owned social enterprise with a mission to scale up funding into natureconservation, climate, and communities. Current investment to tackle the twin crises of climate changeand biodiversity loss falls billions of pounds short of what is required. Finance Earth works with leadingenvironmental charities, governments, and businesses to secure investment in projects that deliver realsocial and environmental impact. This year, it facilitated the UK’s biggest ever transfer ofenergy assets into community ownership. @finance.earth HIGHLY COMMENDED: Ethstat Ethical CIC Social Enterprise Building Diversity, Inclusion, Equity & Justice Award Sponsored by Nestlé Social justice is fundamental to the social enterprise movement. This category is open to all social enterprises who are addressing issues around diversity, inclusion and equity. City Health Care Partnership CIC Providing the highest quality health and care services, City Health Care Partnership CIC’s vision is to lead and inspire through excellence, compassion and expertise in all that it does. CHCP helps to keep people healthy, happy and out of hospital in Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire and Merseyside. It generates social value through reinvestment in colleagues, communities and services, with a social return on investment of £55 for every £1 spent. @chcphull Social Enterprise Women’s Champion of the Year Sponsored by Bunzl For a woman working in the senior leadership team of a social enterprise who represents excellence in her field of work. Maggie Gordon-Walker – Mothers Uncovered (Livestock charity)  Maggie directs Mothers Uncovered but she’s never not on the job. She’s constantly generating ideas to reach out to mothers, and ways they can make money in these times of austerity. Social obstacles to a woman succeeding in the business and voluntary sector are well known – hence the importance of Maggie’s focus on the lived experience of mothers, especially their mental health. The context in which she is working is tough but Maggie remains undaunted, vibrant and vital. @mothers_uncovered HIGHLY COMMENDED: Paula Jennings – Stepping Stones International Impact Award Sponsored by Zurich Insurance Group For a social enterprise working internationally, and which are having a big impact in their field. This award is open to UK-based organisations only with existing international operations. IDEMS International CIC IDEMS builds open technology and digital public goods for social impact, delivering services in partnership with local organisations to build equity in the place of exclusion. An international team working globally, it has developed not only cultural competences to identify analytic methods from new perspectives, but also a collaborative approach to delivery that can be as transformative as what is actually delivered. This approach, and the values on which it is based, are codified in its organisational principles. HIGHLY COMMENDED: Stand4Socks Community-Based Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation This award is for a social enterprise that trades for the benefit of their community, making a real local impact. Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise CIC PDSE is committed to improving oral health in the Southwest through the provision of treatment, education and engagement with communities. Its unique model brings together dental education, high-quality patient care and community outreach to deliver demonstrable social impact. The clinics were established to tackle oral health inequalities in underserved areas and to address the lack of availability of dental care, treating patients who may not otherwise have access to a dentist. Social Enterprise Innovation of the Year Sponsored by Barclays Business Banking A new award is recognising a social enterprise that has brought something truly innovative to market in the past year. Change Please CIC Change Please is an innovative social enterprise revolutionising the approach to tackling homelessness through its holistic programs. By training individuals experiencing homelessness as baristas and providing them with essential support services, Change Please creates pathways to stable employment and housing. Its “Driving for Change” initiative repurposes buses to deliver comprehensive health, social and employment services across London. Partnering with organisations like Colgate and HSBC, Change Please supports thousands annually and champions social change through impactful scalable solutions. @changeplease Tech for Good: Technology Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by Mitie For a social enterprise that uses technology to achieve social impact. Hope 4 The Community CIC Hope For The Community CIC is a Coventry based social enterprise empowering people living with long-term conditions and carers to take control of their health and wellbeing. Its Hope Programme courses enhance participants’ knowledge, skills, and confidence, enabling them to actively participate in their care, leading to improved quality of life and reduced healthcare burden. Organisations across the public, voluntary and private sectors license a range of evidence based peer-led self-management programmes delivered in-person and online across the UK. @hope4tc HIGHLY COMMENDED: WYK Digital Awards Sponsors

Multi-sport facility to transform social sports provision with basketball, netball, futsal, volleyball, pickleball, badminton and more to boost community health and wellbeing Leyton's Score Centre was officially opened on Thursday 28 November in a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrated with the local community. On a tour of the facilities, Waltham Forest CEO Linzi Roberts Egan, Council Leader Grace Williams, Cllr Ahsan Khan Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration, Cllr Kizzy Gardiner Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and GLL CEO Peter Bundey were joined by James Lidgate, Managing Director for Taylor Wimpey London and VIP athlete Ex-Saracens Rugy Player Sonia 'Sonic' Green at the borough's most significant leisure opening in years.  