UK: ministers praise social enterprise

Two UK government ministers co-hosted the 2006 Enterprising Solutions Awards in London on 25 October. Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector, and Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MBE, Minister of State for Industry and the Regions, presented the prizes at the UK?s national awards for social enterprise, demonstrating how important social enterprise has become since the awards scheme was launched eight years ago. The Enterprising Solutions Awards are run by the Social Enterprise Coalition with sponsorship and support from two government departments, two banks, a newspaper and a magazine. They celebrate the best social and community enterprises that are passionate about social change. This year?s overall winner is Sunderland Home Care Associates, a co-operative owned by its 170 employees who provide a range of care to old or disabled people on behalf of health and social services in North East England. The judges applauded their ability to translate the social enterprise ethos into a strong business model which is now being replicated elsewhere. Receiving the £10,000 prize on behalf of all at SHCA Margaret Elliot, Director of Care Services said: ?Naturally, we are delighted to have won such a prestigious Award. All of our workers provide a high quality service to vulnerable people and it is a boost to everyone to be recognised in this way.? Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP congratulated everyone: ?The winners of the Enterprising Solutions Awards clearly demonstrate that by taking a truly entrepreneurial approach to solving social and environmental problems they can make a huge impact to communities across the United Kingdom and beyond. I am pleased to see social enterprises succeeding in every area of the economy – ensuring people everywhere reap the social, environmental and economic benefits these businesses can bring.? Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector, said: “The Enterprising Solutions awards celebrate the incredible work of Britain?s social enterprises at a time when the sector is growing in recognition. These are inspiring people who are attempting to move us towards a fairer world through new means: businesses founded for a social purposes which reinvest their profits. “We are in the foothills of what the social enterprise movement can achieve – and today’s award winners are shining a light on the way ahead.” The New Social Enterprise Award went to Green Estate Ltd, based in some of the most deprived wards in south Sheffield. Their profitable management of public parks and garden sites has enabled growth to 45 staff based on a mission to transform open space from a liability into a productive asset. Receiving the £5000 prize on behalf of all at Green Estate Ltd, Sue France chief executive said: ?We are thrilled to have won this National award which could never have been achieved if we hadn?t had so many successful local examples in Sheffield to have built out from. Just surviving the transition from grant funding to becoming a self supported business still firmly on track with delivering the mission, had been achievement enough. I hope though, that good news stories like this helps to raise the local profile of the ?not for profit? sector.? The other winners named were: Galeri Caernarfon Cyf (Gwynned, Wales). A Development Trust with a 14 year record of social, economic and environmental projects which recently opened the ?Galeri Creative Enterprise Centre?. The centre houses a flexible 400 seat auditorium, which also doubles up as a cinema, several rehearsal and practice studios, art space, café bar, rooms for hire, conference facilities and 27 enterprise units. Other projects include property development which currently house 31 commercial units and 6 residential units. These units provide employment space for 86 people. SCA Group (Southampton) is a large scale provider of day-care and home-care services as well as dental care provision in Southampton?s areas of high social deprivation. Over 40 contracts with 6 local authorities have enabled SCA to expand into training provision of NVQs in Care, and to open three dental clinics which serve 20,000 patients. Several more clinics are planned. Bulky Bobs (Liverpool) handles bulky household waste collection, reuse and recycling projects for several local authorities in the North West. Commercial viability is combined with social impact in the form of an innovative 12 month training programme for the long term unemployed as well as sales of pre-loved goods to low income shoppers. The company diverts thousands of tonnes of material every year from landfill by using environmentally efficient processes and resources, including the running of a bio-diesel enabled logistics fleet. www.enterprisingsolutions.org