What do baking bread, warehousing & mailing, mobility equipment sales and cycle services have in common? Well they’re all successful Social Firms who are through to the national finals of the Social Enterprise Awards. A Social Firm is committed to employing 25% of their workforce from those who are severely disadvantaged in the job market – so for them to also be recognised during Global Entrepreneurship Week is a fitting testimony to the diversity and market-led spirit that they embody.
Wales’ Pack-IT Group (storage, distribution, & fulfilment) and England’s Brighter Future Workshop (mobility equipment) will be battling it out for the UK’s ‘Best Small Social Enterprise’. Whilst England’s Bikeworks (cycle services) and Scotland’s the bread maker bakery & coffee house are both up for the UK’s ‘Best New Social Enterprise’.
All now need to galvanise both the public’s interest and votes to be crowned UK winners in their categories.
Social Firms UK CEO, Sally Reynolds, comments: "This proves that job creation is high on the agenda. We are delighted that the fantastic work our member Social Firms do has received national recognition, especially when the social enterprise sector is estimated to be 62,000 businesses, of which only 80 or so are fully fledged Social Firms and yet are achieving such a rate of success in these awards!”
Each of the four UK nations now has three entries in the final. These organisations will compete to win their category prize of £1,000 with one winning £5000 and the title ‘Social Enterprise of the Year’. The winners of the national stage will be decided via online voting at www.socialenterpriseawards.org.uk/awards_vote.php from now until the 30 November and will be announced at a gala event in London on 3 December.