The Score Centre's large capacity means it will have a 'transformative effect' on social sports in the borough - allowing many more clubs and teams to have fun, socialise, get active or compete in tournaments. Located next to Leyton Orient Football Club at 2, Coronation Square E10 5UN,  Waltham Forest Council's investment in the Score Centre provides a brand new sports facility, with courts that the local community can book up to 7 days in advance. Containing five basketball / netball / volleyball / handball  / futsal courts (which can be reconfigured as 20 badminton courts or in multiple permutations to provide for exhibition and tournament events for different sports), The Score Centre is one of the largest new sports halls in the country and will operate at a player capacity of 100, a spectator capacity of 500 and will create additional local employment and sporting opportunity. There are also two studios for Pilates, Yoga, Zumba and more - plus two community rooms available for hire, alongside associated offices.  Better - the trading name of not-for-profit charitable social enterprise GLL - is managing the facility - alongside 7 other borough centres, in partnership with Waltham Forest Council.  Speaking at Thursday's event, GLL's CEO Peter Bundey said:  "As a charitable social enterprise and staff-owned co-op, our mission is to enhance community health and wellbeing through making facilities and programmes accessible for all.  "This aligns strongly with Waltham Forest Council's public health agenda and its wish to see residents improve their health and reduce health inequalities across generations and cultures. "Waltham Forest has a deserved reputation for producing household name athletes who have honed their winning talents in the borough's great public leisure facilities. "So we are delighted to have added the fantastic new Score Centre to our portfolio of centres we manage and operate across London and can't wait to see which future sports stars call it 'home'." Cllr Ahsan Khan, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration said: "It’s been an absolute pleasure to be here today and celebrate the opening of The New Score Centre with our partners and the local community. ‘’It’s a facility that defines a clear example of what top quality sports centres look like, one that allows us to serve our residents by giving them the opportunity to access good fitness facilities, breaking down health inequalities in the borough. ‘’The energy and excitement here today reminds us just how important spaces like this are, not just for physical fitness but also for fostering connections, building confidence and strengthening our community. ‘’I have no doubt that it will inspire many of us to lead healthier, and more active lives.’’ Sports governing bodies that are partnering in the initiative include England Handball, London Pulse (Netball), London Galaxy (Futsal) Essex Netball, Leyton Orient Trust, Metro Blind (Disability Football). The Score Centre is part of Taylor Wimpey's Coronation Square Development - a vibrant public space and new destination for Leyton Town Centre and a hub for creativity, leisure, sports and culture. Laurent Plopeanu, Project Director for Taylor Wimpey London, said: "We are delighted that the new Score Centre is open to the public and being used by a wide range of local residents. "We have worked collaboratively with the London Borough of Waltham Forest to deliver this state-of-the-art new facility for Leyton. Featuring fitness studios, community rooms, offices, and an incredible five basketball courts that can also accommodate 20 badminton courts, this space is truly versatile."Our aim is for the new Score Centre to act as a hub for the community that allows people to meet, get active and take part in a wide range of sports that they may otherwise not have been able to." Dignitaries also visited the 120 capacity Nappy Gang nursery co-located at the site and toured the facilities to speak to staff and meet the little ones - who helped cut the ribbon on their new facility. The Score Centre boasts an Active Reality zone.  A gym and cafe concession will be added to the facility from early 2025 - completing the destination offer.  https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/waltham-forest/score-leisure-centre

An update on our collective policy campaigning from Cwmpas, Social Enterprise Northern Ireland, Social Enterprise Scotland and Social Enterprise UK  Although the new UK Government’s first Budget marked positive shifts like investment in public services, many social enterprises have concerns about how it could affect their business, which we’re currently working to urgently address.  Social enterprises are committed to paying a living wage and providing good jobs, often for those furthest from the labour market and in the most deprived areas – but many will struggle with additional costs from increased wages and employer National Insurance Contributions, particularly those reliant on public sector contracts. It’s not yet clear if some providers will be exempt from additional costs, or reimbursed in some way, or neither.   Different departments have given contradictory messages, so we’re seeking clarity on details of the plans and their potential impact; Scotland’s First Minister has also committed to pressing the UK Government on this. To deliver manifesto commitments around community services and prevention, government must recognise the essential role of social enterprises in their delivery across the country. We’re liaising urgently with politicians and policymakers in all four nations to ensure they understand these issues and work towards a fair resolution.   We’re also engaging partners and wider stakeholders impacted by the changes to maximise our collective impact, as this could have serious consequences for social enterprises who provide vital services every day. There are calls to protect GPs and social care providers, but we know this issue goes further – from healthcare to hospices, school meals to children’s homes, leisure facilities to community transport, all over the country.   To help shield the many vital social enterprises reliant on public sector contracts from these potentially crippling costs, please add your voice to our petition.  We hope the Chancellor will use her additional spending power to create the conditions where mission-led businesses like social enterprises can thrive, which will ultimately build a stronger and fairer economy – but we won’t just wait and see. We exist to be a strong voice for social enterprise, so we’ll make sure that central and devolved governments understand our needs on this budgetary issue and beyond.